Background: Trisomy 21 is the most prevalent chromosomal anomaly among new-borns with mental disability. The phenotypes with trisomy 21 may involve short stature, mental retardation, shortness of the extremities, congenital heart disease and hydrops
Material and methods: To evaluate the hyaluronic acid concentrations in amniotic fluid of trisomy 21 fetuses with and without hydrops.
Materials and Methods: Totally 56 amniotic fluid supernatant samples were collected from pregnant women who underwent genetic amniocentesis for this study: group 1 were euploid fetuses without hydrops (n=30), group 2 were trisomy 21 fetuses without hydrops (n=16), group 3 were euploid fetuses with hydrops (n=6) and group 4 were trisomy 21 fetuses with hydrops (n=4). Hyaluronic acid concentrations in AF supernatants were evaluated by ELISA method.
Results: There are no significant differences of hyaluronic acid concentrations between euploid and trisomy pregnancy in AF obtained from genetic amniocentesis. AF in the gestational age of amniocentesis among the four groups of fetuses; maternal age at amniotic fluid collected is oldest in group 2 fetuses. The amniotic fluid hyaluronic acid concentration is highest in group 4 fetuses, and is not significant difference among the other three groups. (P= 0.014, one way ANOVA test).
Conclusion: Elevated hyaluronic acid concentration in amniotic fluid may associate with the pathophysiology of fetal hydrops in trisomy 21 fetuses.