title: Early pregnancy factor in cervical mucus of pregnant women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was carried out to determine the presence of early pregnancy factor (EPF) activity in cervical mucus of pregnant women and explore the relationship between EPF activity in sera suggested it and in cervical mucus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cervical mucus and sera were collected from 60 pregnant women in different terms and 25 non-pregnant women, respectively. EPF activity was detected by rosette inhibition assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EPF activity did exist in cervical mucus of pregnant women and was similar both in cervical mucus and sera.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report here for the first time the EPF activity in cervical mucus of pregnant women. The parallel change observed in sera suggested it might be another useful index in evaluating embryo viability.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Geriatric Cardiology, The General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Juan
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Zhen-Qun
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000378:metabolism*; D018835:Chaperonin 10; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011259:Pregnancy Tests, Immunologic; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000378:metabolism; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000378:metabolism; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013491:Suppressor Factors, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018835:Chaperonin 10; D010455:Peptides; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D013491:Suppressor Factors, Immunologic; C025124:early pregnancy factor