title: Placental peptides as markers of gestational disease.
abstract: The human placenta produces a wide range of important peptides, of which an intricate balance is required throughout pregnancy. In a gestational disease, this balance may be disturbed and the identification of such changes may be used to detect a particular pathology or to ascertain its severity. This review considers the role and association of various placental peptide markers associated with the major gestational diseases including intrauterine growth retardation, pre-term labour, pre-eclampsia, chromosomal disorders, gestational diabetes and trophoblastic disease. Potential markers that may prove more reliable and specific in their diagnostic value and that may be used for identifying patients at risk are also discussed. The importance of the new fields of genomics and proteomics in the future discovery of new peptide markers is illustrated.
authors.affiliation: School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, The University of Reading, RG6 6AJ, UK. sasnpage@reading.ac.uk
authors.forename: Nigel M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: C Fred
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Butlin
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lowry
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D025063:Chromosome Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D015287:Neurokinin B / Q000097:blood; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000175:diagnosis; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D012106:Research; D014328:Trophoblastic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D006133:Growth Substances; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D015287:Neurokinin B; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone