Abstract
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) and beta-endorphin (beta-EP) immunoreactivities were measured by high sensitive radioimmunoassay in maternal and umbilical cord plasma samples which were obtained simultaneously in 12 cases. Mean ACTH levels in cord and maternal plasma were significantly higher than those of 8 normal adults. Mean beta-EP to beta-LPH molar ratio of 0.19 in maternal plasma was different from that of cord plasma (0.13). There was no significant correlation between beta-EP levels, or between beta-LPH levels, in the paired fetal and maternal samples. These data suggest that beta-LPH and beta-EP elevate during labor and delivery in response to the stress. Beta-LPH and beta-EP in cord plasma are of fetal and/or placental origin.
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