Urinary prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha in healthy newborns, infants, children, and adults.

Radioimmunoassay with specific antibodies from the Pasteur Institute was used for urinary PGE2 and PGF2 alpha determination in 51 individuals 5 healthy newborn, 9 infants, 15 children and 22 adults. PGE2 excretion rose significantly with increasing age from 15,2 +/- 2,3 pmols/24 h in the newborn up to 940,6 +/- 101,7 pmols/24 h in adults; an even more pronounced increase of PGF2 alpha with age was observed. In infants the ratio PGE2/PGF2 alpha was higher (0,49) than in the children (0,22) but in adults it increased and reached a level of 0,67. In the latter group urinary excretion of Pgs was higher in males than in females but the ratio PGE2/PGF2 alpha was the same in both sexes.