title: Comparison of age distribution of umbilical cord erythrocytes in preeclampsia versus uncomplicated pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the age distribution of umbilical cord (fetal) erythrocytes in preeclamptic women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective evaluation of density distribution of erythrocytes was performed using the density distribution of cells method. Ten consecutive patients having preeclampsia in the third trimester and ten matched controls were studied. Maternal blood samples were taken during the latent phase of labor. Umbilical cord samples were taken immediately after the umbilical cord was cut. An additional control group that consisted of nonpregnant women (n = 30) was determined from our previously published studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The erythrocyte population of umbilical cord blood of preeclamptic women has a younger age distribution than the erythrocyte population of umbilical cord blood of women with a normal pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The shift in age distribution of erythrocytes in umbilical cord blood of preeclamptic women could be attributed to a shorter life span of erythrocytes compared with that of uncomplicated pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaplan Hospital, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lurie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004905:Erythrocyte Aging; D004912:Erythrocytes; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy