Difference in the placental ferritin levels measured by a specific monoclonal antibody enzymoassay in preterm and term delivery.

The use of a new monoclonal antibody (MoAb) enzymoassay for the specific measurement of placental ferritin (PLF) enabled it to be quantitatively determined in the sera of pregnant women, women at full-term and preterm delivery, and in their newborns. High levels of PLF were measured in the sera of pregnant women at 17 weeks of gestation up to full-term delivery as compared with normal adult women who mostly lack PLF. The level of PLF in the serum was irrespective of the total ferritin level. In full-term newborns, PLF concentration was lower than that found in their mothers although it increased compared to healthy adults. It was further found that in the blood of women who delivered at 29-36 weeks, PLF was undetected or was very low. Accordingly their preterm infants also exhibited very low or undetectable PLF in their serum. These results suggest the possible use of PLF as a prognostic indicator in pregnancy.