{"title":"Concentration of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) in patients with pre-eclamptic toxaemia.","authors":"K Toop, A Klopper","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The plasma concentration of PAPP-A has been measured in 84 patients with pre-eclamptic toxaemia within 24 hours of their first admission to hospital. There were 51 patients who suffered from mild pre-eclampsia (late pregnancy hypertension without albuminuria). The PAPP-A values in these patients did not differ significantly from the normal value for the corresponding stage of gestation. On the other hand, the PAPP-A levels in albuminuric (severe) pre-eclampsia were significantly higher than normal; a finding which was more pronounced in those patients who presented with severe pre-eclampsia relatively early in pregnancy. It is unusual for a placental product to be raised in the presence of putative placental damage and it is suggested that PAPP-A might be involved with causal mechanisms in pre-eclampsia.</p>","PeriodicalId":79246,"journal":{"name":"Placenta. Supplement","volume":"3 ","pages":"167-73"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"17255772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Interaction of trophoblast membranes with lymphocytes and other cells.","authors":"J A McIntyre, W P Faulk, M J O'Sullivan","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Certain proteins present in trophoblast membranes may be instrumental in assuring the successful cohabitation of allogeneic tissues in the materno-fetal relationship of normal human pregnancy, inasmuch as preparations of trophoblast microvilli can specifically impede the progress of immune recognition reactions, as measured by the mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) reaction. Microvilli prepared from fresh placentae were extracted with 3 mol/1 KCl and solubilized overnight in 1 per cent sodium deoxycholic acid (DOC). Following ultracentrifugation, the DOC supernatant chromatographed on Bio-Gel P-200 yielded two major protein peaks. The first peak (P1) was observed to eliminate MLC reactivity, impede the spontaneous turnover of T-cell-enriched populations and interfere with the proliferation of the Daudi lymphoblastoid B cell line. Sepharose CL-6B chromatography of KCl-extracted, DOC-solubilized microvilli yielded a broad peak (m.w. 5 X 10(4) to 5 X 10(5)); 5 micrograms of this specifically abrogated all MLC reactivity while leaving lymphocyte responses to lectins unaffected. The composition of the MLC-inhibitory peak was analysed by using SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions; it revealed 15 protein bands, six of which also stained for glycoproteins.</p>","PeriodicalId":79246,"journal":{"name":"Placenta. Supplement","volume":"3 ","pages":"95-102"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"17287875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Extracorporeal perfusion of the whole human placenta--a new model.","authors":"D Maulik, S F Contractor, J Lippes, A Knight","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An extracorporeal dual perfusion system of the whole human placenta was developed using a technique of multiple blunt cannulations of the intervillous space. The system was evaluated according to various perfusion-dynamic, metabolic and morphological criteria. Angiographic and dye distribution studies showed 80 to 100 per cent perfusion of the placenta. The perfused organ consumed oxygen, utilized glucose and produced HCG. The flow rates and acid-base values were within acceptable limits. However, problems with high fetoplacental vascular resistance, tendency to metabolic acidosis and fetomaternal fluid transfer were encountered. Ultrastructural studies showed variations in the syncytiotrophoblast and the microvilli.</p>","PeriodicalId":79246,"journal":{"name":"Placenta. Supplement","volume":"3 ","pages":"353-65"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18013659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P D McCormick, A J Razel, T C Spelsberg, C B Coulam
{"title":"Absence of high-affinity binding of progesterone (R 5020) in human placenta and fetal membranes.","authors":"P D McCormick, A J Razel, T C Spelsberg, C B Coulam","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Increased levels of maternal serum progesterone occur during the last stages of human gestation. The function of the high level of this steroid is unknown. The presence of a progesterone receptor in the placenta was investigated to determine whether progesterone action on the placenta might serve as one function of the high level of this steroid. Cytosol and nuclear fractions, derived from human placentae and fetal membranes, were examined for the presence of progesterone receptors by conducting exchange assays, using tritiated R 5020 (17,21-dimethyl-19-norpregna-4,9-diene-3,20-dione) as the radiolabelled ligand. High-affinity, low-capacity binding, characteristic of steroid receptors, was estimated as the difference between binding of radiolabelled ligand in the presence of no unlabelled ligand and that in the presence of a 100-fold excess of unlabelled ligand. These exchange assays were conducted during a 24-hour period at 0 degrees C, to allow maximal stability of the receptor, and during a 3-hour period at 20 degrees C, to allow the rapid exchange of radiolabelled ligand for any bound endogenous progesterone. The assays of all fractions showed no specific binding of the R 5020, thus indicating the absence of progesterone receptors in the cytosol and nuclei of the human placenta and the fetal membranes.