Corticotrophin-releasing hormone and corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein in normal and pre-eclamptic human pregnancies.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the plasma levels of corticotrophin-releasing hormone and corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein in normal pregnancy and in pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia.


METHODS
John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford and St Thomas's Hospital, London.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty pregnant women sampled prospectively throughout gestation, of whom 91 experienced a normal pregnancy and eight developed pre-eclampsia; in a second study, 10 women with severe pre-eclampsia, presenting at a range of gestational ages, were sampled once and compared with appropriately matched normal pregnant women.


METHODS
Plasma levels of corticotrophin-releasing hormone determined by immunoradiometric assay. Plasma levels of corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein measured by direct radioimmunoassay.


RESULTS
In the prospective study, plasma samples from women with pre-eclampsia exhibited higher (390.2 versus 292.7 pmol/l at 36 weeks) levels of corticotrophin-releasing hormone and significantly lower (5.24 versus 8.14 nmol/l at 36 weeks, P < 0.002) levels of corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein than normal controls. In the second, single time point study a significant elevation in CRH (P < 0.002) and reduction in CRH-BP (P < 0.001) was found in pre-eclamptic pregnancies compared with controls.


CONCLUSIONS
In human pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia there is an elevated level of corticotrophin releasing hormone whilst there is less corticotrophin-releasing hormone binding protein; therefore there is a net increase in free potentially bioactive hormone which may play a role in the pathology of the disease.
Perkins
A V
AV
Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, UK.
Linton
E A
EA
Eben
F
F
Simpson
J
J
Wolfe
C D
CD
Redman
C W
CW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
D002352:Carrier Proteins; C067133:corticotropin releasing factor-binding protein; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone