Assay of amniotic phosphatidylglycerol and its prospective clinical application

From January 1985 to August 1987, 184 amniotic fluid specimens were collected from 150 cases of normal and high-risk pregnancies. Using L/S ratio as control, amniotic phosphatidylglycerol (PG) was assayed by modified method of one dimensional, twice run, thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The results were applied prospectively to clinical work. The distance of run for amniotic phospholipids was very consistent. The clinical correspondent rate was 98.67% and was not influenced by either blood or meconium staining. The false negative rate for PG was 1.33%, significantly lower than that of L/S ratio (22.62%). There was no false positive case. All reagents used except standard PG are made in China, but the amount of PG required for each test is minimal. Necessary equipment are simple and local-made. The method is simple and rapid. Therefore, it can be used in any clinical laboratory. So far such method has not been applied clinically in China for prospective study.