IMMUNOASSAY TO MONITOR EGF LEVELS IN HUMAN PREGNANCY

EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR (EGF) IS A POTENT MITOGEN FOR A VARIETY OF CELL TYPES BOTH IN VITRO AND IN VIVO. RECENT STUDIES HAVE SUGGESTED THAT EGF MAY PLAY A ROLE IN THE MAINTENANCE OF NORMAL PREGNANCY IN MICE. REMOVAL OF THE SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND OF PREGESTATIONAL MICE ATTENUATES THE NORMAL RISE IN PLASMA EGF DURING GESTATION AND REDUCES THE NUMBER OF MICE COMPLETING TERM PREGNANCY BY 50%, AN EGF REPLACEMENT THERAPY SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVES THE OUTCOME OF PREGNANCY IN THESE MICE. EGF LEVELS ARE KNOWN TO BE ELEVATED THROUGHOUT HUMAN PREGNANCY. HOWEVER, THE ROLE OF EGF EXPRESSION IN THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF FULL-TERM FETAL DEVELOPMENT IN *HUMANS HAS NOT BEEN FULLY EXPLORED. THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER *DIAGNOSTICMEASUREMENTS OF MATERNAL EGF LEVELS WILL PROVE USEFUL IN THEIDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF HIGH RISK PREGNANCIES. IN PHASE I WE WILL UTILIZE A SERIES OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES, PRODUCED PREVIOUSLY, TO DEVELOP A HIGHLY SENSITIVE IMMUNOMETRIC ASSAY FOR HUMAN *EGF. THE ASSAY WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE EGF LEVELS IN THE MATERIAL SERUM OR PLASMA OF *PREGNANT WOMEN DURING THE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD TRIMESTERS. IN PHASE II WE WILL DETERMINE *IF MATERNAL EGF LEVELS CORRELATE WITH PREGNANCY OUTCOME, PARTICULARLY IN WOMEN WITH A *HISTORY OF SPONTANEOUS ABORTION.