PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Legge

Publications and source records attributed to M Legge.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

The use of plasma or early morning urine specimens for monitoring estrogen in non-pregnant women.

A comparison was made of estradiol in plasma and estrogen in urine of non-pregnant women. Estradiol was measured in plasma by RIA and estrogen excretion in urine was calculated from estrogen and creatine levels in early morning urine samples. There was a close correlation of values obtained by the two methods and both gave consistently low values for a woman who apparently did not ovulate. Either plasma or single urine specimens were convenient for the women and suitable for monitoring estrogen levels. These methods, which require only a single sample each day, would be especially useful when multiple samples are required.

Estrogens↗
PubMed1983

Antenatal biochemical screening to predict low birthweight infants.

Urine and plasma oestriol, plasma progesterone, human placental lactogen, beta 1-glycoprotein and serum cystyl aminopeptidase were measured at intervals during 608 pregnancies. The predictive accuracy of low values for identification of pregnancies with low birthweight outcomes was assessed for each test at various gestations. Data were analysed to obtain 10th-90th centile values for each test from 28 weeks to delivery. Groups with values under different centile levels were compared: those under the lower centiles had higher proportions but smaller absolute numbers of low birthweight infants than those under higher centiles. No test was superior to the others at all centiles and gestations. Biochemical screening of pregnant populations to identify high-risk groups for intensive fetal monitoring has limited potential. If screening is used, the definition of high-risk groups is best achieved by practical rather than statistical criteria. If monitoring facilities are available and well accepted by patients then higher centile 'cut-offs' to define fetal risk may be used than when they are not. Combining any pair of tests with values below the 10th centile did not reduce false positive and negative predictions any more than could be achieved by movement of centiles up or down for a single test.

Cystinyl Aminopeptidase↗
PubMed1981

Dark brown amniotic fluid-identification of contributing pigments.

A total of 208 second trimester amniotic fluid samples were examined visually and spectrophotometrically for pigmentation. Of these, 15 samples had dark brown colouration. Fourteen of the 15 samples had chemically detectable haemoglobin derived pigments and one had meconium only. All 15 of the pigmented amniotic fluid samples had haemoglobin A and eight also had haemoglobin F. None of the remaining 193 amniotic fluid samples contained abnormal pigmentation. Four of the pregnancies from which the dark brown amniotic fluid was obtained failed to continue to term; in three of these myoglobin was detected.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1981

Amniotic fluid fluorescence polarisation values for assessing fetal lung maturation.

The fluorescence probe 1,6, diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene was used to determine the micro-viscosity of third trimester amniotic fluid samples utilising an Aminco Bowman spectrofluorometer fitted with a polariser prism. The results were related to the lecithin sphingomyelin (L:S) ratio. A fluorescence polarisation value of 0.360 corresponded to an L:S ratio of 2.0 in uncomplicated and diabetic pregnancies. Pregnancies complicated by Rhesus disease gave significantly different fluorescence polarisation values when compared with the uncomplicated pregnancies.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1981

Plasma diamine oxidase levels in pregnancy complicated by threatened abortion.

Plasma diamine oxidase levels were assayed in 66 patients who presented with pregnancy complicated by threatened abortion. Levels within the normal range were associated with continuing pregnancies, whereas levels below the normal range were associated with subsequent abortion. Among those patients in whom gestation was greater than eight weeks, 66.6% of diamine oxidase levels correctly predicted the pregnancy outcome. Assay of the diamine oxidase levels at eight weeks of gestation or less gave little useful information.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1980

Urinary creatinine excretion during pregnancy.

Twenty-four urinary creatinine excretion was measured in pregnant women. Three groups were selected, the first were those who were normotensive throughout pregnancy and had normal fetal outcome, the second were those who developed hypertension during pregnancy with normal fetal outcome and the third group were those who had twins with normal fetal outcome. The normotensive and twin pregnancies had creatinine excretion rates which were not statistically different. The creatinine excretion rate in the hypertensive pregnancies was statistically significant when compared with the normotensive population.

Creatinine↗
PubMed1980

A study of investigations used to predict outcome of pregnancy after threatened abortion.

Sixty-nine patients who presented with threatened abortion had a number of investigations aimed at providing information with which to predict pregnancy outcome. Ultrasound examination, and measurement of plasma oestradiol and progesterone levels were all significantly more accurate in predicting the pregnancy outcome than clinical examination. Measurements of plasma levels of beta 1-glycoprotein, alpha fetoprotein (AFP), beta subunit human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), cystyl aminopeptidase, and human placental lactogen (hPL) also appeared better than clinical examination but the differences did not reach statistical significance while measurement of hCG levels in early morning urine were less accurate than clinical examination.

Abortion, Threatened↗
PubMed1979

Prenatal diagnosis using amniocentesis: the Christchurch experience.

A service for biochemical analysis of amniotic fluid has been available since 1975. A total of 186 early pregnancy samples were received, the majority were from patients at risk for chromosome abnormalities or neural tube defects. The indications for analysis and the problems related to the results are presented and the need for an established genetic counselling system with a supra-regional assay service is discussed.

Amniocentesis↗
PubMed1978

The biochemical effects of a maternal hyperalimentation during pregnancy.

Six patients each with a very low 24-hour urine oestriol excretion were infused with hypertonic dextrose and amino acids for 48 hours prior to delivery. Amniotic fluid samples were studied before and after infusion. Lecithin sphingomyelin ratios and insulin levels were increased following infusions in all patients. There was usually a fall in amniotic fluid glucose and an increase in ammonia, amino acid nitrogen and osmolality following infusions. Maternal plasma oestriol, human placental lactogen, cystyl aminopeptidase and urine oestriol excretion were unchanged during the infusions.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1977

The clinical significance of low urine oestriol values.

Urine oestriol values from 327 pregnancies with antenatal complications were measured between 30 weeks gestation and term. Mean values were much lower than those obtained from pregnancies without complications. When infants were light for dates or developed evidence of neonatal morbidity, oestriol values were more likely to have been below the normal range than in pregnancies resulting in deliveries of normal infants. There was no evidence of severe fetal jeopardy in most pregnancies with oestriol values below normal. Perinatal death was consistently predicted when urine oestriol values lay below a line joining 35 mumol/day at 30 weeks and 65 mumol/day at term.

Estriol↗