Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A.

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A , PAPPA or PAPP-A for short , is a protein quantitatively determined in the maternal serum as part of the double test in the first trimester screening , which can give indications of a malformation in the fetus due to deviations from the norm .

description

It is a zinc-binding protein that acts like an enzyme ( metalloproteases ). It was first detected in the blood of pregnant women in the 1970s and is used for genetic screening in prenatal diagnosis and for examinations of atherosclerosis . Women who have low PAPP-A blood levels between 8 and 14 weeks of pregnancy are at increased risk of intrauterine growth retardation . Typical examples are the Trisomy 21 , pre-eclampsia and premature or incorrect or stillbirth . However, a decrease in the value does not necessarily mean that there is, for example, a trisomy 21, but only that there is an increased risk of this chromosome aberration . A test does not provide a diagnosis , but a statistical probability of impairment depending on the determined PAPP-A value, always in relation to the age of the pregnant woman and in combination with the determination of β- hCG and the nuchal transparency determined in the ultrasound .

PAPP-A can also be an indicator of unstable angina pectoris or an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). In a study at the Charité in Berlin in 2013 it was found that "[...] the concentration of PAPP-A is a strong, independent biomarker that can be used to estimate the likelihood that a patient with heart problems could suffer a secondary disease in the short term" For example, the course of disease in heart patients and the assessment of future risks can be better predicted through blood tests and secondary diseases can be reduced.

literature

• Early warning system for heart attacks developed In: BZ , April 7, 2013.
• The 1st trimester decides about life and death. In: Medical Tribune , April 5, 2005.

Web links

• Down syndrome . humgenpeine.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Double test in pregnancy 10-14. SSW . ( Memento of the original of February 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. zhma.de, accessed on February 24, 2015. 
2. ↑ Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A): theoretical and clinical aspects. In: Bratisl Lek Listy. 2002, 103 (6), pp. 194-205, PMID 12448565 .
3. ↑ ^{a b} A protein enables risk assessment . charite.de, accessed on February 24, 2015.
4. ↑ Definition of Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A . medicinenet.com, accessed February 24, 2015.

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !