title: Adrenomedullin concentrations in early 2nd-trimester amniotic fluid: relation to preterm delivery and fetal growth at birth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether adrenomedullin concentrations in the early 2nd-trimester amniotic fluid predict preterm delivery or fetal growth at birth.
  
  
  METHODS
  The adrenomedullin concentrations in early 2nd-trimester amniotic fluid were measured in 70 pregnancies with term delivery and in 3 pregnancies with preterm delivery. Total and free adrenomedullin concentrations were measured from early 2nd-trimester amniotic fluid samples using an immunoradiometric assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The amniotic fluid total adrenomedullin concentrations in women with preterm delivery were significantly higher (129.7 +/- 19.6 fmol/ml) than those in women with term delivery (92.5 +/- 28.2 fmol/ml; p < 0.05). There were no significant differences for amniotic fluid free adrenomedullin concentrations and free/total adrenomedullin ratios between the two groups. Total or free adrenomedullin concentrations in the early 2nd-trimester amniotic fluid showed an inverse correlation both with birth weight (r = 0.27, p < 0.05, and r = 0.21, p < 0.05) and height (r = 0.30, p < 0.05, and r = 0.28, p < 0.05). There were no correlations between placental weight and total or free adrenomedullin concentrations in the early 2nd-trimester amniotic fluid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that adrenomedullin concentrations in the early 2nd-trimester amniotic fluid might be related to further in utero fetal growth and that high levels of adrenomedullin in the early 2nd-trimester amniotic fluid may be involved in the occurrence of preterm delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Perinatology and Gynecology, Kagawa Medical University, Miki, Kagawa, Japan. chizu@kms.ac.jp
authors.forename: Chizu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yamashiro
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanenishi
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shiota
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hata
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin; D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers; D001724:Birth Weight; D001827:Body Height; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010455:Peptides; D053607:Adrenomedullin