Maternal serum concentrations of human placental lactogen, estradiol and pregnancy specific beta 1-glycoprotein and fetal growth retardation
Gardner, M.O.; Goldenberg, R.L.; Cliver, S.P.; Boots, L.R.; Hoffman, H.J.
Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. Supplement 165: 56-58
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-8835 PMID: 9219458 Document Number: 483902
Background. To determine if maternal serum levels of human placental lactogen (hPL), estradiol, and pregnancy-specific beta-1-glycoprotein (SP-1) measured at approximately 18 weeks' gestation were associated with fetal growth retardation (FGR) in infants delivered at or after 37 weeks. Methods. Serum samples were obtained at a mean of 18 weeks' gestational age from 200 multiparous women with risk factors for FGR. Maternal serum concentrations of hPL, estradiol and SP-1 were correlated with FGR. Results. A total of 59 (29.5%) of the 200 infants were diagnosed postnatally with FGR. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of FGR among the lowest quartiles of estradiol, hPL or SP-1. However, pregnancies in the highest quartile of estradiol levels at 18 weeks' ( gt 580 pg/ml) were associated with a significantly lower risk of FGR than those in the lower three quartiles, 8 out of 50 (16%) vs 51 of 150 (34%) (p= lt 0.05). The prevalence of FGR associated with the highest quartile of hPL ( gt 1.73 mu-g/ml) was 12.2% compared to 35% in the lower three quartiles (p=0.025) and the prevalence of FGR associated with the highest quartile of SP, ( gt 43 ng/ml) was 14% compared to 34.7% in the lower three quartiles (p= 0.018). Only one out of 21 infants (4.5%) whose mothers had each value in the highest quartile of hPL, estradiol, and SP-1 was diagnosed with FGR compared to 58 out of 178 (32.6%) of the remaining infants (p=0.007). Conclusions. In pregnancies of women at high risk for FGR, higher levels of estradiol, hPL, and SP-1 at 18 weeks are associated with a decreased prevalence of FGR. This finding indicates that high levels of these hormones are related to a lower risk of FGR, but that low levels do not predict FGR.