Screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia in pregnancy: results and perspectives

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to study the time course of changes in the levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-HOP) in pregnant women in relation to the gestational time from the results of the screening made in Tyumen. The study analyzed 2,817 medical charts of pregnant women. The levels of DHEAS and 17-HOP had been determined in 1,485 (52%) and 230 (8.2%) women, respectively. Analysis of the results of hormonal tests for DHEAS indicated that this hormone was increased in 71% of the women. At the same time, the elevated levels of 17-HOP were observed only in 15% of the examinees. No correlation was found between the levels of DHEAS and 17-HOP. In all trimesters of pregnancy, the median and 95 percentile were above the normal range with their This study has shown that the level of DHEAS cannot be used as the only diagnostic criterion for the non-classical form of 21-hydroxylase deficiency in pregnant women and that there is some doubt as to whether the normal laboratory value of this parameter is absolute significant throughout the pregnancy.