{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T12:14:35Z","timestamp":1773663275516,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"4","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J Med Genet"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1990,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Serum alphafetoprotein was estimated in fetuses with and without Down's syndrome or with other chromosome abnormalities from the 17th to the 28th week of pregnancy. In normal fetuses, the AFP level declines steadily during this period. Before 20 weeks, there was no difference in the serum AFP levels of the three groups of fetuses. After 20 weeks, the serum AFP level in cases of Down's syndrome declined more rapidly than normal. This was not observed in fetuses with other chromosome abnormalities. This suggests that low maternal serum alphafetoprotein levels used for prenatal screening for Down's syndrome in the early second trimester cannot be explained by low levels in the Down's fetuses themselves.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/jmg.27.4.240","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2008,11,10]],"date-time":"2008-11-10T15:11:11Z","timestamp":1226329871000},"page":"240-243","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Alphafetoprotein in midtrimester Down's syndrome fetal serum."],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"27","author":[{"given":"M J","family":"Seller","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1990,4,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"886","DOI":"10.1016\/0002-9378(84)90530-1","article-title":"An association between low maternal serum alphafetoprotein and fetal chromosomal abnormalities","volume":"148","author":"Merkatz, I.R.; Nitowsky, H.M.; Macri, J.; Johnson, W.E.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Merkatz IR, Nitowsky HM, Macri J, Johnson WE. An association between low maternal serum alphafetoprotein and fetal chromosomal abnormalities. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1984;148: 886-94.","journal-title":"Am J Obstet Gynecol"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"926","article-title":"Maternal serum alphafetoprotein measurement: a screening test for Down syndrome","volume":"i:","author":"Cuckle, H.S.; Wald, N.J.; Lindenbaum, R.H.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Cuckle HS, Wald NJ, Lindenbaum RH. Maternal serum alphafetoprotein measurement: a screening test for Down syndrome. Lancet 1984;i:926-9.","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1359","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(84)91859-2","article-title":"Prenatal screening for Down syndrome","volume":"i:","author":"Seller, M.J.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Seller MJ. Prenatal screening for Down syndrome. 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Arch Dis Child 1975;50:484-5.","journal-title":"Arch Dis Child"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"45","DOI":"10.1016\/0003-2697(66)90246-6","article-title":"Quantitative estimation of proteins by electrophoresis Alphafetoprotein in midtrimester Dowzn's syndrome fetal serum in agarose gel containing antibodies","volume":"15","author":"Laurell, C.B.","year":"1966","unstructured":"Laurell CB. Quantitative estimation of proteins by electrophoresis Alphafetoprotein in midtrimester Dowzn's syndrome fetal serum in agarose gel containing antibodies. Anal Biochem 1966;15: 45-52.","journal-title":"Anal Biochem"},{"issue":"3","key":"ref_11","first-page":"\"250A.\" # \"408","article-title":"Midtrimester fetal serum AFP levels in normal and Down syndrome fetuses. Amj Hum Genet","volume":"43","author":"Scioscia, A.; Blakemore, K.; Robinson, M.","year":"1988","unstructured":"Scioscia A, Blakemore K, Robinson M, et al. 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