This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by ABE, Y. Articles by IGARASHI, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by ABE, Y. Articles by IGARASHI, M.

High Concentrations of Plasma Immunoreactive Inhibin during Normal Pregnancy in Women

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gunma University School of Medicine Maebashi 371, Japan

The plasma inhibin concentrations in 190 normal pregnant women at 5–40 weeks gestation and in 4 puerperal women were measured by a specific RIA for human inhibin. The average plasma inhibin concentrations in pregnant women throughout pregnancy (minimum, 2.25 ± 0.48 IU/mL at 17 weeks gestation; maximum, 24.15 ± 6.99 IU/mL at 39 weeks gestation) were much higher than those in nonpregnant women with a normal menstrual cycle (0.46 ± 0.04 IU/mL in the midfollicular phase and 2.02 ± 0.47 IU/mL in the midluteal phase). The inhibin concentrations were already high at 5 weeks gestation (7.54 ± 1.10 IU/mL) and rose to peak at 8–10 weeks gestation. The concentrations then decreased and remained relatively low during 14–30 weeks gestation, but rose again during the third trimester. The inhibin concentrations decreased to undetectable levels after delivery. Immunoreactive inhibin was demonstrated in the corpus luteum and term placental extracts, and the dose-response curves were parallel to an inhibin preparation from human follicular fluid. Immunoreactive inhi-bin concentrations were also high in both the umbilical vein and artery (7.77 ± 0.80 and 7.84 ± 0.78 IU/mL, respectively). These observations suggest that both the corpus luteum and placenta are likely sources of inhibin.

^* To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received October 4, 1989.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Tanaka, H. Taniyama, N. Tsunoda, C. B. Herath, R. Nakai, H. Shinbo, N. Nagamine, Y. Nambo, S.-i. Nagata, G. Watanabe, et al. Localization and Secretion of Inhibins in the Equine Fetal Ovaries Biol Reprod, January 1, 2003; 68(1): 328 - 335. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Nagamine, Y. Nambo, S.-i. Nagata, K. Nagaoka, N. Tsunoda, H. Taniyama, Y. Tanaka, A. Tohei, G. Watanabe, and K. Taya Inhibin Secretion in the Mare: Localization of Inhibin {alpha}, ßA, and ßB Subunits in the Ovary Biol Reprod, December 1, 1998; 59(6): 1392 - 1398. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				F. Petraglia, S. Luisi, C. Benedetto, M. Zonca, P. Florio, E. Casarosa, A. Volpe, S. Bernasconi, and A. R. Genazzani Changes of Dimeric Inhibin B Levels in Maternal Serum Throughout Healthy Gestation and in Women with Gestational Diseases J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 1997; 82(9): 2991 - 2995. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. M. Wallace, S. C. Riley, J. A. Crossley, S. C. Ritoe, A. Horne, M. Shade, P. M. Ellis, D. A. Aitken, and N. P. Groome Dimeric Inhibins in Amniotic Fluid, Maternal Serum, and Fetal Serum in Human Pregnancy J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 1997; 82(1): 218 - 222. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]