Clinical laboratory services

    The department provides comprehensive screening tests for birth defects during pregnancy as well as various other types of diagnostic tests which are as follows

    1. Homocysteine (Blood serum analysis)

  • Homocysteine (tHcy) is the molecular marker which is found associated with risk factors of adverse pregnancy including miscarriage. It is believed to act on the blood vessel walls, resulting in changes to the endothelial cells within the placental vasculature. These changes are found associated with recurrent pregnancy loss, preeclampsia, and placenta abruption.
  • Homocysteine test is also used to diagnose cardiovascular diseases. Homocysteine has adverse effects on cardiovascular endothelium and smooth muscle cells with resultant alterations in subclinical arterial structure and function.

    • 2. Double Marker Screening Test: (Blood serum analysis during 10-13 weeks of pregnancy)

  • To detect Down's syndrome (also known as Down's or Trisomy 21), two blood molecular markers; pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) andfree beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (Beta-hCG), in combination with the mother's age, is performed between 10 to 13 weeks of pregnancy.
  • This test detects around seven out of every 10 (68%) pregnancies affected by Down's syndrome.

    • 3. Triple Marker Screening Test: (Blood serum analysis during 15-22 weeks of pregnancy)

    It includes three blood biomarkers:

  • Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP): A protein produced by the fetus. High levels of this protein can indicate certain potential defects, such as neural tube defects or failure of the fetus's abdomen to close.

    • AFP level is also used for prognosis and monitoring therapy for Hepatocellular carcinoma.

  • Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG): A hormone produced by the placenta. Low levels may indicate potential problems with the pregnancy, including possible miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. High levels of HGC can indicate a molar pregnancy, or a multiple pregnancy with two or more children.
  • Unconjugated Estriol (UE): An estrogen that comes from both the fetus and the placenta. Low estriol levels may indicate risk of having a baby with Down syndrome, especially when paired with low AFP levels and high HGC levels.

    • 4. Quadruple Marker Screening Test: (Blood serum analysis during 15-22 wk. of pregnancy)

  • An alternative to triple test is the quadruple marker screen test, which also looks at a substance called inhibin A. This test is also performed in in women between 15 to 22 weeks of pregnancy. Inhibin is a hormone which is produced by the placenta and the false positive rate of the test in compare to triple test is found lower.

    • 6. HPV screening for Cervical Cancer: (Cervical swab analysis)

  • Human papilloma virus (HPV) significantly affects woman health in India. The test is performed to detect the presence of the HPV (including types 16 and 18), a virus that can increase risk factors that lead to the development of genital warts, abnormal cervical cells or cervical cancer. We perform Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) technology which is a nucleic acid hybridization assay, for the qualitative detection of thirteen high-risk HPV DNA in cervical specimens.

    • 7. HPV 16 & 18 genotyping: (Cervical swab analysis)

  • Approximately 70% of invasive cervical cancer are caused by HPV 16 & HPV18 genotypes (high risk types). Our department has recently started HPV 16 & 18 genotyping by real time PCR.
  • It is a molecular diagnostic test based on real time amplification and qualitative detection of HPV 16 & 18 DNA in cervical samples.