Oxytocinase versus estriol for the assessment of fetal well-being.
In a group of 26 primiparae, 48 hours after cesarean section, we have examined the urinary estriol (E3) and serum cystine aminopeptidase (CAP). 13 patients received ampicillin treatment, and 13 patients did not. In the group of patients without antibiotic treatment the urinary estriol after 48 h reached an average value of 5.55 mg/24 h. in the group of treated patients the drastic decrease of E3 reached a mean value of 1.62 mg/24 h. This fact may be explained by the arrest of the feto-placental inflow after delivery, and the blocking effect of the antibiotic on the enterohepatic circulation, compartment which afford for 50% of the maternal circulating estrogen. From the present work it results that the determination of the serum CAP activity, which is not affected by antibiotic treatment, is an appropriate test for the assessment of the fetoplacental unit activity. It must be mentioned that all the biochemical tests complete one another and may have a decisive role in taking immediate obstetrical decisions, together with the additional fetal heart rate monitoring and oxytocin challenge test.
D000328:Adult; D000626:Aminopeptidases / Q000097:blood*; D010122:Cystinyl Aminopeptidase / Q000097:blood*; D004964:Estriol / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans
D000626:Aminopeptidases; D010122:Cystinyl Aminopeptidase; D004964:Estriol