title: Amniotic fluid particles: are they related to a mature amniotic fluid phospholipid profile?
abstract: In a prospective, blinded clinical study, the relationship between amniotic fluid free-floating particles measured by a dynamic ultrasound imaging method and phospholipid profile was studied in 82 women undergoing amniocentesis between 26-42 weeks' gestation. None of 11 patients with sonographically clear amniotic fluid had a mature phospholipid profile (lecithin-sphingomyelin ratio greater than 2 and detectable phosphatidylglycerol). Thirty-eight of 71 women (53%) with turbid or markedly turbid amniotic fluid had a mature phospholipid profile. The sensitivity of this method was 100%, specificity 25%, positive predictive value 53%, and negative predictive value 100%. Although the finding of sonographically clear amniotic fluid may eliminate unnecessary amniocentesis, markedly turbid amniotic fluid is not a reliable indicator of a mature amniotic fluid phospholipid profile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helewa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Manning
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harman
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols / Q000032:analysis; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols; D010743:Phospholipids