PLASMA LEVELS OF PREGNANCY‐SPECIFIC β₁‐GLYCOPROTEIN IN COMPLICATED PREGNANCIES

Abstract

Summary Maternal plasma levels of the trophoblast product, pregnancy‐specific β1‐glycoprotein (PSβG), have been measured both in normal pregnancies and in pregnancies complicated by pre‐eclampsia and/or fetal growth retardation. PSβG levels correlate significantly with placental and fetal weight and fall below the normal range in about 60 per cent of all patients with fetal growth retardation. PSβG measurements appear to give a considerably better indication of fetal size than measurements of either human placental lactogen (HPL) or plasma oestriol.

Pregnancy-specific glycoproteins: complex gene families regulating maternal-fetal interactions

“…Several reports indicate that lower than normal serum concentrations of PSGs are associated with fetal growth restrictions (Grudzinskas et al, 1983, Pihl et al, 2009, Salem et al, 1981, Towler et al, 1977, Wurz et al, 1981. In addition, a correlation between abnormally low PSG levels and preeclampsia was found in some studies but not others (Bersinger and Odegard, 2004, Pihl et al, 2009, Silver et al, 1993, Towler et al, 1977.…”

Paired measurements of total and unconjugated estriol in maternal plasma during the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy—their relationship to intrauterine growth retardation

“…Less unanimity among the authors existed äs to the rate of true IUGR prediction by plasma estriol. The quotation of accurate predictions by plasma estriol assays ranged from 20% reported by Tow-LER et al [28] to an astonishingly high 86% reported by GOEBEL et al [13] in cases of IUGR without hypertension. Evidently some of the discrepancies in the assessment of the predictive valüe of plasma estriol measurements were due to application of different criteria in defining abnormally low estriol levels or birthweight limits for smallfor-dates infants or the use of different hormone assay procedures.…”

Pregnancy-specific β1-glycoprotein (SP1) in serum from women with pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth retardation

“…[8] reported that during pregnancy weeks 31 to 40 more than 70% of women with IUGR infants had SPj concentrations below the 10th percentile of the reference range. TOWLER et al [28] found the predictive value of 8Ρχ levels below a 95 % reference range for detection of IUGR to be 60% during the last trimester. Thus, despite differences in the definition of IUGR and in the selection of reference ranges, the predictive values of the serum SP i level for IUGR are in the same range.…”

“…In earlier studies in which SPi was compared with HPL, the predictive value of SPj for IUGR was found to be equally good as [22] or even better than that of HPL [28]. In the present investigation it was found that a serum 8Ρχ level below 80 mg/1 in a single blood sample drawn in pregnancy weeks 32 to 34 had a predictive value of 50% for IUGR and that a level above or at 80 mg/1 had a value of 93 % for predicting a normal infant birth weight (Tab.…”