Abstract
Plasma 17α-Hydroxyprogesterone can vary considerably in the first few days of life. Bloodspot 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, plasma cortisol, plasma sodium and urinary 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, cortisol, sodium and creatinine levels were determined in 24 term and 31 preterm infants on the third, eighth and fourteenth day of life. Preterm infants, whether ‘well’ or ‘sick’ had significantly raised bloodspot 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels (up to 158 nmol/l) compared with those found in term sick or well infants (up to 18.8 nmol/l). Urinary 17α-hydroxy-progesterone/creatinine ratios were also higher in preterm infants. Plasma cortisol results showed similar ranges for term and pre-term infants, and bloodspot 17α-hydroxyprogesterone/plasma cortisol ratios for day 3 specimens correlated with the degree of prematurity. These results may be due either to immature enzyme systems in the preterm baby or to an excess of related steroids cross-reacting in the 17α-hydroxyprogesterone assay.
We propose the use of two distinct upper limits of normal of 20 nmol/l (term infants) and up to 200nmol/l (preterm infants) for the interpretation of bloodspot 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels at the end of the first week of life.
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Betts, P., Berry, J. & Wood, P. THE INTERPRETATION OF BLOODSPOT 17α -HYDROXYPROGESTERONE LEVELS IN TERM AND PRETERM NEONATES. Pediatr Res 20, 1201 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198611000-00164
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198611000-00164