Plasma progesterone levels during saline-induced abortion.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Thirty-three normal, midtrimester patients were given injections of hypertonic saline, and 5 similar patients received injections of isotonic saline by intra-amniotic administration. During a 20 hr observation period plasma progesterone levels of patients treated with isotonic saline remained relatively constant, and no clinical progress was evident. In contrast, those patients receiving hypertonic saline showed a significant decrease in plasma progesterone to levels which averaged 53% below the initial value before abortion. 20α-Hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one (20α-OH-P) levels also decreased following hypertonic saline administration. These findings are consistent with earlier conclusions that progesterone withdrawal may be causally related to the physiological and clinical consequences of hypertonic saline treatment and that the effect may be mediated by a decrease in the placental biosynthesis of progesterone.