scholarly journals Pregnancy-associated and placental proteins in the placental tissue of normal pregnant women and patients with pre-eclampsia at term

2002 ◽  
pp. 785-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
NA Bersinger ◽  
N Groome ◽  
S Muttukrishna
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Placental Tissue ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Activin A ◽  
Placental Lactogen ◽  
Compensatory Mechanism ◽  
Protein Markers ◽  
Inhibin A ◽  
Placental Disease

OBJECTIVE: Pre-eclampsia is a placental disease of unknown cause. Maternal circulating concentrations of a number of protein markers are altered (mainly increased) in pre-eclampsia in comparison with controls of matched gestational age. Inhibin A and activin A were found to be elevated even before the onset of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare the levels of inhibin A, activin A: follistatin ratio, leptin, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), human placental lactogen (HPL), placenta growth factor (PLGF) and pregnancy-specific beta1-glycoprotein (SP1) in placental extracts of normal pregnant women and pre-eclampsia patients at term. METHODS: Placental tissue from normal pregnancies (n=14) and patients with pre-eclampsia (n=13) were collected at term (> or =37 weeks of gestation) and stored at -80 degrees C. The frozen tissue pieces were homogenised and the above-mentioned proteins were measured by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: Placental contents of inhibin A and PAPP-A were significantly higher (P<0.05) in pre-eclampsia placental extracts compared with the controls. Activin A:follistatin ratio was higher (23) in pre-eclampsia extracts than in the controls (15). Leptin, PLGF, SP1 and HPL levels were not altered in the term pre-eclampsia placenta. Inhibin A and PAPP-A contents were increased in the placental extracts of pre-eclampsia patients. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the placenta, possibly by a compensatory mechanism, is at least in part responsible for the altered serum levels observed in pre-eclampsia.

Women with Preeclampsia Have Increased Serum Levels of Pregnancy‐Associated Plasma Protein A (PAPP‐A), Inhibin A, Activin A and Soluble E‐selectin

2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick A. Bersinger ◽  
Alexander K. Smárason ◽  
Shanthi Muttukrishna ◽  
Nigel P. Groome ◽  
Christopher W. Redman
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Protein ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Activin A ◽  
Inhibin A ◽  
Soluble E Selectin

scholarly journals Inverse correlation between baseline inhibin B and FSH after stimulation with GnRH: a study of serum levels of inhibin A and B, pro alpha-C and activin A in women with ovulatory disturbances before and after stimulation with GnRH

2000 ◽  
pp. 77-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
FW Casper ◽  
RJ Seufert ◽  
K Pollow
Keyword(s):  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Activin A ◽  
Inhibin B ◽  
Inhibin A ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Pituitary Secretion ◽  
Objective Interest ◽  
A Minor

OBJECTIVE: Interest has focused recently on the influences of the polypeptide factors inhibin and activin on the selective regulation of the pituitary secretion of gonadotropins. DESIGN: Measurement of the concentrations of inhibin-related proteins in relation to the changes in pituitary gonadotropin (FSH, LH) parameters, after GnRH stimulation with a bolus injection of 100 microg gonadorelin, in 19 women with ovulatory disturbances. METHODS: Serum levels of inhibin A and B, activin A, and pro alpha-C were measured using sensitive ELISA kits. RESULTS: Within 60 min after GnRH stimulation, FSH values doubled from 5 to 10 mU/ml (P < 0.001). LH increased 12-fold from 2 to 24 mU/ml (P < 0.001). Activin A showed a significant decrease from 0.47 to 0.36 ng/ml (P < 0.001), whereas pro alpha-C increased from 127 to 156 pg/ml (P = 0.039). The median inhibin A concentration did not show a significant change between baseline and the 60 min value, whereas inhibin B was characterized by a minor, but not significant, increase in the median from 168 to 179 pg/ml (P = 0.408). A significant inverse correlation (P = 0.014) with a mean coefficient of correlation of 0.5516 was found, demonstrating a strong relationship between high inhibin B baseline levels and a small increase of FSH after 60 min. CONCLUSION: Our results show an interesting correlation between the baseline inhibin B and the change in FSH before and after GnRH stimulation. A high baseline inhibin B implies only a minor increase of FSH after 60 min.

