Identification of progesterone and cortisol as immunoreactive plasma digitalis like factors in pregnancy

Plasma values for immunoreactive digitalis like factors (DLF) in 3 women during the third trimester of pregnancy were 0.13, 0.13 and 0.40 ng digoxin equivalents/ml. Progesterone accounted for 39%, 35% and 19% of the total DLF in the three women respectively, and cortisol 4%, 18% and 7% based on HPLC analysis. Both progesterone and cortisol displaced [125I]-digoxin from digoxin antibody and [3H]-ouabain from hog brain Na,K-ATPase in a concentration-dependent manner, but only progesterone in the plasma concentrations found in these patients would appreciable influence Na,K-ATPase. HPLC separation of the plasma DLF from two of the women showed several peaks. Two of these were identified as progesterone and cortisol by retention time, immunoassay and by GC-mass spectrometry.