Sex steroid receptors and human parturition

Objective To investigate the correlation between sex steroid hormones and their receptors during normal and dysfunctional labor. Methods Myometrial and decidual biopsies along with maternal and cord blood samples were taken from women with or without labor activity. Estrogen and progesterone receptor contents in myometrium and decidua were determined by enzyme immunoassay, and hormone concentrations were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. Results In the lower segment of the uterus, the progesterone receptor concentrations of myometrium were significantly lower in oxytocin-resistant dystocia compared with those of normal labor and before labor ( P P P P Conclusion hese data suggest that, in the human, 1) oxytocin-resistant labor is associated with low levels of progesterone receptors, 2) estrogen receptors content in myometrium might have no or little relation to labor, and 3) functional labor seems not to be related to a decreased progesterone activity in the myometrium.