Cytidine deaminase activity in abnormal pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the usefulness of cytidine deaminase (CTD) activity in the prediction of abnormal pregnancy and the prognosis of fetal outcome.


METHODS
The CTD activities in 367 pregnant women and 17 placentas and their cord sera were determined. The CTD activity was estimated to determine the amount of ammonia liberated during conversion of cytidine into uridine. The Kruskal-Wallis test and paired t-test were employed for statistical comparisons.


RESULTS
The placentas contained extremely high levels of CTD activity, but the cord serum did not. The mean value of CTD activity in abnormal pregnancy women was significantly higher than in normal pregnancy women. The two cases with a CTD activity of 40 U or more had the worst infant prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
The CTD activity in abnormal pregnancies was excessively elevated due to a damaged placenta under progressive deterioration. This CTD assay was simple and had predictive value for the prognosis of an infant of an abnormal pregnancy.
Okamura
T
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Kigasawa
K
K
Takeuchi
T
T
Ohta
C
C
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000201:enzymology; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D003564:Cytidine Deaminase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000201:enzymology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D003564:Cytidine Deaminase