Accurate assessment of early gestational age by measuring serum hCG and SP1.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T Chard.
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A prospective study of 1,040 women who underwent delivery during 1977 at St. Bartholomew's Hospital was undertaken to evaluate the role of measurement of maternal circulating pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein (SP1) in the detection of high-risk pregnancy. A comparison of the predictive value of this test was also made with a variety of clinical, ultrasonic, and biochemical variables in the detection of high-risk pregnancies. The best antenatal predictors of fetal risk were severe preeclampsia and depressed maternal serum levels of human placental lactogen and SP1. It is suggested that measurement of SP1 may provide valuable information on fetal compromise in late pregnancy.
We describe a method for the preparation of purified PP5 suitable for use as a tracer ligand in RIA. The method is based on the observation that PP5 will bind to heparin and employs a heparin-Sepharose column as a key step in the procedure.
An inexpensive microcomputer has been programmed to obtain histories from patients attending an infertility and gynecologic endocrinology clinic. The system is directly interactive; patients enter their answers on a specially designed keyboard containing only "yes," "no," and "don't know" buttons and the numbers 1 to 5. A neatly formatted summary of the history is then provided by an interfaced printer. The history follows a branching pattern: Of the 330 questions incorporated in the program only 76 are asked in the course of the average history. The program contains numerous features which make it easy to use. For example, patients are provided with more detailed explanations of questions they find difficult to answer. These are produced either on command or automatically if the response time is prolonged. Crossover comparison with manual histories showed that the computer produces an accurate and exhaustive record containing many additional significant items. This system was designed to facilitate and not replace the physician interview. A confidential questionnaire revealed a high degree of consumer acceptance.
Fetal biparietal diameter (BPD) was measured by ultrasound at 18-21 weeks gestation in 1023 women. The results showed a clear relationship to birth weight at delivery (36 weeks or later): the sensitivity was 24.2%, the predictive value was 18.2%, and the specificity was 92.5%. We propose that BPD measured in the second trimester is a clinically useful predictor of intrauterine growth retardation.
Placental proteins, including human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), human placental lactogen (hPL), pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein (SP1), and placental protein 5 (PP5) have been detected in human seminal plasma of 20 normal men and 42 patients with infertility. Levels of hPL, SP1, and PP5 were similar in these groups. There were significantly higher levels of hCG in subjects with normal sperm counts than in those with oligospermia or azoospermia. The levels of PP5 in seminal plasma showed an association with sperm motility, suggesting that PP5 may have a significant biologic function in the maintenance of sperm motility.
Serial serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were examined over a 24-h period in six subjects. A short-term variation was demonstrated which was significantly greater than that due to the assay alone, but which showed no particular pattern. These findings may explain why an 'abnormal' AFP level frequently reverts to a 'normal' level on second sampling.
Current obstetric risk-scoring systems do not make a precise prediction of the chances of an abnormal outcome and so cannot be used in formal decision analysis. We examine here the feasibility of using Bayes' theorem to provide an accurate assessment of fetal risk and conclude that two severe limitations effectively exclude this approach as a useful contribution to antenatal care: (1) inaccuracy of the data base: geographical variations and the 'treatment paradox' conspire to reduce the reliability on which any assessment may be made; (2) 'dependency' of the risk factors: most obstetric variables are interdependent and are not therefore amenable to analysis by means of Bayes' theorem. Although fetal risk will be assessed subjectively for the foreseeable future, obstetricians should be aware of the essentially mathematical nature of decision-making.
Single estimations of serum human placental lactogen (hPL) were made in 527 unselected women between 36 and 40 weeks gestation. The association between decreased serum levels of hPL and intrauterine growth retardation was confirmed. The effect of changing the cut-off point between normality and abnormality on the sensitivity, specificity and predictive value was determined. When the 10th centile of hPL values was used, 29% of all growth-retarded fetuses were identified and 91% of all 'normal' fetuses were excluded. The 15th and 25th centiles yielded improved sensitivities of 37 and 50% respectively, but specificity was reduced. It is suggested that the 10th centile provides a good compromise between sensitivity on the one hand and specificity and predictive value on the other.
Placental protein 5 (PP5), Schwangerschaftsprotein 1 (SP1) and human placental lactogen (hPL) were measured in 36 serum samples from seven women with antepartum eclampsia. PP5 levels were generally elevated, hPL levels were reduced and SP1 levels were within the usual ranges.
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Blood was collected from 8 women following delivery at term. The decline in serum concentrations of placental protein 5 following the delivery of the infant's head was studied for 12 h. Placental protein 5 levels fell very rapidly with a half-life of 5-39 min. In the majority of women placental protein 5 was undetectable after 12 h (i.e. less than 2 microgram/l).
Single blood samples were obtained from an unselected population of 527 women between 36 and 40 wk gestation. Serum placental lactogen levels were lower than normal in patients whose infants were growth retarded or developed fetal distress in labor. These associations were independent; the fetal distress group did not contain an excess of subjects with growth retardation. Thus, the results of a biochemical test reflect dynamic aspects of placental function and not simply the overall growth of fetus and placenta.
1 The serum binding capacity for diazepam was significantly lower in pregnancy and there was a linear correlation with gestational age. 2 The binding of diazepam was not correlated to albumin during pregnancy. 3 In cord sera there was a significantly reduced binding capacity for diazepam with albumin levels of less than 40 g/l.
A total of 527 blood samples was obtained from an unselected population of women between 36 and 40 weeks gestation. Serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels were measured using a specific radioimmunoassay for the beta 1-subunit of hCG. Serum hCG levels were higher in primigravidae and in women carrying female fetuses. They were also related to the birthweight of the child and to the occurrence of fetal distress.
Serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein (SP 1) and placental proteins 5 (PP5) levels have been measured by radioimmunoassay in 20 patients (116 samples) with hydatidiform mole, one patient (nine samples) with invasive mole and 10 patients (103 samples) with choriocarcinoma. Measurement of both serum SP1 and hCG are useful in the monitoring of these diseases. The presence of PP5 in hydatidiform mole and its absence in choriocarcinoma support the hypothesis that PP5 is closely associated with the invasive activity of malignant trophoblast.
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