title: Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide in fetuses with cardiac disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels in fetuses with cardiac defects and to evaluate the relationships between plasma ANP levels and the presence of polyhydramnios.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma ANP levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 27 fetuses with cardiac abnormalities and in 14 normal healthy fetuses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fetal plasma ANP levels were similar in the two studied groups (p = 0.18) but they were significantly higher in a subset of cases with cardiac disease and polyhydramnios (n = 7) than in those with cardiac disease and normal amniotic fluid (n = 20; p = 0.036) and controls (p = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Polyhydramnios in fetuses with heart conditions might be explained by increased fetal diuresis secondary to increased ANP production.
authors.affiliation: Fetal Medicine Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St Michael's Hospital, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. joseluis.bartha@uca.es
authors.forename: Jose L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bartha
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Penney
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Soothill
mesh_terms: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D004231:Diuresis; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006831:Polyhydramnios / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor