al-Zaid N S, Gumaa K A, Bou-Resli M N, Ibrahim M E
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University.
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1988;67(4):291-5.
Collagen from the chorioamnion units from premature and term pregnancies was solubilized by limited pepsin digestion and subjected to SDS-PAG electrophoresis. Collagen types were quantitated by densitometry. It was found that collagen type III decreases and collagen type V tends to increase as gestational age advances. Investigating the relative abundance of collagen types at various membrane sites from term pregnancies revealed that type V decreases in the amnion as the rupture site is approached. It is concluded that since type V collagen is more resistant to collagenases, its decrease may predispose that particular site to rupture.
