title: Circulating levels of GH-releasing hormone and GH during human pregnancy.
abstract: To study the potential role of GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) in maintaining circulating levels of GH during pregnancy, 302 maternal plasma samples were collected from non-fasted subjects at various stages of pregnancy and assayed for GHRH using a 'two-site' immunoradiometric assay. The GH and placental lactogen levels were also determined. In addition, maternal plasma samples taken during labour, amniotic fluid and cord blood were also assayed for these hormones. Maternal plasma GHRH levels were similar to non-pregnant levels throughout gestation despite fluctuations in GH values which were always higher than non-pregnant levels. There was no significant difference between GHRH levels in maternal plasma and cord blood although high GH levels were observed in the latter. These findings suggest that peripheral GHRH levels do not play an important role in maintaining circulating GH levels during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazlan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spence-Jones
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chard
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Landon
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McLean
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay / Q000379:methods; D010928:Placental Lactogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D010928:Placental Lactogen