Endocrine Abstracts

The production and activities of steroid hormones during pregnancy have many interesting aspects. Their synthesis and metabolism are the result of complex metabolic pathways encompassing activities in the fetus, placenta, and mother. Progesterone, estrogens, androgens and glucocorticoids all play important roles during pregnancy, from implantation to delivery. Focusing on selected steroid hormones in the peripartum period, we defined reference ranges measured using LS-MS/MS, and assessed relationships with maternal age, pregnancy weight gain, delivery type, and fetal sex. Samples were taken from 142 healthy women with physiological gravidity at the 37th week, during the first period of labor, and from newborn mixed cord blood. The local ethical committee approved the study. We found higher cortisol and 17-OH-pregnenolone plasma levels in mothers at the 37th week that carried male fetuses (P=0.03), but no significant differences in any studied hormones in newborns of different sex. Neither maternal age, weight gain nor newborn birth weight had any relationships to any of the studied hormones. However, there were differences depending on vaginal versus planned cesarean section deliveries. In women carrying a male fetus we found significantly higher levels of 17-OH-pregnenolone, progesterone, cortisol, corticosterone and significantly lower levels of estradiol in those undergoing spontaneous vaginal delivery. However, we found no significant differences in the cord blood of newborn males from either delivery type. We established reference ranges for our analysis methods, which should be useful for further studies as well as in standard clinical practice.

Acknowledgments: The study was supported by the project MH CZ - DRO (Institute of Endocrinology - EÚ, 00023761), and by the grant MH CR 17-30528 A from the Czech Health Research Council.