title: The concentration of alpha-1-antichymotrypsin in blood serum of women in labour.
abstract: Concentration of alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (A-1-ACT) in blood serum of parturient women was determined. The investigation was conducted in 33 women bearing eutrophic newborns and 36 women bearing hypotrophic newborns. The control group consisted of 30 healthy non-pregnant women in reproductive age. Concentrations of A-1-ACT were determined using the radial immunodiffusion method according to Mancini et al. Maximal concentration of A-1-ACT determined in group I was three times higher than minimal concentration. Maximal concentration of A-1-ACT determined in group II was two times higher than minimal concentration. In the control group, the difference between minimal and maximal concentrations of A-1-ACT was inconsiderable. The lack of statistically significant differences between these three groups suggests that labour stress does not influence serum concentrations of this inhibitor. The importance of A-1-ACT in the placental tissue may be connected with immunological mechanisms that assure development and maintenance of pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical Academy of Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wasiluk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dabrowska
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaworski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prokopowicz
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000514:alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin