J. Campbell et al., THE CELOMIC CAVITY - AN IMPORTANT SITE OF MATERNO FETAL NUTRIENT EXCHANGE IN THE 1ST TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY, British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology, 100(8), 1993, pp. 765-767
Objective To measure levels of folate and vitamin B12 in matched sampl
es of amniotic fluid and extra-embryonic coelomic fluid from 9 to 12 w
eeks' gestation.Design Prospective observational study. Setting Homert
on Hospital, London. Subjects Twenty-two women with ultrasonographical
ly normal pregnancies before surgical termination. Methods Transvagina
l ultrasound-guided needle aspiration of amniotic fluid and extra-embr
yonic coelomic fluid was performed. Pure samples of amniotic fluid and
extra-embyronic coelomic fluid were obtained from each pregnancy, and
folate and vitamin B12 were measured using microbiological assays. Re
sults Levels of folate and vitamin B12 were higher in extra-embyronic
coelomic fluid than in amniotic fluid and maternal serum. Amniotic flu
id folate levels were lower than in maternal serum whereas vitamin B12
levels in amniotic fluid were higher than in maternal serum. All diff
erences in concentration were significant (P<0.0005; paired t-test). P
ositive correlations were found between the concentrations of folate a
nd vitamin B12 in each fluid. There was a linear correlation between g
estational age and amniotic fluid folate levels (r = 0.648: P = 0.001)
. Conclusions High concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 in coelomi
c fluid suggest that the coelomic cavity plays an important role in th
e materno-fetal exchange of these nutrients.