CONTEXT No molecular biological tests are available to monitor the ongoing development of human fetuses in vivo. OBJECTIVE To determine whether cell-free fetal messenger RNA (mRNA) in amniotic fluid can be detected using oligonucleotide microarrays to study large-scale gene expression in living human fetuses, with analysis of sex, gestational age, and fetal pathology as variables. DESIGN, S...

OBJECTIVE Antibiotic administration has become part of the standard of care for patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Yet, the natural history of intrauterine infection/inflammation during antibiotic therapy remains largely unknown. This study was conducted to determine if antibiotic administration to the mother eradicates intra-amniotic infection and/or reduces the frequ...

195 amniotic fluid samples from the third trimester were examined for their content of myoglobin by means of radio-immunoassay. 151 of the samples were obtained intrapartum, the rest (44) was taken antepartum by transabdominal amniocentesis within one week prior to delivery. Depending on the myoglobin levels measured, different amniotic fluid groups were defined: (A) amniotic fluids containing ...

BACKGROUND Green-stained amniotic fluid does not always indicate that meconium was passed in utero. CASE PRESENTATION We report the case of a 2280-g Hispanic preterm female born at 32 weeks of gestation with congenital jejunal atresia. The amniotic fluid was greenish stained; the initial impression was meconium-stained amniotic fluid. Postnatal findings revealed no meconium in her rectum. The...

Objective: To determine the levels and isotypes of aCl, as well as anti beta 2 glycoprotein 1 (antiβ2GP1) antibodies in serum and amniotic fluid of pregnant patients with SLE and/or APLS, and healthy pregnant women serving as a control group. Material and Methods: We analyzed serum and amniotic fluid of pregnant patients with SLE and/or APLS, and of healthy pregnant women through ELISA. Results...

Amniotic fluid cells have been widely used in prenatal diagnosis; however, there is great heterogeneity of the cells and their origin. In this study we analyze the karyotype and release of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), human chorionic somatomammotropin (hCS), free estriol (E 3), prolactin (PRL) and progesterone (P) of amniotic fluid cells from primary cultures of six normal and two anence...

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to investigate neutrophil elastase (NE) in amniotic fluid as a potential marker for predicting pregnancy continuation. MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 34 pregnant women with bulging fetal membrane during the second trimester who underwent emergent cerclage after confirming the absence of intrauterine infection (amniotic fluid glucose ≥15 mg/dL). Amnioti...