Human Reproduction, Vol. 16, No. 3, 574-580,
March 2001
© 2001 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Erythropoietin in monochorionic twin pregnancies in relation to twin–twin transfusion syndrome
1 University of Manchester, Academic Unit of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Reproductive Health Care, St Mary's Hospital for Women and Children, Manchester, and Imperial College School of Medicine, 2 Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Maternal & Fetal Medicine, Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's Hospital and 3 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK
Fetal erythropoietin (Epo) concentrations were studied in monochorionic (MC) twin pregnancies in relation to twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Matched maternal and fetal blood samples in utero were obtained from MC twins with TTTS (n = 15) and without TTTS (n = 6). In a second group of five sets of twin pairs with or without TTTS, immunolocalization of Epo was performed in archived paraffin wax sections of liver and kidney collected at autopsy. Epo was measured using a chemiluminescence assay and expressed as gestation independent Z-scores and given as mean ± 95% confidence intervals (CI). Fetal Epo concentrations in utero were higher in MC twins with TTTS than the non-TTTS as a group (P < 0.001). There was no difference in Epo concentrations between TTTS and non-TTTS twin pairs. Fetal Epo concentrations were correlated with pO2 in the recipient (r = 0.64; P < 0.01), donor (r = 0.64; P < 0.01) and control twins (r = 0.76; P < 0.01). Immunostaining of the fetal kidney localized Epo primarily to the cytoplasm of the proximal convoluted tubules. The intensity of staining in the kidney and liver was comparable between TTTS and non-TTTS twin pairs. Fetal Epo concentrations were higher in the TTTS than non-TTTS twin pairs and were correlated with the degree of hypoxaemia. However, Epo concentrations were comparable between donor and recipient twins, perhaps due to similar production rather than inter-twin transfusion of blood.
Key words: chorionicity/erythropoietin/TTTS/twins
4 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: St Mary's Hospital for Women and Children, Whitworth Park, Manchester M13 0JH, UK. E-mail: rekha.bajoria{at}man.ac.uk
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M.J. Raboisson, J.C. Fouron, J. Lamoureux, L. Leduc, A. Grignon, F. Proulx, and S. Gamache Early Intertwin Differences in Myocardial Performance During the Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome Circulation, November 9, 2004; 110(19): 3043 - 3048. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|