ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between maternal serum and amniotic fluid levels of human Placental Growth Hormone (hPGH) with the fetal intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) related to preeclampsia. DESIGN: We analyzed samples in pairs of serum and amniotic fluid retrospectively from 25 women, who manifested preeclampsia and IUGR in the late second or the third trimester of gestation. The samples were obtained at 16-22 weeks' gestation during amniocentesis for fetal karyotyping. At this time, there was no clinical or sonographic evidence of preeclampsia or IUGR, respectively. Sixty-two serum samples were used as controls which were obtained at 16-22 weeks' gestation from women with singleton, uncomplicated pregnancies, with normal outcome, and appropriate for gestational age neonatal birth weight. Forty-seven amniotic fluid samples were also used as controls which were obtained at 16-22 weeks' gestation from the women that were included in the control group who underwent an amniocentesis. hPGH levels were measured by a solid phase immunoradiometric assay. RESULTS: The mean hPGH values in the serum and the amniotic fluid of the IUGR related to preeclampsia affected pregnancies were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of the normal pregnancies at 16-22 weeks' gestation: mean+/-SD in the serum was 13.16+/-10.52 ng/ml vs. 4.39+/-2.23 ng/ml; mean+/-SD in the amniotic fluid 2.49+/-1.6 ng/ml vs. 0.82+/-0.67 ng/ml. CONCLUSION: hPGH levels in maternal serum and amniotic fluid were found to be higher at 16-22 weeks' gestation in pregnancies that will be complicated subsequently by IUGR related to preeclampsia. Our findings suggest that the evaluation of the changes of hPGH levels at midtrimester should be further investigated for the possibility to provide a potential predictive index of IUGR and preeclampsia.
Subject(s)
Fetal Growth Retardation/blood , Fetal Growth Retardation/metabolism , Growth Hormone/blood , Growth Hormone/metabolism , Placental Hormones/blood , Placental Hormones/metabolism , Pre-Eclampsia/blood , Pre-Eclampsia/metabolism , Amniocentesis , Amniotic Fluid/metabolism , Birth Weight , Case-Control Studies , Female , Fetal Development/physiology , Fetal Growth Retardation/etiology , Gestational Age , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Pre-Eclampsia/etiology , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Trimester, Second , Pregnancy Trimester, Third , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the concentrations of human placental growth hormone (hPGH) in amniotic fluid (AF) at gestational mid-trimester in normal pregnancies and in pregnancies complicated by Down's syndrome. DESIGN: AF samples from 21 women with Down's syndrome pregnancies were analyzed retrospectively. About 47 AF samples from women with singleton, uncomplicated pregnancies, who gave birth to healthy neonates with birth weight appropriate for gestational age were used as controls. All AF samples were obtained during amniocentesis for fetal karyotyping at 16-23 weeks' gestation. hPGH levels were measured by a solid phase immunoradiometric assay using two different epitopes. RESULTS: The mean hPGH values in the AF of the Down's syndrome-affected pregnancies were significantly higher (P<0.05) compared to those of normal pregnancies, at 16-23 weeks' gestation: mean-value+/-SD in the AF was 1.96+/-1.35 microg/l vs. 0.82+/-0.67 microg/l. CONCLUSIONS: Higher hPGH levels in AF were found in pregnancies affected by Down's syndrome as compared to normal pregnancies at gestational mid-trimester. hPGH was detected in all AF samples, and it provides evidence that this pregnancy-specific hormone enters the fetal compartment and is not limited to the maternal circulation. The physiological role and effect of hPGH on fetal growth in normal and pathological pregnancies needs further investigation.