Comparison between umbilical artery and vein endogenous digoxin-like immuno-active factor levels in normal and pre-eclamptic patients

Date
1991
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Health & Medical Publishing Group
Abstract
Recent studies have pointed to the existence of an endogenous digoxin-like immuno-active factor (DLIF), which may be associated with hypertension and pre-eclampsia. The DLIF levels in the umbilical venous and umbilical arterial blood of neonates, as well as the maternal serum of primigravidas and multigravidas with and without pre-eclampsia, were determined by means of a commercially available radioimmunoassay kit, which is cross-reactive with DLIF, in 44 mothers and their babies in search for a possible placental, fetal or maternal origin of the DLIF. The mean placental and neonatal masses were significantly lower in the pre-eclampsia group than in the control group (P < 0,01). However, the DLIF levels in the maternal serum, umbilical cord venous and umbilical cord arterial serum were statistically significantly higher in the pre-eclampsia group than in the control pregnant group (P < 0,05). A very strong correlation was found between umbulical cord venous and arterial DLIF levels (r = 0,90; P = 0,001, Spearman rank-correlation coefficient). Although the mean DLIF level in cord arterial serum was lower than that of cord venous serum, statistical significance was not reached if the Bonferroni adjustment was applied to the P value.
Description
CITATION: Schabort, I. et al. 1991. Comparison between umbilical artery and vein endogenous digoxin-like immuno-active factor levels in normal and pre-eclamptic patients. South African Medical Journal, 71:197-199.
The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.za
Keywords
Preeclampsia
Citation