title: Changes in maternal serum transforming growth factor beta-1 during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: Changes in circulating levels of maternal serum transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1), collected from 98 women (AGA) at different gestational ages (10-38 weeks) were measured and comparisons were made between levels in pregnant and nonpregnant controls and also between 10 women with small-for-gestational age (SGA) and 7 with appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) fetuses. Maternal serum TGF-β1 levels at all stages of pregnancy were higher than those in normal healthy nonpregnant adults. The mean TGF-β1 levels in SGA pregnancies at 34-week gestation (32.5 + 3.2 ng/mL) were significantly less than those in AGA pregnancies (39.2 + 9.8 ng/mL) while at 38-week gestation, the levels were similar in the two groups (36.04 + 4.3 versus 36.7 + 7.0 ng/mL). This differential change in TGF-β1 levels is probably an important modulating factor in the aetiopathogenesis of abnormal intrauterine fetal growth.
authors.affiliation: Women's Hospital, Kensington Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester LE1 5WW, UK.
authors.forename: Mandeep
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, P.M.B 6713, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ngozi C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Orazulike
authors.affiliation: Women's Hospital, Kensington Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester LE1 5WW, UK.
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashmore
authors.affiliation: Women's Hospital, Kensington Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester LE1 5WW, UK ; Reproductive Sciences Section, Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, University of Leicester, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK.
authors.forename: Justin C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Konje
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1