</p>","PeriodicalId":79246,"journal":{"name":"Placenta. Supplement","volume":"3 ","pages":"123-32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18013874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Acetylcholine in human term placenta: tissue levels in intact fragments after inhibition in vitro of choline acetyltransferase and relationship to [14C]alpha-aminoisobutyric acid uptake.","authors":"F Welsch, W C Wenger, D B Stedman","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Choline acetyltransferase (ChAc), the enzyme catalysing the biosynthesis of acetylcholine (ACh) in the non-innervated human placenta, was rapidly and persistently inhibited by (2-benzoylethyl)trimethylammonium (BETA) when the drug was applied to intact tissue fragments. This inhibition (50 per cent at congruent to 0.4 mmol/1 BETA) was coupled to a concomitant reduction in the active uptake against a concentration gradient of the nonmetabolizable amino acid alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB). The reduction of AIB accumulation (50 per cent at congruent to 0.1 mmol/1 BETA) was temporally related to inhibition of ChAc. These effects suggest that AIB uptake by the human placenta and ACh biosynthesis catalysed by ChAc are related. Measurements of total ACh content in tissue samples treated in parallel with those destined for ChAc and AIB uptake determinations revealed that BETA (3 mmol/1) significantly reduced the ACh levels by 35 to 50 per cent. This drug concentration caused almost complete inhibition of ChAc and blockade of AIB accumulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":79246,"journal":{"name":"Placenta. Supplement","volume":"3 ","pages":"339-51"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18013658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Trophoblast and extraembryonic membranes in the immunobiology of human pregnancy.","authors":"W P Faulk","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":79246,"journal":{"name":"Placenta. Supplement","volume":"3 ","pages":"3-22"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"17817614","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Alpha subunit in gestational trophoblastic disease.","authors":"E I Kohorn, B V Caldwell, J M Cortes","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alpha HCG, estimated after evacuation of hydatidiform mole, was found to follow the decline of beta-HCG. In patients with low-risk non-metastatic gestational disease the alpha-subunit values also followed the beta-HCG values. This indicates no additional value in following alpha-HCG in such patients. Whether alpha-HCG elevation may portend recurrence in treated high-risk cases of metastatic disease in remission with non-detectable beta-HCG remains unresolved by this study.</p>","PeriodicalId":79246,"journal":{"name":"Placenta. Supplement","volume":"3 ","pages":"231-40"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"17368417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Studies of antigenic components of the human syncytiotrophoblast membrane.","authors":"R R Kantor, R M Galbraith, G M Galbraith","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In order to initiate characterization of potentially immunogenic moieties on the human trophoblast membrane, antisera to native and detergent-solubilized normal trophoblast membranes were prepared in rabbits. By indirect immunofluorescence, these antisera reacted strongly with all villous structures in normal placentae and also with a panel of normal adult human tissues. Specificities to normal human serum components were then removed by solid-phase immunoabsorption. However, the resultant antisera still reacted weakly with differentiated, normal adult tissues, and additional absorption with normal adult liver homogenate was necessary to remove cross-reactivity completely. Such absorbed antisera gave undiminished and specific fluorescence of the syncytiotrophoblast plasma membrane, and specifically precipitated two protein species with approximate relative molecular masses of 148,000 and 62,000. However, they also reacted with PHA-activated peripheral blood lymphocytes, in addition to Chang liver and HeLa cell lines. These results indicate that, even after extensive absorption, trophoblast membrane antisera may retain reactivity for determinants shared with normal and transformed adult cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":79246,"journal":{"name":"Placenta. Supplement","volume":"3 ","pages":"61-73"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18013660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Diabetes in pregnancy: a preliminary study of the pancreas, placenta and malformations in the BB Wistar rat.","authors":"C M Brownscheidle, D L Davis","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Diabetes in pregnancy was studied in a new animal model, the spontaneously diabetic BB Wistar rat. The BB rat appears to be superior to the drug-induced models for the investigation of the effects of maternal diabetes on fertility, fetal development, and placental function because the disease entity develops spontaneously, is accompanied by destructive insulitis similar to pancreatic lesions in the human condition, and is controlled to various degrees by daily insulin therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":79246,"journal":{"name":"Placenta. Supplement","volume":"3 ","pages":"203-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18013878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Detection of low levels of HCG by simple immunoassays, and clinical implications.","authors":"H L Lau, K W Lawrence, H J Hager","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Traditional, less sensitive simple immunoassays ('Placentex' and 'Pregnosis') were performed concurrently with newer, more sensitive, but simple immunoassays ('Sensitex' and a capillary tube pregnancy test) and radioimmunoassays for beta-HCG from two commercial sources (Roche Diagnostics and Monitor Science Corporation). Generally these various assays agreed, but of particular importance for the early screening of urinary HCG (prior to the first missed but expected period) was that the commercial half-unit tube test ('Sensi-tex') gave early positive results comparable to the half-unit research capillary tube test previously reported. These sensitive simple immunoassays (SSIA) may improve the management of patients very early in pregnancy and following termination of pregnancy.</p>","PeriodicalId":79246,"journal":{"name":"Placenta. Supplement","volume":"3 ","pages":"251-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"18013880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}