No abstract

Serum calcium, inorganic phosphorus and magnesium were determined in 282 Nigerian women comprising 21 3 pregnant women, 37 non-pregnant controls, and 32 postpartum women. There was very little change in the serum calcium levels throughout pregnancy; the slight reduction which occurred during the 8th and 9th months was not statistically significant. There was a significant reduction in the serum concentrations of inorganic phosphorus and magnesium during the 8th and 9th months of gestation; the levels of both minerals rose to non-pregnant levels at term.

Serum copper concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in 102 schizophrenic patients and 95 healthy control subjects. The serum copper concentrations were significantly higher in the schizophrenic patients than in the normal control subjects. The average serum copper in schizophrenic females was higher than in schizophrenic males, but the difference was not statistically significant.

Summary. Total alkaline phosphatase (AP) was measured in maternal plasma, cord plasma and placental extracts in normal and in pre‐eclamptic pregnancies. Total plasma AP was significantly elevated during the last two trimesters in normal and pre‐eclamptic pregnancies, but contrary to previous reports, both placental and bone AP isoenzymes contributed to the significant elevation of total AP in both types of pregnancy. There was no placental AP isoenzyme in cord plasma but total cord plasma AP was higher in normotensive pregnancies than in pre‐eclamptic pregnancies. Total AP concentration in placental tissue was higher in normotensive pregnancies than in pre‐eclamptic pregnancies. A correlation was established between placental weights and maternal circulating placental AP.