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Human placental lactogen and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A in first trimester and subsequent fetal growth
J F Pedersen1, S Sørensen, S Ruge
1Ultrasound Laboratory, Glostrup Hospital, Denmark.
Objective:
To study in an optimized design the possible relation between serum levels in weeks 8-14 of human placental lactogen and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A and fetal size at delivery.
Methods:
Analysis of data from 93 normal singleton pregnancies. Gestational age was assessed from a sonographic crown-rump length measurement. Serum levels of human placental lactogen and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A were determined by radioimmunoassay, and were expressed in multiples of mean. The relative birth weight was used as an index of fetal growth.
Results:
Serum levels of human placental lactogen and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A showed a negative correlation to gestational age at delivery (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively), and there was a positive correlation between the serum level of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A and relative birth weight (p < 0.02).
Conclusions:
Higher levels of human placental lactogen and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A predicted earlier delivery, maybe because of better fetal growth, and higher levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A predicted better fetal growth.