Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide in fetuses with cardiac disease.
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.
Bartha
Jose L
JL
Fetal Medicine Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St Michael's Hospital, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. joseluis.bartha@uca.es
Penney
Michael D
MD
Soothill
Peter W
PW
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
D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor