Open AccessUmbilical cord plasma levels of growth‐arrest specific protein 6 in intrauterine growth restriction
Author(s) -
LINDQVIST PELLE G.,
BALOGH ISTWAN,
DAHLBÄCK BJÖRN
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016340903410899
Subject(s) - medicine , umbilical cord , gestational age , intrauterine growth restriction , fetus , obstetrics , pregnancy , prospective cohort study , placental insufficiency , gestation , placenta , immunology , biology , genetics
Objective . Growth arrest specific protein 6 (GAS6) is a newly discovered antiapoptotic protein related to cell survival. We hypothesized that GAS6 might be involved in the fetal adaptation to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Design . A nested case‐control study. Setting . A retrospective study of 25 small‐for‐gestational age and 36 appropriate‐for‐gestational age pregnancies. Sample . Frozen samples from cases and controls in a prospective cohort study. Methods . GAS6 was measured with an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay method in umbilical cord plasma taken immediately after delivery. Main outcome measure . Differences in GAS6 levels between pregnancies with placental insufficiency and those without. Results . GAS6 levels were significantly higher among newborns with abnormal umbilical cord Doppler tracings (19.5 ± 5.3 vs. 15.0 ± 3.2, p = 0.02). Among those with abnormal umbilical cord tracings (n = 9), the two with umbilical venous pulsations had significantly lower GAS6 levels (mean 14.4 vs. 21.1, p = 0.04) and one of them died after delivery. Conclusions . GAS6 levels are raised in IUGR fetuses and we speculate that GAS6 might be involved in the fetal adaptation to placental insufficiency.