ADAM12-s in coelomic fluid and maternal serum in early pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
ADAM12-s is a placental protein. In early pregnancy, reduced maternal levels of ADAM12-s have been reported in association with foetal trisomy 21 or 18 and in cases that subsequently develop pre-eclampsia and foetal growth restriction. The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution of ADAM12-s in early pregnancy by comparing its concentration in maternal serum, amniotic fluid and coelomic fluid.


METHODS
Coelomic fluid was obtained by coelocentesis from 13 singleton pregnancies with live foetuses at 6.9-9.3 weeks of gestation. Maternal serum was also obtained in all cases and in six cases amniotic fluid was also obtained. The concentration of ADAM12-s was measured by dissociation enhanced lanthanide fluoro-immunoassay.


RESULTS
The median concentration of ADAM12-s in maternal serum was 132.7 (range 33.8-254.5) ng/mL and in coelomic fluid it was 10.5 (range 1.3-15.8) ng/mL; there were no detectable levels in five of the six amniotic fluid samples. The concentration of maternal serum ADAM12-s increased significantly with gestation (r = 0.862, p < 0.0001). There was no significant association between coelomic fluid ADAM12-s and either gestation (r = 0.255, p = 0.401) or maternal serum ADAM12-s (r = 0.302, p = 0.316).


CONCLUSIONS
The distribution of ADAM12-s in maternal serum and the early embryonic fluid compartments is consistent with its syncytiotrophoblastic origin.
Makrydimas
George
G
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ioannina University Hospital, 45500 Ioannina, Greece.
Sotiriadis
Alexandros
A
Spencer
Kevin
K
Cowans
Nicholas J
NJ
Nicolaides
Kypros H
KH
D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D000072199:ADAM12 Protein; D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D012016:Reference Values; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism*
D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000072199:ADAM12 Protein; C000606480:ADAM12 protein, human