Observations on the dating of pregnancy.

The relationship between the concentrations of placental proteins and the stage of gestation has been examined. Human chorionic gonadotrophin and Schwangerschaftsprotein 1 were measured in two groups of patients: one a group of 13 women studied daily from conception to 21 days after ovulation and the other 43 normal pregnancies studied from 5 to 16 wk gestation. The results of assessment of the stage of gestation as determined by placental protein assay were compared with the dating obtained from last menstrual period and ultrasonic scan. The measurement of placental proteins was at least as accurate as the last menstrual period or ultrasonic scan in determining the stage of gestation.

Fertility in young men and women after treatment for lymphoma: a study of a population.

All young patients in the Grampian area attending the lymphoma review clinic who had received first line treatment for Hodgkin's disease and had attained complete remission without subsequent relapse were studied between 1980 and 1983. Chemotherapy with MVPP (mustine, vinblastine, procarbazine, and prednisolone) had more severe effects on the fertility of men than that of women; younger women and those taking oral contraceptives were more likely to retain fertility than those over 30 or not taking the pill at the time of chemotherapy, but these two effects could not be differentiated. Premature menopause was common after treatment with MVPP. Mantle radiotherapy had no discernible effect on gonadal function.

Progesterone concentrations in maternal and fetal blood.

Progesterone concentrations in cord artery and vein and in retroplacental and maternal blood were measured in 43 women delivered by caesarean section. The cord vein concentration was consistently higher than the cord artery concentration. The two were correlated but neither was related to the concentration in retroplacental blood. It was concluded that progesterone is secreted by the placenta independently to the mother and the fetus. No role for fetal progesterone was evident from the data.

A study of maternal, retroplacental and umbilical cord estradiol levels in term infants delivered by caesarean section.

Unconjugated estradiol (E2) levels were measured in 41 sets of blood from the umbilical cord vein and artery, retroplacental space and peripheral maternal blood at the time of caesarean section. Cord vein E2 levels were higher than the cord artery in the vast majority of cases, showing evidence of fetal abstraction. There was a good correlation between the cord vein and retroplacental levels but no other strong correlation was found between the parameters studied. No effect of parity or fetal sex was found.

Plasma estrogens and pregnancy-associated plasma proteins: a study of their variability in late pregnancy.

The plasma concentration of several estrogens (unconjugated estradiol and estriol, total estriol, and estriol sulfate) and of the placental proteins hPL and PAPP-C were measured daily for 8 days in 9 subjects. The steroids showed coefficients of variation ranging from 14 to 21%. The proteins were much less variable (PAPP-C 5% and hPL 6%).

Plasma oestrogens in a pregnancy associated with chronic haemodialysis.

Pregnancy in a patient undergoing regular haemodialysis at home is described. The pregnancy was complicated by antepartum haemorrhage due to a Type I placenta praevia, and premature labour occurred at 32 weeks, resulting in spontaneous vaginal delivery of a live infant which survived. Plasma progesterone oestrone, unconjugated oestradiol and oestriol levels were normal during the last two weeks of pregnancy, but failed to show a characteristic fall in the puerperium. The conjugated oestriol fraction was 20 to 30 times the normal mean level and did not fall after delivery. These findings are discussed.