Amniotic fluid thymosin alpha 1 levels increase during gestation.
Thymosin alpha 1 is one of several cytokines produced by the thymus that modulates immune function. The presence of elevated serum levels of thymosin alpha 1 in pregnant women and their newborns has suggested that this peptide may play a role in perinatal immunology. In this investigation, we used a microenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to assay amniotic fluid for immunoreactive thymosin alpha 1 and found levels that were remarkably higher than newborn serum levels (P less than 10(-4]. The increase of thymosin alpha 1 in amniotic fluid with fetal age was natural logarithmic (r = 0.838, P less than 10(-6]. Thymosin alpha 1 in amniotic fluid may account for some of the immunologic properties of this medium.
Welch
R A
RA
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University/Hutzel Hospital, Detroit, MI 48201.
Lee
H H
HH
Sokol
R J
RJ
Mutchnick
M G
MG
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077596:Thymalfasin; D013947:Thymosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D013947:Thymosin; D000077596:Thymalfasin