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Maternal and cord blood plasma. Comparative analyses by 1H NMR spectroscopy
J D Bell1, J C Brown, P J Sadler
1Birkbeck College, University of London, UK.
Abstract:
Normal and 'Hahn' spin-echo 500 MHz 1H NMR spectra of 21 pairs of plasma from mother and cord taken at the time of delivery are reported. The concentrations of 'NMR-visible' lactate, alanine, and valine in the cord plasma significantly exceed those in the maternal plasma. In both maternal and cord plasma, measured lactate levels appear to increase with the length of the second stage of labour. Ethanol was unexpectedly detected in five samples of cord plasma. Lipoprotein--CH3 and--(CH2)n--resonances are more intense in the spectra of maternal plasma compared to cord plasma, and are unusual in composition. The intensities of N-acetyl signals from 'acute-phase' plasma glycoproteins are greater in spin-echo spectra of maternal plasma compared to those of cord plasma (mean ratio 2.1 (SD 0.8]. These results suggest that high resolution NMR spectroscopy may provide a useful new insight into the comparative biochemistry of maternal and cord plasma.