Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 57: 367-369, 1978
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS
HUMAN PLACENTAL LACTOGEN LEVELS IN AMNIOTIC FLUID IN NORMAL AND TOXEMIC PREGNANCIES D. Lolis and D. Kaskarelis From the First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens. Alexandra Maternity Hospital, Greece
Abstract. Amniotic fluid human placental lactogen (HPL) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 162 cases of women with normal pregnancy and 43 with toxemic pregnancy, in the last trimester of pregnancy. A significant difference in levels was observed.
Previous investigations have measured human placental lactogen levels in the amniotic fluid, in only a few cases of both normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by Rhesus isoimmunization. However, nothing has been reported for measurements of HPL in amniotic fluid in toxemic pregnancies (2, 8, 9, 14, 23). The present study was to investigate the value of fluctuations of HPL levels in amniotic fluid at various weeks of normal and toxemic pregnancies, in order to evaluate the fetal distress.
All the samples were put in pla$ tubes with code Nos. and sent to the laboratory, where the origin of sample (i.r. from normal or toxemic pregnancy) was unknown. They were then centrifuged and the serum stored at -20°C until complation of the calculation of hormone by radioimmunoassay. In the present study the Amersham HPL kit was used for determination of HPL level in amniotic fluid.
RESULTS The results of investigation are presented in Table I. A significant difference of HPL values was observed between normal and toxemic pregnancies, even though it was observed that the values rose both in normal and toxemic pregnancies until the 34th-36th week. Thereafter there was a decline (Fig. I).
MATERIAL AND METHOD A total of 205 amniotic fluid samples were collected from 162 women with normal pregnancy and from 43 women with toxemic pregnancy, between the 28th and 42nd week of gestation. These cases were classified into four groups according to the age of gestation as follows: Group A, 28th to 33rd week, 33 cases Group B, 34th to 36th week, 31 cases Group C , 37th to 39th week, 55 cases Group D, 40th to 42nd week, 86 cases The amniotic fluid samples were taken by amniocentesis, when the cervical dilatation was no more than 5 cm.
DISCUSSION In recent years, the study of the hormones and enzymes of amniotic fluid have been started. It can be supported that the determination of amniotic fluid's hormones is useful for the estimation of the endocrinic status of the fetus (15). Many investigations have been published about HPL levels in the maternal blood in normal and abnormal pregnancies, as a means of observing the condition of the fetus, but there are limited in-
Table I . Mean values of the amnioticfluid HPL (pglml) in normal and toxemic pregnancies Normal pregnancies Age groups in gestational weeks A B
c
D
28-33 3636 37-39 4042
n
18 19 45 80
Toxemic pregnancies
X
S.D.
S.E.
0.78 0.85 0.72 0.64
0.430 0.356 0.400 0.022
0.100 0.081 0.050 0.002
n
X
15
12 10
6
0.50 0.59 0.41 0.17
S.D.
S.E.
0.020 0.020 0.238 0.148
0.004 0.050 0.075
0.060
f
2.800* 3.209* 3.563** 7.833**
*P
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS
HUMAN PLACENTAL LACTOGEN LEVELS IN AMNIOTIC FLUID IN NORMAL AND TOXEMIC PREGNANCIES D. Lolis and D. Kaskarelis From the First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens. Alexandra Maternity Hospital, Greece
Abstract. Amniotic fluid human placental lactogen (HPL) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 162 cases of women with normal pregnancy and 43 with toxemic pregnancy, in the last trimester of pregnancy. A significant difference in levels was observed.
Previous investigations have measured human placental lactogen levels in the amniotic fluid, in only a few cases of both normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by Rhesus isoimmunization. However, nothing has been reported for measurements of HPL in amniotic fluid in toxemic pregnancies (2, 8, 9, 14, 23). The present study was to investigate the value of fluctuations of HPL levels in amniotic fluid at various weeks of normal and toxemic pregnancies, in order to evaluate the fetal distress.
All the samples were put in pla$ tubes with code Nos. and sent to the laboratory, where the origin of sample (i.r. from normal or toxemic pregnancy) was unknown. They were then centrifuged and the serum stored at -20°C until complation of the calculation of hormone by radioimmunoassay. In the present study the Amersham HPL kit was used for determination of HPL level in amniotic fluid.
RESULTS The results of investigation are presented in Table I. A significant difference of HPL values was observed between normal and toxemic pregnancies, even though it was observed that the values rose both in normal and toxemic pregnancies until the 34th-36th week. Thereafter there was a decline (Fig. I).
MATERIAL AND METHOD A total of 205 amniotic fluid samples were collected from 162 women with normal pregnancy and from 43 women with toxemic pregnancy, between the 28th and 42nd week of gestation. These cases were classified into four groups according to the age of gestation as follows: Group A, 28th to 33rd week, 33 cases Group B, 34th to 36th week, 31 cases Group C , 37th to 39th week, 55 cases Group D, 40th to 42nd week, 86 cases The amniotic fluid samples were taken by amniocentesis, when the cervical dilatation was no more than 5 cm.
DISCUSSION In recent years, the study of the hormones and enzymes of amniotic fluid have been started. It can be supported that the determination of amniotic fluid's hormones is useful for the estimation of the endocrinic status of the fetus (15). Many investigations have been published about HPL levels in the maternal blood in normal and abnormal pregnancies, as a means of observing the condition of the fetus, but there are limited in-
Table I . Mean values of the amnioticfluid HPL (pglml) in normal and toxemic pregnancies Normal pregnancies Age groups in gestational weeks A B
c
D
28-33 3636 37-39 4042
n
18 19 45 80
Toxemic pregnancies
X
S.D.
S.E.
0.78 0.85 0.72 0.64
0.430 0.356 0.400 0.022
0.100 0.081 0.050 0.002
n
X
15
12 10
6
0.50 0.59 0.41 0.17
S.D.
S.E.
0.020 0.020 0.238 0.148
0.004 0.050 0.075
0.060
f
2.800* 3.209* 3.563** 7.833**
*P
