title: Midkine and Pleiotrophin Concentrations in Amniotic Fluid in Healthy and Complicated Pregnancies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Midkine (MDK) and pleiotrophin (PTN) are heparin-binding growth factors that, in rodents, are highly expressed in early life and decrease to undetectable levels by adulthood. The potential roles of MDK and PTN in human growth and development are not completely elucidated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To delineate the role of MDK and PTN in human development, we developed high sensitivity assays to measure their concentrations in amniotic fluid (AF) at various gestational ages in both healthy and complicated pregnancies. We found that both of these growth factors could be readily measured in AF and that the concentrations were higher than most cytokines previously reported in AF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The concentration of MDK but not that of PTN declined with gestational age. Both MDK and PTN concentrations were found to be lower in pregnancies that were complicated by chorioamnionitis at term, raising the possibility that these growth factors might be useful as markers for infection.
authors.affiliation: Section on Growth and Development, Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Youn Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jee
authors.affiliation: Section on Growth and Development, Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.|Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lebenthal
authors.affiliation: Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.
authors.forename: Piya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chaemsaithong
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center and Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington DC, United States of America.
authors.forename: Gai
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center and Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington DC, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Peran
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center and Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington DC, United States of America.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wellstein
authors.affiliation: Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.affiliation: Section on Growth and Development, Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002821:Chorioamnionitis / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000378:metabolism; D000078792:Midkine; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; C066254:MDK protein, human; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; C066845:pleiotrophin; D000078792:Midkine