Glycosaminoglycan metabolism in pregnancy.

An unselected group of pregnant patients was followed during pregnancy. Serial assays were made of maternal serum levels of hyaluronidase activity, free amino sugar and uronic acid. It was found that there was a highly significant correlation between the serum levels of hyaluronidase activity and uronic acid, both of which rose during pregnancy. In normal pregnancy the maternal serum amino sugar level showed a moderately significant correlation with length of gestation, which was not shown in abnormal pregnancies. Conversely the rise in uronic acid level with length of gestation was most signigicant in patients with complicated pregnancies.