[Investigations regarding the validity of estrogen-creatine quotients from morning urine compared with those from 24-hour urine in high risk pregnancies (author's transl)].

An automated method for determining total estrogen in 24-hour urine was reported. The "estrogen-creatinine quotient" was computed in order to make the results of collective errors as independent as possible. This numerical value also makes possible comparative studies of 24-hour urine and morning urine (6:00 a.m.) as well as of urine specimens taken every two hours between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. A total of 1000 analyses were made in 110 pregnant women; in addition, 82 daily profiles were studied. A high correlation was found between the E/C from 24-hour urine and from morning urine. In approximately two thirds of the cases, the deviation between morning urine and 24-hour urine did not exceed 10%. In the daily profiles, however, a wide variation in the daily rhythmn of some patients could be observed. According to our results, the determination of E/C in morning urine is well suited as a screening method for quick detection of estrogen elimination, particularly in high risk pregnancies.