title: Maternal and fetal plasma endothelin levels in intrauterine growth restriction: relation to umbilical artery Doppler flow velocimetry.
abstract: The objective of this study was to examine maternal and fetal endothelin-1 (ET-1) in pregnancies complicated with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and to correlate these data with umbilical artery Doppler flow velocity waveforms (FVW). Higher mean maternal (13.8 +/- 6.4 vs 9.2 +/- 3.4 pmol/L, p < 0.05) and fetal (18.5 +/- 9.6 vs 11.7 +/- 6.9 pmol/L, p < 0.05) ET-1 levels were found in pregnancies complicated with IUGR than in controls. Fetal ET-1 level was related to birth weight percentile for gestational week. Maternal and fetal ET-1 concentrations were not related to umbilical artery Doppler flow S/D ratio, PI and RI. Maternal or fetal ET-1 concentrations were also not related to umbilical artery pH, PO2 and PCO2. Pregnancy-induced hypertension was significantly associated with an elevated fetal and maternal ET-1 concentration. In conclusion, increased production and secretion of ET-1 may play a role in the pathophysiology of idiopathic IUGR. Over-production of ET-1 in IUGR is not associated with increased placental resistance as reflected in abnormal umbilical artery Doppler FVW.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. erdemah@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erdem
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erdem
authors.forename: Ozdemir
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Himmetoglu
authors.forename: Gizem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arslan
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000379:methods; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014655:Vascular Resistance
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1