Biomaterial Database

[Enzymatic determination of lecithin concentration in the amniotic fluid for antepartal determination of fetal lung maturity]. 1986

U Lorenz, and F Kubli

An enzymatic method of determining the lecithin concentration in the amniotic fluid is compared with the present standard method of antepartal determination of fetal lung maturity, i.e., determination of the lecithin-sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio. A total of 320 amniotic fluid samples, of which 154 were obtained within the 72 hours preceding birth, were studied by both methods. Simultaneously with the rise in the L/S ratio in the amniotic fluid there is a rise in the enzymatically determined lecithin concentration in the last quarter of pregnancy. The critical threshold value for RDS risk of 2 for the L/S ratio corresponds to a threshold value of 5 mg/100 ml amniotic fluid for the enzymatically analyzed lecithin concentration. Established lung maturity can be demonstrated with the same degree of confidence as by using the L/S ratio. The specificity of the both methods is 91%. It is at least as easily possible to predict the likelihood of respiratory distress syndrome by determining the enzymatic lecithin concentration (11 out of 15 cases) as by means of the L/S ratio (9 out of 15). In order to improve the sensitivity (L/S ratio 60%, enzymatic lecithin determination 73%) it would be necessary to perform an additional analysis-e.g., of phosphatidylglycerol-in the amniotic fluid.

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
D007752	Obstetric Labor, Premature	Onset of OBSTETRIC LABOR before term (TERM BIRTH) but usually after the FETUS has become viable. In humans, it occurs sometime during the 29th through 38th week of PREGNANCY. TOCOLYSIS inhibits premature labor and can prevent the BIRTH of premature infants (INFANT, PREMATURE).	Preterm Labor,Labor, Premature,Premature Labor,Premature Obstetric Labor,Labor, Premature Obstetric,Labor, Preterm
D008168	Lung	Either of the pair of organs occupying the cavity of the thorax that effect the aeration of the blood.	Lungs
D010713	Phosphatidylcholines	Derivatives of PHOSPHATIDIC ACIDS in which the phosphoric acid is bound in ester linkage to a CHOLINE moiety.	Choline Phosphoglycerides,Choline Glycerophospholipids,Phosphatidyl Choline,Phosphatidyl Cholines,Phosphatidylcholine,Choline, Phosphatidyl,Cholines, Phosphatidyl,Glycerophospholipids, Choline,Phosphoglycerides, Choline
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
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
D005865	Gestational Age	The age of the conceptus, beginning from the time of FERTILIZATION. In clinical obstetrics, the gestational age is often estimated from the onset of the last MENSTRUATION which is about 2 weeks before OVULATION and fertilization. It is also estimated to begin from fertilization, estrus, coitus, or artificial insemination.	Embryologic Age,Fetal Maturity, Chronologic,Chronologic Fetal Maturity,Fetal Age,Maturity, Chronologic Fetal,Age, Embryologic,Age, Fetal,Age, Gestational,Ages, Embryologic,Ages, Fetal,Ages, Gestational,Embryologic Ages,Fetal Ages,Gestational Ages
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man