title: NSILA and foetal growth.
abstract: Employing a sensitive competitive protein binding assay for NSILA (non-suppressible insulin-like activity), circulating levels of this somatomedin (SM) have been measured throughout pregnancy, at parturition, and in foetal and newborn sera. Acid-dissociable serum NSILA (mean +/- SEM) in 57 women was significantly higher during pregnancy (1106 +/- 46 microunits/ml), than in 11 adult non-pregnant control subjects (844 +/- 22 microunits/ml), but not correlated with week of gestation or with serum growth hormone (GH) or cortisol levels. At parturition, the NSILA concentration in 28 cord sera (598 +/- 38 microunits/ml) was significantly less than in the corresponding maternal sera (1039 +/- 63 microunits/ml). The NSILA levels in 23 premature newborns (370 +/- 20 microunits/ml) and 8 small-for-gestational-age newborns (310 +/- 46 microunits/ml) were significantly less than in 33 term newborns (494 +/- 18 microunits/ml). Serum NSILA in 56 term and premature newborns exhibited a significant positive correlation both with gestational age and birth weight but not with serum GH or cortisol levels. These data suggest that the maternal-foetal growth-promoting system is a highly complex one in which NSILA levels both in maternal and foetal circulations appear to be under multifactorial control.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006128:Growth; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011485:Protein Binding; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D013002:Somatomedins