Oestriol in Amniotic Fluid: A Gas Chromatographic Method

Abstract

A method is described for estimating oestriol in amniotic fluid. The main steps of the method are acid hydrolysis, chemical purification and methylation, chromatography on alumina columns, acetylation and estimation by gas chromatography. A radioactive internal standard is employed to correct for losses during assay. Data on the reliability of the method are given.

Variability of Total Plasma Oestriol in Late Human Pregnancy

“…Duplicate aliquots of ten plasmas were analysed by this method and also by a specific gas-liquid chromatography (g.l.c.) technique for oestriol (Biggs, Klopper & Wilson, 1969). The correlation coefficient was 0-94.…”

Determination of Plasma Oestriol in Normal Pregnancy and Labour Using Gas-Liquid Chromatography

“…However, the delay in collecting 24-or 48-h specimens of urine and the incompleteness of many urine collections presented to the laboratory for analysis may limit their usefulness in some clinical situations. In order to over¬ come these problems, oestriol determinations in amniotic fluid have been advocated (Schindler & Herrmann, 1966;Biggs, Klopper & Wilson, 1969), but even this pro¬ cedure has a limited value since the volume of liquor is variable in pregnancy and repeated sampling is difficult and often inconvenient to the patients. Measurements of plasma oestriol may be used to monitor the status of the foetus (Roy, Harkness & Kerr, 1963); Nachtigall/Bassett, Hogsander, Slagle & Levitz (1966) used fluorimetrie techniques for quantitative measurement of oestriol.…”

“…Touchstone, Greene, McElroy & Murawec (1963) used g.l.c. without derivative formation, Biggs et al (1969) prepared the 16,17-diacetate of oestriol 3-methyl ether, whereas Luukkainen & Adlercreutz (1963) utilized the 16,17-di-trimethylsilyl ether of oestriol 3-methyl ether. This paper describes a method of estimating oestriol in pregnancy plasma which incorporates extensive purification and formation of oestriol 3-methyl ether 16,17-di-trimethylsilyl ether before estimation by g.l.c.…”

Production Rate and Sources of Amniotic Fluid at Term

“…Oestriol concentration was determined in all samples, using the gas chromatographic method of Biggs, Klopper and Wilson (1969). Radioactive internal standards were used in all assays and the results were corrected for losses incurred.…”