title: Insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 in early human pregnancy.
abstract: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) were measured in amniotic fluid, extraembryonic coelomic fluid and maternal serum from 23 women with apparently normal first trimester pregnancies prior to termination. The levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-1 were significantly higher in coelomic fluid than amniotic fluid (IGF-1, P = 0.006; IGFBP-1, P = 0.0008 (paired t-test)). The levels of IGFBP-1 were lower in amniotic fluid than in maternal serum (P = 0.017), a finding in sharp contrast to the situation in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. There was a significant relation between levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-1 in amniotic fluid (r = 0.43; P = 0.04) and in coelomic fluid (r = 0.81; P less than 0.001) but not in maternal serum. The finding that both the absolute levels of IGFBP-1 and the ratio to IGF-1 were low in amniotic fluid implies that there is a very high level of unbound, biologically active IGF-1 in this compartment in the first trimester. Thus, the regulatory role of IGFBP-1 may change as pregnancy advances.
authors.affiliation: Combined Academic Departments of Obstetrics, Homerton Hospital, West Smithfield, London, U.K.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Wathen
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Cass
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chard
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I