Subject(s)
Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/metabolism , Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic , Gene Regulatory Networks , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism , Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism , Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/genetics , Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/pathology , Proto-Oncogene Proteins/metabolism , Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/antagonists & inhibitors , Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/genetics , Blotting, Western , Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases/genetics , Cell Proliferation , Gene Expression Profiling , Humans , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics , Jurkat Cells , Neoplasm Proteins/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors , Proto-Oncogene Proteins/genetics , T-Cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Protein 1ABSTRACT
Plasma concentrations of immunoreactive melatonin, estradiol, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta hCG) were studied between 1000 and 1230 h in 105 Chinese females during six periods of normal pregnancy and 1-5 min after normal delivery. We have also examined the midday levels of immunoreactive melatonin in the cord blood of fetuses and plasma collected 1-5 min after and 24 h after delivery from their mothers. Concentrations of hormone immunoreactivities were determined by radioimmunoassay, and distinct fluctuations of all hormones were recorded during pregnancy. In the pregnant females, there were significant negative correlations between melatonin and estradiol, melatonin and progesterone, beta hCG and progesterone, and beta hCG and estradiol, and positive correlations between melatonin and FSH and progesterone and estradiol. Furthermore, plasma melatonin levels in the cord blood demonstrated no sex difference and were significantly lower than and correlated positively with the levels in their mothers. Our results suggest that sex steroids may inhibit and FSH may potentiate circulating melatonin levels in gravid women; changes in the levels of melatonin during pregnancy may affect the in utero development of the human embryo; and circulating melatonin in the mother may be the major source of blood melatonin in the fetus before parturition.
Subject(s)
Fetal Blood/analysis , Hormones/blood , Pregnancy/blood , Chorionic Gonadotropin/blood , Estradiol/blood , Female , Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Melatonin/blood , Postpartum Period/blood , Progesterone/blood , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
Diagnosis of trisomy 18 was made in 2 fetuses late in pregnancy. Both pregnancies were complicated by polyhydramnios coexisting with fetal growth retardation. The significance of these findings, and the advantages and limitations of late prenatal diagnosis of fetal chromosomal abnormality are discussed.
