title: [Assessment of fetal maturation by epithelial growth factor in serum of pregnant women].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the concentrations of human epithelial growth factor (EGF), progesterone (P) in serum, and EGF, P, amylase (Ams), creatinine (Cr) and total bilirubin (TB) in amniotic fluid at different trimester normal pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The concentrations of EGF, P in serum of 181 cases of pregnant women (first trimester 35, midtrimester 69, late trimester 77) and the concentrations of EGF, P, Ams, Cr, TB in amniotic fluid of 87 cases (mid-trimester 44, late trimester 43) were determined. At the same time, the concentrations of EGF, P in serum of umbilical veins and arteries from 23 full term neonates were determined as well. The concentrations of EGF and P were measured by radioimmunoassay and Ams, Cr, TB in amniotic fluid by PA110 autobiochemistry analyzer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) The concentrations of EGF, P in serum increased as pregnancy advanced. (2) There were significant correlations between EGF level and Ams, Cr levels in amniotic fluid. After 32 gestational weeks, the fetal maturity rate was 70.59% when EGF was > or = 4.5 micrograms/L. There were significant positive correlations between EGF in maternal serum and in amniotic fluid, (3) The maternal serum EGF concentration was significantly higher than that in the umbilical vessels, and there was positive correlations between them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The change of maternal serum concentration could be used to determine the fetal maturation.
authors.affiliation: Taihe Hospital, Hubei Shiyan.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor