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PREGNANCY‐ASSOCIATED PLASMA PROTEIN‐A (PAPP‐A) AND hCG IN EARLY PREGNANCY
Author(s) -
Bischof P.,
DuBerg S.,
Herrmann W.,
Sizonenko P. C.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1981.tb01683.x
Subject(s) - pregnancy associated plasma protein a , pregnancy , medicine , radioimmunoassay , amenorrhea , abortion , obstetrics , glycoprotein , gynecology , endocrinology , andrology , gestation , biology , first trimester , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
Summary Pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A) is a recently described glycoprotein of unknown biological function. The development of a radioimmunoassay enabled us to measure plasma levels of PAPP‐A and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in 12 non‐pregnant volunteers and in 159 women in early pregnancy attending the outpatient clinic for legal abortion. PAPP‐A but not hCG was measurable in all non‐pregnant women. In pregnant patients (with 36 to 86 days of amenorrhea) hCG reached a peak value (163.1–197.6 ng/ml) between the 9th and the 13th week whereas PAPP‐A steadily increased throughout this period of pregnancy. Between the 6th and the 13th week after the last menstrual period, levels of PAPP‐A increased proportionally more than hCG. This work provides the first evidence of a PAPP‐A production in non‐pregnant subjects and the very early marked increase of PAPP‐A secretion during pregnancy.