[Modification of lipid metabolism by hPL in late pregnancy].

In the clinical study reported here, the relationship between the behavior of the serum lipids and the concentration of placental lactogen (HPL) was investigated in 107 gravidae in the last trimester. Among the patients examined there were 99 single pregnancies and eight multiple pregnancies--2x twins, 3x triplets, and 3x quadruplets. In these examinations, a significant positive correlation (p less than 0.01) was found between the HPL concentrations and the triglyceride values. Increases in HPL concentrations were associated with increasing total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol values. There was no relation to HPL values in the HDL and VLDL fraction of the cholesterol. Nor was there any relation between estrogen secretion in urine, which was measured in 42 patients, and plasma lipid concentrations. Extreme HPL values in multiple pregnancies, of more than 9 micrograms/ml, were associated with triglyceride concentrations of 383 +/- 37 mg/dl. Total cholesterol in these patients reached values of 294 +/- 19 mg/dl. These values returned to normal on the third day post partum. The mean HDL: total cholesterol ratio was 0.245 +/- 0.065 and was thus clearly above the pathognomonic limit of 0.150. The findings obtained in this study are indicative of the pronounced lipolytic potency of HPL.