Plasma amino acid alteration during teen-age pregnancy

Abstract

Plasma levels of seven essential and seven nonessential free amino acids were determined by ion exchange chromatography procedures in pooled samples obtained from 80 teen-age pregnant girls from the twelfth to fortieth weeks of gestation. All concentrations were expressed as a mole per cent plasma as well as per cent of total concentration of plasma free amino acids measured. The mean levels of 4week intervals were calculated and examined for gestational variation. Gestational changes were observed in both the essential and the nonessential amino acids when their concentrations were expressed as either absolute or relative levels.