title: Does preeclampsia have any adverse effect on fetal heart?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether preeclampsia causes fetal cardiac cell damage by assessing umbilical artery NT-proBNP, cardiac troponin I and homocysteine.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study with 73 fetuses between 26 and 40 weeks of gestation was performed. Thirty-three healthy mothers' fetuses were control group (Group I). While 12 mildly pre-eclamptic mothers' fetuses constituted Group II, 28 fetuses of severe pre-eclamptic mothers were Group III.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Umbilical cord mean NT-proBNP levels of Group I, II and III are 520.8 ± 404.5 pg/ml; 664.2 ± 215.9 pg/ml; and 1932.8 ± 2979.5 pg/ml, respectively (p = 0.0001). The number of neonates with NT-proBNP > 500 pg/mL that indicates severe cardiac damage is higher in Group III (p = 0.001). The mean homocysteine levels are also statistically significantly higher in Group III. Cardiac troponin I levels are not different between the groups (p = 0.46).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased NT-proBNP and homocysteine might not only indicate some degree of in-utero cardiac cell damage but also feto-placental endothelial injury in the fetuses of severe pre-eclamptic mothers. Our finding that shows no evidence of correlation between cardiac troponin I levels with cell damage and endothelial injury requires further research.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Acibadem Bodrum Hospital , Mugla , Turkey .
authors.forename: Aybala
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akil
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Yeditepe University , Istanbul , Turkey .
authors.forename: Olus
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Api
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Education and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey .
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oten Can
authors.affiliation: d Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Cekerek State Hospital , Yozgat , Turkey .
authors.forename: Sadullah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.affiliation: e Department of Biochemistry , Luleburgaz State Hospital , Kirklareli , Turkey .
authors.forename: Serif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ercan
authors.affiliation: f Department of Biochemistry , Kartal Dr Lutfi Kirdar Education and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey , and.
authors.forename: Asuman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orcun
authors.affiliation: g Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , Sakarya University , Sakarya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Unal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000378:metabolism; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D019210:Troponin I; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D006710:Homocysteine; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain
keywords: Blood marker; NT-proBNP; cardiac cell injury; fetal; fetal heart; homocysteine; neonatal; preeclampsia