Patent ID: 6573103
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of determining whether a pregnant woman is at an increased risk of having a fetus with Down's syndrome, the method comprising the steps of:measuring the level of at least one screening marker from a first trimester of pregnancy by: (i) assaying a sample obtained from the pregnant woman at said first trimester of pregnancy for at least one first biochemical screening marker; and/or (ii) measuring at least one first ultrasound screening marker from an ultrasound scan taken at said first trimester of pregnancy; measuring the level of at least one second screening marker from a second trimester of pregnancy, the at least one second screening marker from the second trimester of pregnancy being different from the at least one first screening marker from the first trimester of pregnancy, by: (i) assaying a sample obtained from the pregnant woman at said second trimester of pregnancy for at least one second biochemical screening marker; and/or (ii) measuring at least one second ultrasound screening marker from an ultrasound scan taken at said second trimester of pregnancy; and determining the risk of Down's syndrome by comparing the measured levels of both the at least one first screening marker from the first trimester of pregnancy and the at least one second screening marker from the second trimester of pregnancy with observed relative frequency distributions of marker levels in Down's syndrome pregnancies and in unaffected pregnancies.