| Objective To analyse prenatal ultrasound measurement of fetal cerebral artery systolic peak flow velocity (MCA-PSV) combined with intrahepatic umbilical venous blood flow maximal velocity (IHUV-Vmax) for predicting fetal severe α-thalassemia. Methods A total of 128 cases of fetus diagnosed as α-thalassemia by prenatal genetic diagnosis in Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital from November 2015 to October 2017 were selected as the case group. The fetus was divided into severe α-thalassemia according to prenatal genetic diagnosis results and red blood cell count. There were 42 cases of severe α-thalassemia, 31 cases of intermediate α-thalassemia, and 55 cases of mild α-thalassemia. Another 34 healthy fetuses were included as normal control group. The fetal gestational age was estimated by ultrasound, and the fetal MCA-PSV and IHUV-Vmax were measured. The relationship between fetal MCA-PSV and IHUV-Vmax and gestational age was analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient method. Their relationship was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). And the value of MCA-PSV, IHUV-Vmax alone and combined prediction of heavy α-thalassemia was compared. Results The MCA-PSV and IHUV-Vmax in case group were higher than those in control (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between MCA-PSV and IHUV-Vmax and gestational age in case group and control group (r=0.591, 0.372, 0.647, 0.556, P<0.05). Severe α-thalassemia fetal MCA-PSV, MCA-PSV-multiples of the median(MOM), IHUV-Vmax, IHUV-Vmax-MOM were significantly higher than those of intermediate α-thalassemia and mild α-thalassemia (P<0.05). MCA-PSV, IHUV-Vmax alone and the combined prediction of the area under ROC curve of severe α-thalassemia was 0.903, 0.788, and 0.957, respectively. Conclusion The combination of MCA-PSV and IHUV-Vmax can improve the sensitivity and specificity of predicting severe α-thalassemia fetuses. |
