title: Serum levels of unconjugated and total oestrogens and dehydroepiandrosterone, progesterone and urinary oestriol excretion in pre-eclampsia.
abstract: Peripheral serum levels of unconjugated (E1) and total (tE1) oestrone, unconjugated oestradiol-17 beta, unconjugated (E3) and total (tE3) oestriol, progesterone, unconjugated dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHAS), and urinary tE3 excretion were determined in pre-eclamptic patients at gestational weeks 32 and 36 and in women with normal pregnancy at the corresponding length of gestation. DHA and DHAS were also analyzed in samples taken 6 weeks after delivery. There were no differences between pre-eclamptic and normal subjects in unconjugated oestrogens and progesterone. Serum tE1 and tE3 levels and urinary tE3 were significantly lower, and the E1/tE1 and E3/tE3 ratios significantly higher in the pre-eclampsia patients. Serum DNA and the DHA/DHAS ratio were significantly elevated in the pre-eclampsia patients during pregnancy, while no differences in these respects were found in the samples taken 6 weeks after delivery. There were no differences in serum DHAS levels. The findings are thought to reflect a general decrease in fetoplacental oestrogen production in combination with a reduced hepatic steroid conjugation in pre-eclamptic subjects.
mesh_terms: D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood; D004964:Estriol / Q000652:urine; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood*; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP); D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D004964:Estriol