title: Effect of fetal sex on maternal and fetal human chorionic gonadotropin levels and comparison of their levels in paired umbilical arteries and veins.
abstract: There were discordant results regarding the effect of fetal sex on human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) concentrations in maternal or fetal circulation and regarding whether the levels in umbilical arteries are equal to those in umbilical veins. Totally, 188 singleton pregnancies at 36 to 42 weeks of gestation without any obstetrical or medical complication were studied. The hCG levels were measured by radioimmunoassay specific for hCG using Sb3 antibody raised against beta-subunit of hCG. The maternal ages and parities between those who gave birth to a male or a female baby were not different statistically. The birth weights between male and female babies were also not different. The serum hCG levels had a wide range in maternal circulation (200-75,200 mIU/ml) and their distribution was positively skewed. The mean value (geometric mean, G.M.) in maternal circulation for those who carried a female fetus (11,500 mIU/ml) was significantly higher than that for those carrying a male fetus (6,470 mIU/ml) (P less than 0.001, Student's t-test). The hCG concentrations in umbilical veins of female fetuses were also higher than in those of male fetuses (G.M., 26.8 vs 19.5 mIU/ml, P less than 0.01, Student's t-test). Umbilical arterial hCG levels (G.M., 10.05 mIU/ml) were statistically not different from umbilical venous levels (G.M., 10.92 mIU/ml) (paired t-test).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, R.O.C.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014469:Umbilical Arteries; D014471:Umbilical Veins
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin