title: Comparison of amniotic fluid lung maturity profiles in paired vaginal and amniocentesis specimens.
abstract: Amniotic fluid was obtained by transvaginal amniocentesis from 27 pregnant women in the third trimester. Subsequent to amniocentesis, membranes were ruptured and vaginal pool amniotic fluid was taken by bulb aspiration. The samples were analyzed for lung maturity profile, consisting of the lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio and the percentages of phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylglycerol. The L/S ratio was higher in the vaginal pool than in the amniotic sac in 22% of the paired samples. Similarly, the percentage of phosphatidylinositol was greater in the vaginal pool than in the amniotic sac in 48%. Phosphatidylglycerol, however, is invariably present in the amniotic sac when it is detected in the vaginal pool. The possible usefulness of these results in the management of patients with premature rupture of membranes is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000649:Amniocentesis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*; D010712:Phosphatidic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols / Q000032:analysis; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000175:diagnosis; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000032:analysis; D014621:Vagina
chemical_list: D010712:Phosphatidic Acids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010715:Phosphatidylglycerols; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D013109:Sphingomyelins