title: Serum relaxin and steroid hormones in spontaneous abortions.
abstract: To assess the capacity of the corpus luteum to secrete steroid hormones and relaxin during spontaneous abortion, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), progesterone, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) and relaxin concentrations were determined in serum samples obtained from 16 spontaneously aborting first-trimester patients and 5 asymptomatic, apparently normal women who subsequently aborted. hCG and P were subnormal in more than half of aborting patients, and 17-OHP in half of them. However, relaxin was normal in most of them. No patient with subnormal relaxin levels had hCG values in the normal range. Such a relationship was not found between hCG and 17-OHP values. Hence, decreases in placental activity seem to precede a decrease in luteal ability to secrete relaxin but not to secrete steroid hormones. Some aborting patients with subnormal 17-OHP levels had normal relaxin values. All but 1 woman who aborted subsequently had subnormal 17-OHP values at a time when relaxin levels were normal. Therefore, in some aborting patients, the ability of the corpus luteum to secrete steroid hormones is impaired at a time when its capacity to secrete relaxin is preserved.
authors.affiliation: Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uesato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tabei
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000097:blood*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D012065:Relaxin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones; D011374:Progesterone; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D012065:Relaxin