[Excessive rise in plasma alkaline phosphatase in the last trimester of pregnancy].

This article is concerned with the increase of alkaline phosphatase of a 32-year old primipara, five to six times higher than the upper basal values, during the last trimenon of pregnancy. The physiological increase of serum total alkaline phosphatase levels during pregnancy were two to three times higher than the basal values (4, 11). Hepatopathies, osteopathies, endocrinological disorders, infections as well as other medical causes were excluded by anamnesis due to close-meshed laboratory chemical and clinical controls relating to differential diagnosis. Thus, only pregnancy could be considered as a trigger mechanism. Differentiating the alkaline phosphatase by laboratory chemical means in the course of this pregnancy, an isolated increase of the alkaline phosphatase placenta isoenzyme (PLAP) was seen. Besides premature labour pains, which led to the admission of the patient to the maternity ward, around a calculated 32nd week of pregnancy, a discreet foetal growth retardation was recognised, which continued to increase constantly up to a minus discrepancy of three weeks. The delivery of a dystrophic girl took place at the beginning of the 37th week of pregnancy. Post partum alkaline phosphatase levels normalised to basal values. The correlation: the increase in PLAP and intra-uterine foetal growth-retardation was evident in the case presented and was also discussed in connection with previous observations by other authors of similar studies.