Amniotic fluid fluorescence polarisation values for assessing fetal lung maturation

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Obstetrics
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Amniotic fluid analysis is crucial for assessing fetal well-being.
• Lecithin-sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio is a key indicator of fetal lung maturity.
• Micro-viscosity of amniotic fluid may offer additional insights.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between amniotic fluid micro-viscosity and the L/S ratio.
• To assess if micro-viscosity can differentiate between uncomplicated, diabetic, and Rhesus disease pregnancies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the fluorescence probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene.
• Employed an Aminco Bowman spectrofluorometer with a polariser prism.
• Measured fluorescence polarization of third-trimester amniotic fluid samples.

Main Results:

• A fluorescence polarization value of 0.360 correlated with an L/S ratio of 2.0 in uncomplicated and diabetic pregnancies.
• Significantly different fluorescence polarization values were observed in pregnancies complicated by Rhesus disease.
• Micro-viscosity measurements showed potential for distinguishing pregnancy complications.

Conclusions:

• Amniotic fluid micro-viscosity, measured by fluorescence polarization, correlates with the L/S ratio.
• Rhesus disease impacts amniotic fluid micro-viscosity differently than uncomplicated or diabetic pregnancies.
• Fluorescence polarization offers a potential method for assessing fetal lung maturity and identifying pregnancy complications.