Biomaterial Database

Amniotic fluid phospholipids and foetal lung maturation. 1988

A Zapata, and J M Hernández-García, and P de la Fuente

Biochemistry Service, La Paz Hospital, Madrid, Spain.

An analysis was made of samples of amniotic fluid from 82 pregnant women with normal pregnancies, ranging from 29 to 40 weeks of amenorrhoea. Lipid extraction was quantitative and individual phospholipids were isolated by two-dimensional chromatography. The lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio (L/S) increased significantly (t = 2.17; p less than 0.05) between 35 and 36 weeks of amenorrhoea (from 2.9 +/- 1.0 to 4.3 +/- 1.7). Phosphatidyl-glycerol (PG) was detected from 35 weeks of pregnancy, the time at which the incidence of amniotic samples with mature surfactant (L/S greater than or equal to 2.7 and presence of PG) was 9%; mature surfactant incidence increased to 55.5% at 36 weeks and 100% at 37 or more weeks. There was a good correlation between surfactant levels in amniotic fluid and new-born respiratory function.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008168	Lung	Either of the pair of organs occupying the cavity of the thorax that effect the aeration of the blood.	Lungs
D010743	Phospholipids	Lipids containing one or more phosphate groups, particularly those derived from either glycerol (phosphoglycerides see GLYCEROPHOSPHOLIPIDS) or sphingosine (SPHINGOLIPIDS). They are polar lipids that are of great importance for the structure and function of cell membranes and are the most abundant of membrane lipids, although not stored in large amounts in the system.	Phosphatides,Phospholipid
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011663	Pulmonary Surfactants	Substances and drugs that lower the SURFACE TENSION of the mucoid layer lining the PULMONARY ALVEOLI.	Surfactants, Pulmonary,Pulmonary Surfactant,Surfactant, Pulmonary
D012127	Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn	A condition of the newborn marked by DYSPNEA with CYANOSIS, heralded by such prodromal signs as dilatation of the alae nasi, expiratory grunt, and retraction of the suprasternal notch or costal margins, mostly frequently occurring in premature infants, children of diabetic mothers, and infants delivered by cesarean section, and sometimes with no apparent predisposing cause.	Infantile Respiratory Distress Syndrome,Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome,Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Infant
D005260	Female		Females
D005325	Fetal Organ Maturity	Functional competence of specific organs or body systems of the FETUS in utero.	Fetal Maturity, Functional,Functional Fetal Maturity,Maturity, Fetal Organ,Maturity, Functional Fetal,Organ Maturity, Fetal
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000653	Amniotic Fluid	A clear, yellowish liquid that envelopes the FETUS inside the sac of AMNION. In the first trimester, it is likely a transudate of maternal or fetal plasma. In the second trimester, amniotic fluid derives primarily from fetal lung and kidney. Cells or substances in this fluid can be removed for prenatal diagnostic tests (AMNIOCENTESIS).	Amniotic Fluid Index,Amniotic Fluid Indices,Amniotic Fluids,Fluid Index, Amniotic,Fluid Indices, Amniotic,Fluid, Amniotic,Fluids, Amniotic,Index, Amniotic Fluid,Indices, Amniotic Fluid