Umbilical cord serum α₁-antitrypsin in infants of pre-eclamptic mothers

Summary

Serum trypsin inhibitory capacity was determined in 20 Nigerian women with pre-eclampsia and in the cord blood of their babies. Twenty other women who had spontaneous onset of labour and delivery served as controls. Trypsin inhibitory capacity was significantly lower in the cord blood of infants of pre-eclamptic mothers than in the control group (P > 0.0002). The possible immunological basis for this finding is discussed.