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Inhibin, Activin, and Follistatin: Observations on Their Role in the Physiology of Pregnancy

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Inhibin, Activin and Follistatin

Part of the book series: Serono Symposia USA ((SERONOSYMP))

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Abstract

Following the isolation of inhibin A and B and activins A, AB, and B (1–4), a large number of studies have defined a variety of physiological roles for these subtances that range well beyond their ability to suppress or stimulate follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion. Using radioimmunoassays that have now been shown to detect not only dimeric inhibin but products of the α-subunit, changes in inhibin secretion have been identified in a variety of pathophysiological states related to pregnancy. Following the demonstration that the human corpus luteum secreted both dimeric inhibin and free α-sub-unit products (5, 6), inhibin levels were shown to rise in conception cycles in contrast to the declining levels in nonpregnant cycles (7). Several studies have demonstrated that serum inhibin in pregnancy rose during the first trimester, plateaued in the second trimester, and rose again in the third trimester (8–11).

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Authors
  1. David M. De Kretser
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  2. James R. McFarlane
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  3. Lynda M. Foulds
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  4. Anne E. O’Connor
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  5. Takashi Yohkaichiya
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  6. Kate L. Loveland
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  7. Graham Jenkin
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology School of Medicine, The University of Tokushima, 3-18-15, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770, Japan

    Toshihiro Aono M.D., Ph.D. (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

  2. Division of Enzyme Cytology Institute for Enzyme Research, The University of Tokushima, 3-18-15, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770, Japan

    Hiromu Sugino Ph.D.

  3. The Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, The Salk Institute, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA

    Wylie W. Vale Ph.D.

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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De Kretser, D.M. et al. (1997). Inhibin, Activin, and Follistatin: Observations on Their Role in the Physiology of Pregnancy. In: Aono, T., Sugino, H., Vale, W.W. (eds) Inhibin, Activin and Follistatin. Serono Symposia USA. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1874-6_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1874-6_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7320-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-1874-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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