Plasma alpha 1-acid glycoprotein levels in pregnancy.

One hundred and five determinations of plasma alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (alpha 1AG) levels in 96 women with normal pregnancies were done by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed in this laboratory. Plasma alpha 1AG levels in pregnant women of all trimesters and 4-10 weeks post-partum period do not differ significantly from those obtained from healthy women of child bearing age. In nine women whose pregnancies were complicated by acute inflammation, plasma levels of alpha 1AG were significantly higher. These findings suggest that in normal pregnancy, alpha 1 AG levels in the plasma remain unchanged. But, pregnancy does not obscure alpha 1 AG response to acute inflammation.