Key result
Therapeutic termination of pregnancy caused a small initial fall in renin and angiotensin II levels followed by a slight increase, suggesting maternal control of the renin-angiotensin system.
Why the study?
Does therapeutic termination of pregnancy affect plasma renin and angiotensin II levels in early pregnancy?
Observational (n=9)
Does therapeutic termination of pregnancy affect plasma renin and angiotensin II levels in early pregnancy?
In early pregnancy, maternal rather than feto-placental factors appear to control the renin-angiotensin system, as termination causes only minor changes in renin and angiotensin II levels.
Minor post-termination RAS changes support maternal control in early pregnancy; hypothesis-generating for feto-placental roles later or in disease.
Plasma renin and angiotensin II levels were measured in nine patients immediately before and at half-hourly intervals in the four hours following therapeutic termination of pregnancy. There was a small fall in renin and angiotensin II levels over the first 1 to 2 hours, followed by a slight increase. The magnitude of these effects was much smaller than those previously seen following normal delivery. It is concluded that in early pregnancy maternal, rather than feto-placental, factors are controlling the renin-angiotensin system.
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Pipkin et al. (1979) conducted an observational in Pregnancy (n=9). Therapeutic termination of pregnancy was evaluated on Plasma renin and angiotensin II levels. Therapeutic termination of pregnancy caused a small initial fall in renin and angiotensin II levels followed by a slight increase, suggesting maternal control of the renin-angiotensin system.
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