Relation of glucose to alpha-fetoprotein in amniotic fluid.
A direct relationship between amniotic fluid glucose and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has been found between the 16th and 22nd weeks of pregnancy. This relationship is statistically significant (P less than .001) in each of the 6 gestational weeks tested, the coefficients of correlation vary from .74 to .91. The relationship between amniotic fluid AFP and another metabolite, urea nitrogen, was not significant (r = -.34), suggesting that the AFP-glucose relationship was not spurious. Absence of pregnancy-associated macroglobulins in the samples indicates that they were not contaminated by maternal serum. These data reflect an aspect of fetal metabolism or transport that should be investigated more thoroughly.
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D005947:Glucose