Abstract
To evaluate fetoplacental and adrenocortical functions of the PI at birth and during postnatal adaptation, plasma aldosterone(Aldo), corticosterone(B), 11-deoxycorticosterone(DOC), progesterone(P), 17-hydroxyprogesterone(170HP), 11-deoxycortisol(S), cortisol(F) and cortisone(E) were simultaneously followed in 8 PI of 33-36 weeks gest. age. Multi-steroid analysis was done by specific RIAs after extraction and automated LH-20 gel chromatography of a 250 μl sample obtained from umbilical vein(UV) and artery(UA), and at 2,6,12,24,48 h and 4,7,10 and 14d after birth. In comparison with 12 term infants (TI), mean Aldo was 2-5 times lower in PI than in TI (P<0.01) from UV until 7d, but also showed the marked postnatal rise from 0.54 ng/ml in UA to 1.10 ng/ml at 12h. Similarly, the 2nd MC, DOC, dropping by over 200-fold from 9.8 (UV) to 0.05 (14d) ng/ml, showed lower mean levels in PI than in TI from 2h (p<0.001) until day 7. The active GCs B and F were at birth (UV,UA,2h) slightly lower, but later on higher (6h: P<0.01) in PI, whereas the inactive GCs S and E showed less variation with levels still elevated after 24 h. In comparison with TI, P levels in UV were higher (P<0.01) and after birth lower, while mean 17OHP (6h→7d) was signif. higher in the PI group. The data suggest a higher fetoplacental and fetocortical activity and possibly a less stressful delivery but more stressful postnatal adaptation in PI than in TI.
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Sippell, W., Dörr, H., Versmold, H. et al. Longitudinal study of 8 plasma mineralocorticoids(MC), glucocorticoids(GC) and progestins in premature infants (PI) at birth and during the neonatal period. Pediatr Res 15, 1549 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198112000-00087
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198112000-00087