Serum diamine oxidase in pregnancy and in trophoblastic diseases.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Serum diamine oxidase levels are significantly elevated during normal pregnancy. In normal pregnancy the activity of this enzyme and the urinary excretion of gonadotropin are inversely related. As HCG starts to decline from the peak value, diamine oxidase appears in the blood and the level increases rapidly to high values while the HCG is declining and leveling off at a lower range. In 16 molar pregnancies the serum diamine oxidase values are comparable to those in normal pregnancy during the first trimester. In later stages of molar gestation (after the 15th week) the enzyme disappears from the blood, contrary to normal pregnancy, in which it continues to rise. In 80 other patients with trophoblastic disease, one had a significantly high diamine oxidase level similar to peak levels reached during normal pregnancy, 8 had slightly elevated serum diamine oxidase levels, and 71 had no serum diamine oxidase activity. One patient of the 5 with cancers of other than trophoblastic origin had only a slig...