[Growth hormone and prolactin in maternal plasma and amniotic fluid during normal gestation].
OBJECTIVE
To measure the concentration of human growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) in maternal plasma (MP) and amniotic fluid (AF) during gestation and to evaluate their correlation.


METHODS
HC and PRL were measured by radioimmunoassay in 60 healthy women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies at 16-36 weeks of gestation (WG). Trends of both hormones were estimated throughout pregnancy. The correlation of either hormone measured in different fluids was also estimated.


RESULTS
GH in AF (AFGH) decreased significantly throughout pregnancy; (AF-GH = 21.32 - 0.54 X WG, r = -0.72 [95% confidence intervals (95% CI) -0.57-0.82], p = 0.001), and increased in MP (MP-GH); (MP-GH = 2.73 + 0.11 X WG, r = 0.45 [95% CI, 0.21-0.63] p = 0.05). The correlation between MP-GH and AF-GH was, (AF-GH = 16.28 - 1.54 x - M-PGH, r = -0.47 [95% CI, -0.64 -0.21]; p = 0.01). PRL values did not show significant differences neither in AF (AF-PRL / WG, r = 0.06, p = 0.6) nor in MP (MP-PRL / WG, r = 0.25, p = 0.14) during pregnancy, being AF-PRL (mean 151.3 ng/mL, SD 34.2 ng/mL) significantly higher than MP-PRL (mean 119.3 ng/mL, SD 55.4 ng/mL) (p = 0.006) in all the studied period.


CONCLUSIONS
AF-GH and MP-GH showed a significant negative correlation during pregnancy. PRL measured in AF and PM did not show changes throughout gestation being AF-PRL significantly higher than MP-PRL.
Hernández-Andrade
Edgar
E
Departamento de Medicina Fetal, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, México.
Villanueva-Díaz
Carlos
C
Ahued-Ahued
José Roberto
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011388:Prolactin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood
D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D011388:Prolactin