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Growth hormone, insulin‐like growth factor I and its binding proteins 1 and 3 in last trimester intrauterine growth retardation with increased pulsatility index in the umbilical artery
Author(s) -
Larsen Torben,
Main Katharina,
Andersson Anne Marie,
Juul Anders,
Greisen Gorm,
Skakkebæk Niels Erik
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2265.1996.553812.x
Subject(s) - umbilical artery , medicine , endocrinology , small for gestational age , fetus , gestation , insulin like growth factor , gestational age , birth weight , uterine artery , quartile , pregnancy , growth factor , biology , receptor , confidence interval , genetics
OBJECTIVE The interrelationships between maternal hormone levels and placental dysfunction in mothers bearing children with intrauterine growth retardation remain unclear. We have examined some endocrinological aspects of intrauterine growth retardation and, in particular, tested whether low levels of GH and IGF‐ I in maternal serum are associated with direct evidence of placental dysfunction.DESIGN Prospective, descriptive and comparative.PATIENTS Women with singleton pregnancies: 48 with a small for gestation fetus (SGA) (estimated fetal weight less than −1.5 standard deviation scores) and 28 with an appropriate for gestation fetus (AGA).MEASUREMENTS Maternal serum GH, IGF‐I, IGFBP‐1 and 3 were determined, and fetal weight and umbilical artery pulsatility index (PI) was estimated by ultrasonography and Doppler ultrasound at 33 weeks gestational age.RESULTS Serum IGF‐I was lower in the SGA group (246 vs 297 μg/l, P = 0.03) but GH and IGFBP‐1 and ‐3 did not differ between the groups. In the 16 SGA pregnancies with increased PI, IGF‐I concentration was low (218 μg/l, quartiles 149–265), whereas in the 32 with normal PI, IGF‐I was 269 μg/l, quartiles 219–382. Serum IGFBP‐1 was increased in the high PI group compared to the normal PI group (161 μg/l vs 113, P = 0.05).CONCLUSION M aternal serum IGF‐I concentration was lower in small for gestational age pregnancieswith increased pulsatility of the umbilical artery blood flow, compared to small for gestational age pregnancies with normal umbilical blood flow, which in turn was close to the IGF‐I concentration in appropriate for gestational age pregnancies. Growth hormone concentrations did not differ among the groups.