Serum antipapain activity during normal pregnancy

Antitryptic, antichymotryptic and antipapain activities in maternal serum were measured in the course of normal pregnancy. An increase in inhibitory capacity toward the three examined proteases was demonstrated. The level of antipapain activity was highest between the 13th and 24th weeks of gestation in contrast to antitrypsin and antichymotrypsin activities which have shown the highest values between the 25th and 36th weeks of pregnancy.