HUMAN PLACENTAL LACTOGEN (HPL) LEVELS IN ABNORMAL PREGNANCIES

Abstract

Summary Human placental lactogen (HPL) levels in plasma were measured by a rapid radioimmunoassay in patients with pre–eclampsia, rhesus isoimmunization, diabetes and retarded intrauterine fetal growth. Patients with pre–eclampsia had lower mean plasma HPL levels than patients with normal pregnancies. In the patients with severe pre–eclampsia the mean values were usually lower than in those with mild pre–eclampsia. No intrauterine fetal deaths occurred in pre–eclamptic patients with plasma HPL values higher than 4 μg./ml. Infants of mothers with pre–eclampsia and plasma HPL values below 4.0 μMg./ml. had a high perinatal mortality, and a high incidence of low birthweights and low Apgar scores. All mothers with intrauterine fetal growth retardation had low plasma HPL values. In diabetes and rhesus isoimmunization the mean plasma HPL levels were the same as those in normal pregnancies. However, in patients who had a stillbirth due to severe rhesus isoimmunization a very sharp rise in plasma HPL values occurred before death of the fetus.