-
PloS One 2017The objective of the study was to analyse placental hormone profiles in twin pregnancies to determine if they could be used to predict preterm birth.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to analyse placental hormone profiles in twin pregnancies to determine if they could be used to predict preterm birth.
STUDY DESIGN
Progesterone, estradiol, estriol and corticotropin-releasing hormone were measured using competitive immunoassay and radioimmunoassay in serum and saliva samples of 98 women with twin pregnancies,at 3 or more gestational timepoints. Hormone profiles throughout gestation were compared between very preterm (<34 weeks; n = 8), preterm (<37 weeks; n = 40) and term (37+ weeks; n = 50) deliveries.
RESULTS
No significant differences were found between preterm and term deliveries in either absolute hormone concentrations or ratios. Estimated hormone concentrations and ratios at 26 weeks did not appear to predict preterm delivery. Salivary and serum hormone concentrations were generally poorly correlated.
CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that serial progesterone, estradiol, estriol and corticotropin-releasing hormone measurements in saliva and serum are not robust biomarkers for preterm birth in twin pregnancies.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Biomarkers; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; Estradiol; Estriol; Female; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Obstetric Labor, Premature; Placental Hormones; Predictive Value of Tests; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Pregnancy, Twin; Progesterone; Prospective Studies; Radioimmunoassay; Young Adult
PubMed: 28278220
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173732 -
Southern Medical Journal Sep 1969
Review
Topics: Animals; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry; Electrolytes; Estriol; Female; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Placenta; Placental Hormones; Placental Lactogen; Pregnancy; Pregnancy in Diabetics; Proteins
PubMed: 4898092
DOI: No ID Found -
Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology May 1998Placental growth hormone (PGH) is the product of the GH-V gene specifically expressed in the syncytiotrophoblast layer of the human placenta. PGH differs from pituitary... (Review)
Review
Placental growth hormone (PGH) is the product of the GH-V gene specifically expressed in the syncytiotrophoblast layer of the human placenta. PGH differs from pituitary growth hormone by 13 amino acids. It has high somatogenic and low lactogenic activities. Assays of PGH by specific monoclonal antibodies reveal that in the maternal circulation from 15-20 weeks up to term, PGH gradually replaces pituitary growth hormone which becomes undetectable. It is secreted by the placenta in a non-pulsatile manner. This continuous secretion appears to have important implications for physiological adjustment to gestation and especially in the control of maternal IGF1 levels. PGH secretion is inhibited by glucose in vitro and in vivo, and is significantly decreased in the maternal circulation in cases of pregnancies with intrauterine growth retardation. PGH does not appear to have a direct effect on fetal growth, as this hormone is not detectable in the fetal circulation. However the physiological role of PGH might also include a direct influence on placental development via an autocrine or paracrine mechanism as suggested by the presence of specific GH receptors in this tissue.
Topics: Cell Differentiation; Cells, Cultured; Chorionic Gonadotropin; Embryonic and Fetal Development; Female; Glucose; Growth Hormone; Humans; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; Placental Hormones; Pregnancy; Prolactin; Trophoblasts
PubMed: 9722179
DOI: 10.1016/s0303-7207(98)00040-9 -
Placenta Apr 2015Hormones have an important role in regulating fetal development. They act as environmental signals and integrate tissue growth and differentiation with relation to... (Review)
Review
Hormones have an important role in regulating fetal development. They act as environmental signals and integrate tissue growth and differentiation with relation to nutrient availability. While hormones control the developmental fate of resources available to the fetus, the actual supply of nutrients and oxygen to the fetus depends on the placenta. However, much less is known about the role of hormones in regulating placental development, even though the placenta has a wide range of hormone receptors and produces hormones itself from early in gestation. The placenta is, therefore, exposed to hormones by autocrine, paracrine and endocrine mechanisms throughout its lifespan. It is known to adapt its phenotype in response to environmental cues and fetal demand signals, particularly when there is a disparity between the fetal genetic drive for growth and the nutrient supply. These adaptive responses help to maintain fetal growth during adverse conditions and are likely to depend, at least in part, on the hormonal milieu. This review examines the endocrine regulation of placental phenotype with particular emphasis on the glucocorticoid hormones. It focuses on the availability of placental hormone receptors and on the effects of hormones on the morphology, transport capacity and endocrine function of the placenta.
