Children born small for gestational age (SGA), defined as a birth weight and/or length
below− 2 SD score (SDS), comprise a heterogeneous group. The causes of SGA are …

Pragnancy has commonly been viewed as a cooperative interaction between a mother and
her fetus. The effects of natural selection on genes expressed in fetuses, however, may be …

GH plays a pivotal role in regulating body growth and development, which is modulated by
sex steroids. A close interplay between estrogen and GH leads to attainment of …

Postnatal growth and development of the human body and its specific organs are regulated
by a complex network of local and systemic factors which is poorly understood. This review …

I. Introduction H ETEROGENEITY of polypeptide hormones has been recognized since the
early 1970s. It stems from a variety of sources, including genetic, pretranslational …

Placenta has a wide range of functions. Some are supported by novel genes that have
evolved following gene duplication events while others require acquisition of gene …

The aim of the study was 1) to evaluate the association of maternal serum levels of placental
GH and IGF-I with fetal growth, and 2) to establish reference data for placental GH, IGF-I, and …

We previously described significant changes in GH-binding protein (GHBP) in pathological
human pregnancy. There was a substantial elevation of GHBP in cases of noninsulin …

Diabetes and gestational diabetes (GD) are areas of concern worldwide. GD can eventually
lead to serious development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) during pregnancy or worsening of …

Objective Ghrelin and GH secretagogue receptors have been found in reproductive organs,
including the placenta. The physiology of ghrelin in pregnancy has not been explored. In …