title: Serum DHAS in the maternal-fetoplacental system during the 28th-40th weeks of pregnancy.
abstract: The authors measured the serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) in the maternal vein (MV), the umbilical vein (UV) and the umbilical artery (UA) during the 28th-36th weeks of pregnancy (n = 74) and in the 40th week (n = 34), to clarify the hormonal changes that occur between the maternal and fetal compartments. The following results were found: (1) The DHAS concentration increased significantly in MV, up to twice the concentration from the 28th-32nd weeks to the 33rd-36th weeks (p less than 0.01). From the 33rd-36th weeks to the 40th week it decreased significantly to one third of this value (p less than 0.01). DHAS levels revealed a decreasing tendency in the UA and UV serum from the 28th-32nd weeks to the 33rd-36th weeks, and there was a tendency to rise from the 33rd-36th weeks to the 40th week. (2) The serum DHAS values were found to be higher than in the MV, the UA-UV difference was not significant; however, the 'UA/UV X 100' value remained higher than 100% during the 28th-40th weeks. (3) The MV DHAS value showed slight correlation with the UV and UA DHAS concentration (r = 0.2951, p less than 0.01, n = 106; r = 0.2930, p less than 0.01, n = 100). There was a close correlation between the UV and UA serum DHAS levels (r = 0.8432, p less than 0.01, n = 98). The authors consider that the adrenal activity increases independently of the maternal adrenal cortex at term.
authors.affiliation: Semmelweis Medical School, IInd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hercz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ungár
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Siklós
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Farquharson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D004967:Estrogens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D014469:Umbilical Arteries; D014471:Umbilical Veins
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate