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


I Schabort
H.J. Odendaal
C.J. Lombard
L. Bredell

Abstract

Recent studies have pointed to the existence of an endogenous digoxin-like immuno-active factor (DLlF), which may be associated with hypertension and pre-eclampsia. The DLlF 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 DLlF, in 44 mothers and their babies in search for a possible placental, fetal or maternal origin of the DLlF. 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 umbilical cord venous and arterial DLIF levels (r = 0,90; P = 0,001, Spearrnan 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 Bonferronl adjustment was applied to the P value.


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eISSN: 2078-5135
print ISSN: 0256-9574