Topics: Animals; Female; Fetal Development; Hormones; Humans; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Phenotype; Placenta; Placental Hormones; Placentation; Pregnancy; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear
PubMed: 25524059
DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2014.11.018 -
American Journal of Obstetrics and... Mar 2002The insulin resistance of pregnancy is considered to be mediated by human placental lactogen, but the metabolic effects of human placental growth hormone have not been...
OBJECTIVE
The insulin resistance of pregnancy is considered to be mediated by human placental lactogen, but the metabolic effects of human placental growth hormone have not been well defined. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of placental growth hormone on insulin sensitivity in vivo using transgenic mice that overexpress the human placental growth hormone gene.
STUDY DESIGN
Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed on 5 transgenic mice that overexpressed the human placental growth hormone variant gene and 6 normal littermate controls. The body composition of the mice was assessed by dual-energy radiograph absorptiometry, and free fatty acid levels were measured as a marker of lipolysis.
RESULTS
The human placental growth hormone levels in the transgenic mice were comparable to those attained in the third trimester of pregnancy. These mice were nearly twice as heavy as the control mice, and their body composition differed by a significant increase in bone density and a small decrease in percentage of body fat. Fasting insulin levels in the transgenic mice that overexpressed placental growth hormone were approximately 4-fold higher than the control mice (1.57 +/- 0.22 ng/mL vs 0.38 +/- 0.07 ng/mL; P <.001) and 7 times higher 30 minutes after glucose stimulation (4.17 +/- 0.54 ng/mL vs 0.62 +/- 0.10 ng/mL; P <.0001) with no significant difference in either fasting or postchallenge glucose levels. Insulin sensitivity was markedly decreased in the transgenic mice, as demonstrated by an insignificant decline in glucose levels after insulin injection compared with the control mice, which demonstrated more than a 65% reduction in glucose levels (P <.001).
CONCLUSION
Human placental growth hormone causes insulin resistance as manifested by fasting and postprandial hyperinsulinemia and minimal glucose lowering in response to insulin injection. Human placental growth hormone is a highly likely candidate to mediate the insulin resistance of pregnancy.
Topics: Animals; Body Composition; Body Weight; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; Glucose Tolerance Test; Growth Hormone; Humans; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Placental Hormones; Reference Values
PubMed: 11904616
DOI: 10.1067/mob.2002.121256 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2022Human placenta secretes a variety of hormones, some of them in large amounts. Their effects on maternal physiology, including the immune system, are poorly understood.... (Review)
Review
Human placenta secretes a variety of hormones, some of them in large amounts. Their effects on maternal physiology, including the immune system, are poorly understood. Not one of the protein hormones specific to human placenta occurs outside primates. Instead, laboratory and domesticated species have their own sets of placental hormones. There are nonetheless several examples of convergent evolution. Thus, horse and human have chorionic gonadotrophins with similar functions whilst pregnancy-specific glycoproteins have evolved in primates, rodents, horses, and some bats, perhaps to support invasive placentation. Placental lactogens occur in rodents and ruminants as well as primates though evolved through duplication of different genes and with functions that only partially overlap. There are also placental hormones, such as the pregnancy-associated glycoproteins of ruminants, that have no equivalent in human gestation. This review focusses on the evolution of placental hormones involved in recognition and maintenance of pregnancy, in maternal adaptations to pregnancy and lactation, and in facilitating immune tolerance of the fetal semiallograft. The contention is that knowledge gained from laboratory and domesticated mammals can translate to a better understanding of human placental endocrinology, but only if viewed in an evolutionary context.
Topics: Animals; Female; Glycoproteins; Horses; Humans; Models, Animal; Placenta; Placental Hormones; Placentation; Pregnancy; Rodentia
PubMed: 35692413
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.891927 -
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and... Feb 2021This study sought to identify the initiation of placental hormonal production as defined by the production of endogenous estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in a cohort...
PURPOSE
This study sought to identify the initiation of placental hormonal production as defined by the production of endogenous estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in a cohort of patients undergoing programmed endometrial preparation cycles with single embryo transfers resulting in live-born singletons.
METHODS
In this retrospective cohort study, patients undergoing either programmed frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) with autologous oocytes or donor egg recipient (DER) cycles with fresh embryos were screened for inclusion. Only patients who underwent a single embryo transfer, had a single gestational sac, and a resultant live-born singleton were included. All patients were treated with E2 patches and intramuscular progesterone injections. Main outcome measures were serial E2 and P4, with median values calculated for cycle days 28 (baseline), or 4w0d gestational age (GA), through 60, or 8w4d GA. The baseline cycle day (CD) 28 median value was compared to each daily median cycle day value using the Wilcoxon signed rank test.
