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Estriol-3-Glucuronide and Estriol-16-Glucuronide in Amniotic Fluid during Normal Pregnancy^*

JUDITH SUGAR, CÉCILE DESSY, SOPHIE ALEXANDER, JEAN-JACQUES AMY, FRÉDÉRIC RODESCH and JEAN SCHWERS

Human Reproduction Research Unit, University Hospital, St.-Pierre, and the Department of Histology, School of Veterinary Medicine Brussels, Belgium

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. Jean Schwers, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hopital Erasme, route de Lennick 808,1070 Brussels, Belgium.

Estriol-3-glucuronide (E₃-3G) and estriol-16-glucuronide (E₃-I6G) have been measured in 180 samples of amniotic fluid. From the statistical analysis of the data the following conclusions were drawn. 1) For both steroids, the results had a log-normal distribution, whatever the gestational age. 2) The variance, calculated on a log basis, remained homogeneous throughout pregnancy. 3) The increase of the mean concentration of E₃-3G could be expressed by a single exponential equation, but that of E₃-I6G had a different pattern and could not be represented by such a simple equation.

At midpregnancy E₃-3G and E₃-I6G were present in the amniotic fluid in similar mean concentrations (5 ng/ml at the 16th week). That concentration increased as pregnancy progressed and reached a mean of 300 ng/ml for E₃-3G and 1150 ng/ml for E₃-I6G at 40 weeks.

The E₃ monoglucuronide concentration in amniotic fluid was not influenced by the sex of the fetus and was not correlated with fetal weight at birth or placental weight.

In clinical practice, the determination of E₃-I6G concentration in amniotic fluid could be used as an additional means of assessing fetal maturity. The following limits are suggested: <600 ng/ml, immature; 600–1000 ng/ml, borderline; and >1000, mature.

^* This work was supported by the Ford Foundation and by the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique Medicale from Belgium.

Present address: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hopital Erasgme, route de Lennick 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.

Present address: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akademisch Ziekenhuis, Laarbeeklaan 101,1090 Brussels, Belgium.

Received May 2, 1979.