Pregnancy-associated plasma protein of pregnancy-A (PAPP-A), a marker that is clinically used as part of prenatal testing by measurement in maternal serum during the first trimester of pregnancy, has been shown to predict adverse maternal and fetal obstetric outcomes such as pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction among others. “Our study is the first to show that PAPP-A can be detected at the embryonic level in vitro, specifically within blastocoel fluid-cultured medium (BFCM), which is fluid that is extruded by a blastocyst stage embryo when the blastocyst is being cryopreserved via the fast-freeze process known as vitrification. BFCM has been an area of interest in terms of research and since BFCM is routinely discarded in clinical IVF cases, BFCM is readily available to be analyzed for research purposes. If further study, which is underway, shows that PAPP-A at the embryonic level is predictive of maternal and/or fetal obstetric outcomes, then this information may be a useful adjunct in the selection of the optimal embryo for transfer,” said Dr. Shahryar Kavoussi.
To read the full Open Access article published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction & Genetics, click here.