RESULTS
A total of 696 patients, 569 using autologous oocytes in programmed FET cycles and 127 using fresh donor oocytes, from 4/2013 to 4/2019 met inclusion criteria. Serum E2 and P4 levels stayed consistent initially and then began to increase daily. Compared to baseline CD 28 E2 (415 pg/mL), the serum E2 was significantly elevated at 542 pg/mL (P < 0.001) beginning on CD 36 (5w1d GA). With respect to baseline CD 28 P4 (28.1 ng/mL), beginning on CD 48 (6w6d GA), the serum P4 was significantly elevated at 31.6 ng/mL (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
These results demonstrate that endogenous placental estradiol and progesterone production may occur by CD 36 and CD 48, respectively, earlier than traditionally thought.
Topics: Adult; Birth Rate; Corpus Luteum; Cryopreservation; Embryo Transfer; Endometrium; Female; Fertilization in Vitro; Humans; Live Birth; Oocytes; Ovulation Induction; Placental Hormones; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Rate; Progesterone
PubMed: 33392861
DOI: 10.1007/s10815-020-02049-1 -
Endocrinology Oct 2020
Topics: Animals; Female; Growth Hormone; Human Growth Hormone; Humans; Male; Mice; Placenta; Placental Hormones; Pregnancy
PubMed: 32894774
DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa147 -
Current Opinion in Endocrinology,... Dec 2011To examine the roles of the placental and pituitary hormones in the control of maternal metabolism and fetal growth. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
To examine the roles of the placental and pituitary hormones in the control of maternal metabolism and fetal growth.
RECENT FINDINGS
In addition to promoting growth of maternal tissues, placental growth hormone (GH-V) induces maternal insulin resistance and thereby facilitates the mobilization of maternal nutrients for fetal growth. Human placental lactogen (hPL) and prolactin increase maternal food intake by induction of central leptin resistance and promote maternal beta-cell expansion and insulin production to defend against the development of gestational diabetes mellitus. The effects of the lactogens are mediated by diverse signaling pathways and are potentiated by glucose. Pathologic conditions of pregnancy are associated with dysregulation of GH-V and hPL gene expression.
SUMMARY
The somatogenic and lactogenic hormones of the placenta and maternal pituitary gland integrate the metabolic adaptations of pregnancy with the demands of fetal and neonatal development. Dysregulation of placental growth hormone and/or placental lactogen in pathologic conditions of pregnancy may adversely impact fetal growth and postnatal metabolic function.
Topics: Adipokines; Female; Fetal Development; Fetus; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Insulin; Leptin; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Pituitary Gland; Placenta; Placental Hormones; Pregnancy
PubMed: 21986512
DOI: 10.1097/MED.0b013e32834c800d -
Gynecologic Oncology Feb 2015Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) involves a spectrum of abnormal proliferations arising from the placental villous trophoblast. Although the incidence is low, a...
OBJECTIVES
Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) involves a spectrum of abnormal proliferations arising from the placental villous trophoblast. Although the incidence is low, a biomarker with short serum half-life would be a major clinical advance to monitor surgical and medical treatment reducing the socioeconomic burden of multiple control visits as well as patient's anxiety. Placental growth hormone (hGH-V) plays an important role in the regulation of normal placental growth and has shown angiogenic effects. We aimed to determine by immunohistochemistry (IHC) whether hGH-V is expressed in GTD and whether it can be detected in the patient's blood for potential monitoring of surgical or medical treatment procedures.
METHODS
Tissue and sera were collected from women undergoing treatment for GTD in a tertiary care university hospital. We evaluated partial and complete hydatidiform moles, invasive moles and choriocarcinoma, n=16. Trophoblast specimens were examined by a newly developed IHC set-up for hGH-V in addition to gross morphologic and histopathological examination. Serum samples were analyzed by a highly sensitive hGH-V specific immunoassay.
RESULTS
hGH-V was localized in all entities of GTD to the syncytiotrophoblast by immunohistochemistry. Serum hGH-V was detected for the first time in GTD and was present in a high percentage of all analyzed entities.
CONCLUSIONS
hGH-V can be detected in all entities of GTD by IHC as well as by serum analysis and may therefore serve as a novel biomarker for the disease. Its clinical utility in diagnosis of GTD and monitoring surgical or medical treatment needs to be determined in further studies.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Female; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease; Human Growth Hormone; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Placental Hormones; Pregnancy
PubMed: 25448485
DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2014.11.077