title: Cardiac troponin T and amino-terminal pro-natriuretic peptide concentrations in fetuses in the second trimester and in healthy neonates.
abstract: We measured the concentrations of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and amino-terminal pro-natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in umbilical cord blood during the second trimester (20-25 weeks of gestation) and at delivery in 109 uncomplicated pregnancies to define reference values. Using the 97.5th percentile, the upper reference limits for cTnT and NT-proBNP were 0.308 ng/mL and 5402 pg/mL in fetuses in the second trimester, and 0.038 ng/mL and 1690 pg/mL in healthy neonates, respectively. We also evaluated whether labor and delivery mode affected the concentrations of the two analytes. We found significantly higher (p<0.001) umbilical blood NT-proBNP and cTnT levels at 20-25 weeks of gestation than at term. In addition, within the term group, NT-proBNP concentrations were significantly higher in women delivering by elective cesarean section than in women delivering spontaneously (p<0.001), and higher than in women delivering by cesarean section during active labor. This indicates that the decrease in NT-proBNP levels is probably due to labor rather than delivery mode. Finally, we confirmed the at-birth reference values previously established for cTnT and NT-proBNP.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy. fortunat@unina.it
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fortunato
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carandente Giarrusso
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sglavo
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vassallo
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tomeo
authors.forename: Michelangelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paladini
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D045265:Natriuretic Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D045265:Natriuretic Peptides; D020107:Troponin T