Ontogeny of pancreatic oncofetal antigen

Serum concentration of pancreatic oncofetal antigen (POA) was determined in human fetuses, newborns and pregnant women. The mean fetal concentration of POA (mean = 5.27 micrograms/ml) changed very little with gestational age. Also, only a weak correlation was found between POA concentration of newborns (mean = 5.15 micrograms/ml) and their birth weight. It appears that between the 19th and 40th weeks of gestation POA exhibits no fetospecific features, i.e. POA concentration did not exceed significantly the concentration of nonpregnant adults (mean = 6.10 micrograms/ml). A number of pathophysiological variables was correlated with POA concentrations of newborns. The most striking statistical differences were found between American black and white newborns and adults; the mean concentration of POA in sera of black full-term newborns was 5.38 micrograms/ml as compared to white newborns, where the mean concentration was 3.58 micrograms/ml. Similarly, black mothers had a mean concentration (mean = 12.21 micrograms/ml) significantly greater than white mothers (mean = 5.62 micrograms/ml).