The study objectives were to measure the concentrations of albumin, prealbumin and transferrin in amniotic fluid (AF), and to establish if these concentrations were associated with infant birth weight (BW). At St Mary's Hospital (Montreal, Quebec), 294 AF samples were collected from mothers undergoing routine amniocentesis (12-19 weeks gestation). Exclusion criteria included subjects having gestational diabetes, multiple births or fetal genetic abnormalities. AF samples were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) at 190 nm. Analysis of variance and multiple linear regressions were performed. AF prealbumin could not be detected by CE. However, ANCOVA showed that transferrin was different among BW categories. Multiple regressions showed the parameter estimates for transferrin and albumin were negative, but neither was associated with BW in our study population. In contrast, transferrin was negatively associated with BW in our LBW infants. Our study shows that 2nd trimester AF transferrin may emerge as a biomarker for poor in-utero growth.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1985. / Bibliography: leaves 103-111. / Photocopy. / Microfilm. / x, 111 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-225) / xx, 298 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Molecular and Biological Sciences, Discipline of Physiology, 2004

1 v. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1993

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Amniotic fluid (AF) is a protective pool and a resource of amino acids for the growing fetus. In study 1, we investigated if any of these AF amino acids at mid gestation were associated with fetal development in humans. Nineteen amino acids differed across birth weight percentiles. Arginine, 3-methyl histidine and tryptophan were positive predictors of birth weight, while ornithine was a negative predictor. In study 2, we used a diet induced model of IUGR to see if specific AF amino acids were predictive of fetal weight near term. Methionine and phenylalanine were modified by diet, and 12 amino acids were independently modified by gestational age, respectively. Cysteine, lysine, methionine and tyrosine were predictors of fetal weight. Thus, the AF amino acid pool is associated in animals and humans with fetal growth.

Using second trimester amniotic fluid (AF), the objectives of this study were two-fold: 1) to investigate the relationship between AF glucose and insulin levels as a predictor of macrosomia and 2) to create a risk profile for macrosomia (LGA> 90th percentile) using a combination of AF glucose and insulin concentrations. Amniotic fluid samples were obtained from non-diabetic women (n = 542) undergoing age-related amniocentesis (12th to 22nd week). AF glucose was quantified using a standard hexokinase assay and AF insulin was quantified using the Beckman Access ultrasensitive assay system. Although LGA infants were found to have significantly higher concentrations of insulin and glucose in their 2nd trimester AF, logistic regressions showed that neither alone predicted the outcome of macrosomia. However, a Bayesian two-dimensional contour map plotted the risk for LGA using both AF glucose and insulin. The two-dimensional contour map illustrated the value in considering AF glucose and insulin together to predict LGA in newborns.

To investigate the relation between amniotic fluid (amf) constituents and human fetal growth and birth weight (b.wt), amf was collected from 395 pregnant women undergoing routine amniocentesis at 14--16 weeks' gestation at the Royal Victoria (RVH), Jewish General (JGH), and St. Mary's (SMH) Hospitals. The fluid was analyzed for total protein, albumin, urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid, glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate (betaHBA), and lactate. Maternal and neonatal data were collected from a questionnaire at the time of recruitment and from medical charts post-delivery. The mean b.wt in our population was 3409 +/- 552g. Birth weight differed significantly by infant gender, maternal height (ht), and prepregnancy weight (wt), as determined by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Of the amf constituents measured, glucose showed strong evidence of being a potential predictor of b.wt, such that for each mmol/L increase in amf glucose a 119.4g increase in b.wt was observed. Lactate showed a similar but weaker tendency toward predictive value. Ongoing research is currently being done to further examine the role of human amf constituents in predicting b.wt, the goal being to develop a predictive model that would aid in preparing for and preventing aberrations in fetal growth.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1993.