Insulin-related growth factor binding protein-1 levels in ovum donation pregnancies.
The finding that endometrial maturation may be delayed following hormone replacement therapy has suggested that a generalised endometrial dysfunction may exist in ovum recipients. In order to investigate this suggestion further, circulating levels of IGFBP-1 were measured in samples taken throughout pregnancies conceived either spontaneously or following ovum donation. When analysed at two-weekly intervals, the serum levels of IGFBP-1 in ovum donation pregnancies failed to show the expected peak towards the end of the first trimester and were significantly reduced at week ten (U = 364.5, p = 0.0002) and twelve (U = 138.0, p = 0.0047). For the remainder of pregnancy, circulating IGFBP-1 levels were similar in both groups. The birth weight of children born to the ovum donation group was not significantly different from a normal control group, suggesting that circulating levels of IGFBP-1 in early pregnancy do not reflect local function and that IGFBP-1 does not have an essential function (in relation to birth weight) in early pregnancy.
Brooks
A A
AA
Academic Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK.
Johnson
M R
MR
Hills
F
F
Chard
T
T
Irvine
R
R
Abdalla
H I
HI
D001724:Birth Weight; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; D018587:Oocyte Donation; D011247:Pregnancy
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1