title: Compound W, a 3,3'-diiodothyronine sulfate cross-reactive substance in serum from pregnant women--a potential marker for fetal thyroid function.
abstract: Compound W, a 3,3'-diiodothyronine sulfate (T2S) cross-reactive material in maternal serum, was found to be useful as a marker for fetal hypothyroidism. In the present report, we explored its biochemical properties and studied its concentrations in cord and in maternal serum obtained from various gestational periods and at term from different continents. Mean W concentrations, expressed as nmol/L T2S-equivalent, in maternal serum during gestation showed a moderate increase at 20-26 wk (1.57 nmol/L) and an accelerated increase to 34-40 wk (3.59 nmol/L). The mean serum level was relatively low in nonpregnant women (0.17 nmol/L). Compound W levels in cord and maternal serum at term were not significantly different among samples obtained from Taiwan compared with samples from the United States. The mean cord serum "corrected" (by hot acid digestion) concentrations of W were significantly higher than maternal serum concentrations at birth and were also higher in venous than in paired arterial samples, suggesting that the placenta may play a role in its production. We compared a total of 45 iodothyronine analogs by antibody, gel filtration, and HPLC chromatographic studies and found only one compound, N,N-dimethyl-T2S, that has close similarities to Compound W. Further studies are needed.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine, Department of Veterans' Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach, California 90822, USA. sing.wu@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Sing-Yung
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wen-Sheng
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Elizabeth S C
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Delbert A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004104:Diiodothyronines / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008954:Models, Biological; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep; D013624:Taiwan; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004104:Diiodothyronines; C404304:compound W; C045738:3,3'-diiodothyronine-4-sulfate