title: Osteocalcin levels in maternal and cord blood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure osteocalcin levels in fetal and maternal blood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Osteocalcin was measured by radioimmunoassay in paired maternal and umbilical venous and arterial blood obtained at term deliveries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Umbilical venous osteocalcin levels (mean +/- standard deviation) were significantly higher than arterial levels (10.28 +/- 4.99 versus 3.85 +/- 2.27 micrograms/L). Umbilical venous but not arterial levels of osteocalcin were significantly higher than maternal values (2.54 +/- 1.19 micrograms/L).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher osteocalcin levels in umbilical venous blood than in umbilical arterial blood suggest that the placenta may be the main source of osteocalcin in late fetal life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Makimura
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitsui
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nagata
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D015675:Osteocalcin