title: Insulin and human growth hormone in the amniotic fluid in normal pregnancy and in cases of fetal central nervous system anomalies.
abstract: Amniotic fluid samples were obtained by amniocentesis in the 17th-18th weeks of pregnancy from 36 women with normal pregnancy and 6 patients with pregnancy complicated by anencephaly and/or spina bifida. Insulin and human growth hormone levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. In normal pregnancy the mean values were: 3.39 +/- 0.54 microU/ml for insulin, and 9.32 +/- 1.03 ng/ml for human growth hormone. In pregnancy complicated by anencephaly and spina bifida low insulin values and normal growth hormone values were found.
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D000757:Anencephaly / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007328:Insulin / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D016136:Spina Bifida Occulta / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D013006:Growth Hormone