Concentrations of Eight unconjugated Steroids in Human Amniotic Fluid Throughout Gestation

Since corticosteroids have been shown to be essential for fetal organ maturation, knowledge of their endogeneous levels during fetal life is fundamental. Therefore, unconjugated progesterone(P) and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone(OHP), 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) and 11-deoxycortisol(S), corticosterone(B) and cortisol(F), aldosterone(A) and cortisone(E) were simultaneously determined by specific RIAs after automated LH-20 chromatography in 54 control samples of amniotic fluid obtained at 16 to 40 weeks of pregnancy. Whereas the progestins P and OHP increased significantly (p