Premium
Amniotic Fluid Thymosin α 1 Levels Increase During Gestation
Author(s) -
WELCH ROBERT A.,
LEE HORCHANG H.,
SOKOL ROBERT J.,
MUTCHNICK MILTON G.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology and microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 8755-8920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1988.tb00210.x
Subject(s) - thymosin , amniotic fluid , gestation , immune system , fetus , endocrinology , immunology , medicine , chemistry , andrology , pregnancy , biology , genetics
Thymosin α 1 is one of several cytokines produced by the thymus that modulates immune function. The presence of elevated serum levels of thymosin α 1 in pregnant women and their newborns has suggested that this peptide may play a role in perinatal immunology. In this investigation, we used a microenzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay to assay amniotic fluid for immunoreactive thymosin α 1 and found levels that were remarkably higher than newborn serum levels (P < 10 −4 ). The increase of thymosin α 1 in amniotic fluid with fetal age was natural logarithmic (r = 0.838, P < 10 −6 ). Thymosin α 1 in amniotic fluid may account for some of the immunologic properties of this medium.