Effects of mode of delivery on maternal-neonatal plasma antioxidant status and on protein S100B serum concentrations.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of the mode of labour and delivery on total antioxidant status (TAS) and on the protein S100B serum concentrations in mothers and their newborns.


METHODS
Sixty women with normal pregnancies were divided into three groups: Group A (n = 20) with normal labour and vaginal delivery (VG), group B (n = 18) with prolonged labour+VG and group C (n = 22) with scheduled caesarean section (CS). Blood was obtained at the beginning of the labour process and immediately after delivery (pre- and post-delivery) as well as from the umbilical cord (CB). TAS and creatine kinase (CK) were measured using commercial kits. Serum S100B levels were evaluated with the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay "ECLIA" on the ROCHE ELECSYS 2010 immunoassay analyser.


RESULTS
Post-delivery, TAS levels were significantly decreased in group A and especially in group B. S100B levels were increased in group B (0.0712+/-0.02 microg/L) as compared with those of group A (0.0567+/-0.03 microg/L, p<0.01) and group C (0.038+/-0.03 microg/L, p<0.01), the levels in group C remaining practically unaltered (pre- versus post-delivery). In the newborns, S100B levels were almost 2-fold higher in group B (0.67+/-0.18 microg/L) than those in group A (0.40+/-0.05 microg/L p<0.001) and group C (0.31+/-0.04 microg/L p<0.001). A negative correlation was found between TAS and S100B protein (r = -0.61, p<0.001), the latter positively correlated to CK (r = 0.48, p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The increased S100B serum levels in the mothers of group B, post-delivery, may have been due to the long-lasting, oxidative and/or psychogenic stress. The observed remarkably high levels of S100B in the group B newborns may have been due to compressive conditions on the foetus brain during this mode of delivery.
Schulpis
K H
KH
Institute of Child Health, Research Centre, Athens, Greece.
Margeli
A
A
Akalestos
A
A
Vlachos
G D
GD
Partsinevelos
G A
GA
Papastamataki
M
M
Antsaklis
A
A
Papassotiriou
I
I
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000145:classification*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D009035:Mothers; D009321:Natural Childbirth; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000097:blood*
D000975:Antioxidants; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; C579160:S100B protein, human; D003402:Creatine Kinase