A tracer dose of cholester01-4-~~C was given daily in the diet of six pregnant guinea pigs to establish an isotopic steady state. At the time of parturition, maternal and fetal blood and fetal tissues were collected and analyzed for cholesterol content and cholesterol specific activity. A comparison of these specific activities in neonatal and maternal serum indicated that about 22% of the feta...

Breast milk is a complex fluid, rich in nutrients and non-nutritional bioactive components, including antimicrobial factors, immunoglobulins, cytokines, and anti-inflammatory substances. Although IgE is implicated in viral immunity, its role in breast milk in parvovirus B19 immunity has not been studied. Total immunoglobulin levels of IgE, IgG, and IgE anti-parvovirus B19 antibodies were determ...

BACKGROUND Serotonin influences the development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system; therefore prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) may alter HPA axis development and function. To address this, prenatal exposure to SSRIs and maternal mood were examined in relation to neonatal and infant levels of cortisol and its binding protein, cor...

Data on predictors of gestational exposure to poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the United States are limited. To fill in this gap, in a multiethnic cohort of Ohio pregnant women recruited in 2003-2006, we measured perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), and six additional PFASs in maternal serum at ∼16 weeks gestation (N = 182) and delivery (N = 78), and in umb...

Maternal thyroid function was investigated in 32 pre-eclamptic women and 10 normal pregnant women in their third trimester. Serum total tri-iodothyronine (TT3) and total thyroxine (TT4) were decreased significantly (P < 0.001) and TSH was increased significantly (P < .001) in pre-eclampsia as compared to normal pregnancy. There was no influence of parity and maternal age on thyroid functions. T...

Background. Serum lipids including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) are increased in pregnancy. Serum proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9) is a significant player in lipoprotein metabolism. Circulating PCSK9 downregulates the LDL receptor on the surface of the liver, inhibiting clearance of LDL-C. Therefore, our study assess...

Jaffar Ali, B.Sc., M.Sc. Specialist and Reproductive Research Center, National Family Planning Board, clo Division of Haematology, Institute for Medical Research, Pahang Road, Kuala Lumpur 02-14. difference (P< 0.001) between cord serum iron levels and the maternal iron levels shows that an active transport mechanism working against a gradient in favour of the fetus exists. The availabilz"ty of...

Maternal metabolic diseases increase offspring risk for low birth weight and cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood. Excess fructose consumption may confer metabolic risks for both women and their offspring. However, the direct consequences of fructose intake per se are unknown. We assessed the impact of a maternal high-fructose diet on the fetal-placental unit in mice in the absence of metaboli...

BACKGROUND Fetal DNA has been found in maternal plasma and serum. Diagnosis of fetal gender using maternal plasma and serum has been attempted in an effort to develop a new noninvasive method of prenatal diagnosis. METHODS Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 61 pregnant women at 10-17 weeks of gestation before amniocentesis. DNA was extracted from 800 microL of each plasma or serum sa...

Deviations from the normal of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations in fetal serum, amniotic fluid, maternal serum and adult human serum can be explained by understanding the normal physiology and the pathophysiology of AFP synthesis and metabolism. AFP is the prototype of oncofetal markers. Emphasis is given to the usefulness of elevated serum AFP levels on the diagnosis and management of pri...