Maternal recognition of pregnancy and maintenance of the corpus luteum. Proceedings of a workshop. Jerusalem, Israel, March 1988.

These proceedings of a BARD Workshop, held in Jerusalem in March 1988, consider how an animal knows that it is pregnant. They cover the ways by which the lifespan and function of the corpus luteum are prolonged by the presence of an embryo, and the maternal adjustments to the allogeneic embryo that allow its retention in the uterus rather than its rejection as foreign tissue. A multidisciplinary approach is used to evaluate the role of trophoblastic cells in the maintenance of the corpus luteum and the value of pregnancy specific proteins for early pregnancy diagnosis. The book will be useful to those interested in the ovarian and uterine function in pregnancy in man and other animals.