Inhibin-A as a Useful Biomarker for Detecting Chromosomal Abnormalities in Prenatal Screening Programs

Abstract

Abstract Objective To investigate the accuracy of various biochemical markers, including inhibin-A, in detecting chromosomal abnormalities in fetuses. Methods This retrospective study included 52 pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis due to abnormal results on prenatal screening tests. The study measured the levels of inhibin-A, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), unconjugated estriol (uE3), and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) in maternal serum. Results Inhibin-A was the only biomarker that showed a significant difference in mean value between the groups with normal and abnormal amniocentesis results. Specifically, inhibin-A had a significantly higher mean value in the group with abnormal results compared to the group with normal results. Inhibin-A also had the highest sensitivity and positive predictive value among all the biomarkers studied. The combined first-trimester screening test using nuchal translucency, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, and free beta-hCG had the highest specificity and negative predictive value. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that inhibin-A is a useful biomarker for detecting chromosomal abnormalities in fetuses, with a high sensitivity and positive predictive value. The findings may have important implications for prenatal screening programs, although further research is needed to confirm the usefulness of inhibin-A and other biomarkers in screening for chromosomal abnormalities.