Activin A, inhibin A, inhibin B and parturition: changes of maternal and cord serum levels according to the mode of delivery

1999 ◽  
Vol 106 (10) ◽  
pp. 1061-1065 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Florio ◽  
C. Benedetto ◽  
S. Luisi ◽  
M. Santuz ◽  
C. Carlo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Activin A ◽  
Inhibin B ◽  
Inhibin A ◽  
Cord Serum

scholarly journals In vivo effects of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, activin-A and vascular endothelial growth factor on other follicular-fluid factors during follicle deviation in mares

Reproduction ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
O J Ginther ◽  
E L Gastal ◽  
M O Gastal ◽  
M A Beg
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Follicular Fluid ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Activin A ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
Inhibin A ◽  
Igf I ◽  
Endothelial Growth Factor

During a follicular wave in mares, the two largest follicles (F1 and F2) begin to deviate in diameter when F1 is a mean of 22.5 mm. The intrafollicular effects of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), IGF-I, activin-A and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on other follicular-fluid factors during deviation were studied. In four treated groups (n= 7/group), a single dose of one of the four factors was injected into F2 when F1 was ≥20.0 mm (expected beginning of deviation). In a control group (n= 7), F2 was injected with vehicle. One day after treatment, a sample of follicular fluid was taken from F1 and F2 of the control group and from F2 of the treated groups and was assayed for free IGF-I, oestradiol, androstenedione, activin-A, inhibin-A, follistatin and VEGF. In the control group, the means for all end points were significantly greater in F1 than in F2, except that concentrations of androstenedione were lower in F1 than in F2. The treatment effects for F2 were significant as follows: PAPP-A increased the concentrations of free IGF-I, inhibin-A, follistatin and VEGF and decreased the concentrations of androstenedione; IGF-I increased the concentration of inhibin-A and decreased the concentration of androstenedione; activin-A decreased the concentrations of follistatin and androstenedione and increased the diameter of F2; and VEGF increased the concentration of IGF-I and decreased the concentration of androstenedione. These results support the hypotheses that during deviation in mares PAPP-A increases the follicular-fluid concentrations of free IGF-I, follistatin responds to changes in follicular-fluid concentrations of activin-A, and VEGF affects the concentrations of other follicular-fluid factors.

scholarly journals Maternal Serum Melatonin Increases During Pregnancy and Falls Immediately After Delivery Implicating the Placenta as a Major Source of Melatonin

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haroon Ejaz ◽  
Juliana K. Figaro ◽  
Andrea M. F. Woolner ◽  
Bensita M. V. Thottakam ◽  
Helen F. Galley
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Placental Tissue ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Normal Pregnancy ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Major Metabolite ◽  
Elective Cesarean Section ◽  
Elective Cesarean ◽  
In Pregnancy

Melatonin is a neuroendocrine hormone which regulates circadian rhythm and is also an antioxidant. The role of melatonin in pregnancy is emerging. The enzymes needed for endogenous synthesis of melatonin have been identified in the placenta, although the contribution to circulating maternal melatonin in normal pregnancy is unclear. This work aimed to determine serum levels of melatonin and its major metabolite 6-hydroxymelatonin sulfate (6-OHMS) in normal pregnant women during each trimester of pregnancy, and immediately after delivery. Blood samples were obtained from a cohort of healthy pregnant women during each trimester of pregnancy (n = 26), from women scheduled for elective Cesarean section (CS) before and after delivery (n = 15), along with placental samples, and from healthy non-pregnant women as controls (n = 30). Melatonin and its major metabolite, 6-OHMS, were measured using enzyme immunoassay. Levels of serum melatonin were significantly higher during pregnancy than in non-pregnant women (P = 0.025) and increased throughout pregnancy (P &lt; 0.0001). In women undergoing CS, serum melatonin decreased markedly 24 h after delivery (P = 0.0013). Similar results were seen for serum levels of 6-OHMS, and placental tissue 6-OHMS levels correlated with week of gestation at delivery (p = 0.018). In summary, maternal melatonin production is higher in pregnant than in non-pregnant women, increases significantly during pregnancy with highest levels in the third trimester, and decreases abruptly after delivery. These results suggest that the placenta is a major source of melatonin and supports a physiological role for melatonin in pregnancy.

