title: Maternal plasma androgens in early human pregnancy.
abstract: Mean maternal plasma levels of testosterone, androstenedione, and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone were established from 4 to 16 weeks gestation from twice-weekly blood samples taken from 15 pregnant women. All three hormone levels were raised when compared with the non-pregnant state. There were significant differences in mean maternal plasma testosterone levels at 4 to 5 and 7 to 8 weeks gestation, when comparing women carrying male and female fetuses. Androstenedione levels in a twin pregnancy were increased throughout and testosterone levels were more than 1 SD above the mean from week 15. Steroid levels fell late in the two women who aborted. Hormone levels in three women being given progestogens were within normal limits.
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood*; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D045167:Progesterone Congeners / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012737:Sex Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D045167:Progesterone Congeners; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione