title: Maternal diet, C-reactive protein, and the outcome of pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a systemic biomarker for the inflammatory process at entry to care, with pregnancy-induced hypertension/preeclampsia, adverse outcomes of pregnancy, and the maternal diet.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random sample (N = 520) with normal glucose tolerance from a large prospective cohort study of urban, low income, minority gravidae.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During pregnancy, the highest tertile of hsCRP (range, 7.06-137.41 mg/L) was associated with significantly increased risks for early preterm delivery (<34 weeks). However, after stratification by maternal pregravid body mass index (BMI), risk for early preterm delivery <34 weeks (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] = 3.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05-12.27), and pregnancy-induced hypertension (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI = 1.03-6.86) including preeclampsia (AOR = 2.72, 95% CI = 1.08-6.85) was shown to be specific to lean women (BMI <25) with high hsCRP. Increased hsCRP was unrelated to risk among overweight and obese gravidae. We found high hsCRP to be associated with diet. After stratification by BMI, dietary differences (higher intakes of protein and cholesterol with a lower intake of carbohydrate and a higher entry dietary glycemic index) were associated with increased hsCRP only among lean gravidae and not among those who were overweight or obese.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High hsCRP is a diet-related biomarker for serious complications and poor outcome in lean women with normal glucose tolerance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Stratford, NJ 08084, USA. scholl@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Theresa O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Scholl
authors.forename: Xinhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: P Raaj
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Khusial
authors.forename: T Peter
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D020073:Gravidity; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein