title: Reference intervals for plasma sulfate and urinary sulfate excretion in pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sulfate is important for fetal growth and development. During pregnancy, the fetus relies on sulfate from the maternal circulation. We report reference intervals for maternal plasma sulfate levels and fractional excretion index (FEI) for sulfate in pregnancy, as well as sulfate levels in cord blood from term pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma and urine were collected from 103 pregnant women of 10-20 weeks gestation and 106 pregnant women of 30-37 weeks gestation. Venous cord plasma was collected from 80 healthy term babies. Sulfate levels were measured by ion chromatography. Plasma and urinary creatinine levels were used to calculate FEI sulfate in pregnant women. Analyses provide reference intervals, and explored the relationship between maternal sulfate data with several prenatal factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median maternal plasma sulfate levels were 452 μmol/L and 502 μmol/L at 10-20 and 30-37 weeks gestation, respectively, and inversely correlated with FEI sulfate median values of 0.15 and 0.11. Overall reference intervals were 305-710 and 335-701 μmol/L (2.5th; 97.5th percentile; for 10-20 and 30-37 weeks gestation, respectively) for maternal plasma sulfate, and 0.06-0.31 and 0.05-0.28 for maternal FEI sulfate. Term venous cord plasma sulfate median levels were significantly (p = 0.038) higher in female babies (375 μmol/L) when compared to male babies (342 μmol/L), with an overall reference interval of 175-603 μmol/L.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We provide the first reference intervals for maternal plasma sulfate levels and FEI sulfate, as well as cord plasma sulfate levels. These findings provide reference data for further studies of sulfate levels in both mother and child.
authors.affiliation: Mater Research Institute University of Queensland, TRI, Woolloongabba QLD, Brisbane, Australia. paul.dawson@mater.uq.edu.au.|Mater Research, South Brisbane QLD, Brisbane, Australia. paul.dawson@mater.uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Paul Anthony
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.affiliation: Mater Mothers' Hospital, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane QLD, Brisbane, Australia. Scott.Petersen@mater.org.au.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: Queensland Cord Blood Bank At The Mater, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane QLD, Brisbane, Australia. Robyn.Rodwell@mater.org.au.
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodwell
authors.affiliation: Queensland Cord Blood Bank At The Mater, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane QLD, Brisbane, Australia. Phillip.Johnson@mater.org.au.
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Mater Research, South Brisbane QLD, Brisbane, Australia. kristen.gibbons@mater.uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane QLD, Brisbane, Australia. Avis.McWhinney@mater.org.au.
authors.forename: Avis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McWhinney
authors.affiliation: Mater Research, South Brisbane QLD, Brisbane, Australia. Francis.bowling@dhhs.tas.gov.au.|Mater Children's Hospital, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane QLD, Brisbane, Australia. Francis.bowling@dhhs.tas.gov.au.
authors.forename: Francis Gerard
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Bowling
authors.affiliation: Mater Research, South Brisbane QLD, Brisbane, Australia. h.d.mcintyre@uq.edu.au.|Mater Mothers' Hospital, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane QLD, Brisbane, Australia. h.d.mcintyre@uq.edu.au.|Mater Clinical School, University of Queensland, South Brisbane QLD, Brisbane, Australia. h.d.mcintyre@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Harold David
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: McIntyre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D013431:Sulfates / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013431:Sulfates