title: Amniotic lamellar body count: predicting and distinguishing neonatal respiratory complications in twin pregnancies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Twin pregnancies have a higher rate of preterm births, making precise prediction of neonatal respiratory disorders essential. We herein examined the amniotic lamellar body count (LBC) and found it to be an accurate predictor of respiratory disorders in twin pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred fourteen amniotic fluid samples, comprising 132 dichorionic twin (DCT) and 125 monochorionic twin (MCT) gestations, were obtained at cesarean section performed at 29 to 38 gestational weeks. Samples were analyzed immediately without centrifugation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 26 neonates (5.1%) with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and 43 (8.4%) with transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN). The LBC in neonates with TTN (5.12×10(4)/μl) was between the counts in RDS (1.26×10(4)/μl) and controls (10.6×10(4)/μl), which differed significantly. Twin concordance rates were significantly higher for TTN in MCT gestations than DCT gestations (p=0.003) and delta LBC value was significantly smaller in MCT (3.15±0.4×10(4)/μl) than DCT (5.17±0.5×10(4)/μl) gestations (p=0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The amniotic LBC is useful for predicting respiratory disorders, including RDS and TTN, in twin pregnancies. The data in this study may indicate a genetic predisposition to TTN among MCTs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University, School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; Department of Fetal and Maternal Medicine, Nagara Medical Center, Gifu City, Japan. Electronic address: hiro-t@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University, School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kotani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University, School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sumigama
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University, School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mano
authors.affiliation: Department of Fetal and Maternal Medicine, Nagara Medical Center, Gifu City, Japan.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawabata
authors.affiliation: Department of Fetal and Maternal Medicine, Nagara Medical Center, Gifu City, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Fetal and Maternal Medicine, Nagara Medical Center, Gifu City, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigenori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwagaki
authors.affiliation: Biostatics Laboratory, Nagoya University, School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University, School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumitaka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kikkawa
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D059285:Pregnancy, Twin; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics
keywords: Lamellar body; Respiratory distress syndrome; Transient tachypnea of the newborn; Twin pregnancy