Studies on Scrum OestradioI‐17‐β in Normal and Hypertensive Pregnancies — Preliminary Results

Abstract

Summary: Serum oestradiol‐17‐β was measured by a radioimmunoassay method as described by Hotchkiss et al. (1971), using antiserum against 6‐oxo‐oestradiol succinyl bovine serum albumin conjugate raised in sheep. One hundred and fifty‐eight determinations of serum oestradiol were performed on normal pregnancy cases between the 30th and 42nd weeks of gestation. Serial serum oestradiols were assayed in 5 cases of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy in the third trimester. Serum oestradiol‐17‐β rose from a mean value of 12.01 ± 3.80ng./ml. (± 1 S.D.) at 30 weeks of gestation to a peak of 66.72 ± 31.39 ng./ml. (±1 S.D.) at 40 weeks. Thereafter serum oestradiol fell to 66.02 ± 26.48 ng./ml. (± 1 S.D.) at 41 weeks and 42.77 ± 18.53 ng./ml. (± 1 S.D.) at 42 weeks of gestation.In 3 out of 5 cases of severe hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, which ended in delivery of normal healthy babies, serial serum oestradiol fell within the range of values for normal pregnancy. In 2 hypertensive cases, where the babies showed evidence of intrauterine growth retardation, serial serum oestradiol values were consistently below the range of serum oestradiol for normal pregnancy. Thus serum oestradiol 17‐β could be a useful indicator of fetal well‐being in pregnancies complicated by hypertension.