Production and role of inhibin A/activin a in human placental tissue

Placenta ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. A6
Author(s):  
M. Yamoto ◽  
S. Minami
Keyword(s):  
Placental Tissue ◽  
Activin A ◽  
Inhibin A ◽  
Human Placental Tissue

scholarly journals Second trimester levels of maternal serum total activin A and placental inhibin/activin alpha and betaA subunit messenger ribonucleic acids in Down syndrome pregnancy

1998 ◽  
pp. 425-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
GM Lambert-Messerlian ◽  
S Luisi ◽  
P Florio ◽  
V Mazza ◽  
JA Canick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Placental Tissue ◽  
Normal Karyotype ◽  
Activin A ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Inhibin A ◽  
Ribonucleic Acids ◽  
Gapdh Mrna

OBJECTIVES: Previous data have shown that inhibin A (alpha/betaA) is increased about twofold in maternal serum samples from Down syndrome pregnancy. Our objectives were to determine whether activin A (betaA/betaA) was similarly increased in maternal serum from pregnancies affected with fetal Down syndrome, and to investigate whether increased expression of each inhibin/activin subunit occurred in placental tissue from cases of fetal Down syndrome. DESIGN AND METHODS: Maternal serum total activin A levels were measured in 20 cases of fetal Down syndrome and 100 unaffected pregnancy samples. In addition, analysis of inhibin/activin alpha and betaA subunit mRNA levels was performed in placental tissue extracts from six cases of fetal Down syndrome and six tissues with a normal karyotype. RESULTS: The median total activin A level in the Down syndrome cases was 0.82 MoM (multiples of the median); values did not differ significantly (P = 0.36, Mann-Whitney U analysis) from those in unaffected pregnancies. The inhibin alpha subunit/GAPDH mRNA ratio, but not that of betaA subunit/GAPDH mRNA, was significantly greater (P < 0.01, ANOVA) in placental tissue from Down syndrome than in control placental tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike inhibin A, activin A is not significantly increased in Down syndrome relative to unaffected pregnancy. Furthermore, increased amounts of maternal serum inhibin A in Down syndrome pregnancy probably result from increased placental expression of inhibin alpha, but not betaA, subunit.

Enhancement of plasma corticotropin-releasing hormone in pregnancy-induced hypertension

1990 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 711-714 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Jeske ◽  
P. Soszyński ◽  
E. Lukaszewicz ◽  
R. Dȩbski ◽  
W. Latoszewska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Placental Tissue ◽  
Normal Pregnancy ◽  
Placental Lactogen ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pregnancy Induced Hypertension ◽  
Human Placental Lactogen ◽  
Induced Hypertension ◽  
In Pregnancy

Abstract. The role of a high CRH level in normal pregnancy remains unknown. Therefore we evaluated the concentrations of CRH and the related hormones in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension. Fourteen women with pregnancy-induced hypertension, aged 20-39, at 30-39 gestational week, were investigated. The control group consisted of 20 healthy pregnant women matched according to gestational age. Plasma CRH, β-endorphin-like immunoreactivity, cortisol, and human placental lactogen were measured by radioimmunoassay, ACTH by an immunoradiometric method. It was found that in hypertensive patients the mean CRH concentration was significantly higher (4257±840 (sem) ng/l) than that in healthy pregnant women (1083±227 ng/l, p<0.001). The concentration of ACTH, however, was only slightly higher 65.0±6.0 vs 50.7±2.5 ng/l, p<0.025, whereas the differences in β-endorphin, cortisol and human placental lactogen were not significant. In both groups there was no correlation between the CRH level and those of the related hormones. In healthy pregnant women the CRH level closely correlated with gestational age (r=0.76, p<0.001), whereas in patients with hypertension no such correlation was present (r=0.29). We assume that the marked enhancement of plasma CRH in pregnancy-induced hypertension is probably caused by its decreased breakdown in ischemic placental tissue, but its increased synthesis in the placenta and its indirect counterregulatory hypotensive role must also be considered.

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