Retinol binding protein as early marker of fetal growth restriction in first trimester maternal serum.
BACKGROUND
Serum retinol binding protein (RBP4) is the binding protein for retinol, being delivered into the circulation through the carrier protein transthyretin (TTR) together with thyroxin (T4). RBP4 has also been recently indicated as a new adipokine implicated in insulin resistance and metabolism regulation.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of RBP4 as early markers of fetal growth restriction (FGR) and preeclampsia (PE) in maternal serum during the first trimester of pregnancy.


METHODS
Retrospective case control study in patients between the 12th and the 14th week of gestation. RBP4, TTR and T4 concentration was assessed in maternal serum of three groups of women: 15 and 14 patients later developing respectively FGR and PE were compared with 11 patients having a normal pregnancy.


RESULTS
All women were Caucasian and the mean maternal age was 33.62 years (±5.50). RBP4 resulted lower in the FGR than in the control group (11.00 versus 16.00 µg/ml, p < 0.05) and than in the PE group (15.00 µg/ml, p = 0.075), both in bivariate and multivariate analysis. No difference was observed in TTR and T4 concentration.


CONCLUSIONS
RBP4 seems to play a role as early marker of FGR but not PE in first trimester maternal serum.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Franziskus-Hospital, Muenster, Germany. fruscal@libero.it
Arrigo
A
Fruscalzo
Anna
A
Biasioli
Ambrogio P
AP
Londero
Maria
M
Ceraudo
Giuliana
G
Stel
Serena
S
Bertozzi
Diego
D
Marchesoni
Lorenza
L
Driul
Francesco
F
Curcio
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000097:blood*; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D015415:Biomarkers; C101326:RBP4 protein, human; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma