ADIPONECTIN AND RESISTIN LEVELS IN UMBILICAL SERUM OF EGYPTIAN TERM NEONATES AND RELATION TO BIRTH WEIGHT

Saad A. Mohamed*, Mohamed Zannoun, Ahmad El-Askary, Alaa Megahed and Mohamed O. Nour

ABSTRACT

Background: Optimal birth weight is an important factor for the future health of the newborns. Aberrations in fetal growth are associated with adverse health effects both in early life and in late childhood and adulthood. Fetal growth is controlled by both maternal hormones and nutrition. Adipokines, including resistin and adiponectin are known regulators of energy metabolism; although their role in the regulation of fetal growth still poorly understood. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between adiponectin and resistin with abnormalities of neonatal birth weight and to identify the correlation between these proteins and various maternal and neonatal factors. Materials and Methods: comparative controlled study included 120 full term newborns recruited from Al-Azhar University Hospital (New Damietta), during the period from January 2015 to December 2016. Included newborns were divided into 3 groups; group (I) 40 small for gestational age (SGA) newborns, group (II) 40 large for gestational age (LGA) newborns, and group (III) 40 apparently healthy appropriate for gestational age (AGA) newborns, were selected randomly. Serum umbilical cord adiponectin and resistin were measured by ELISA. Results: there was no significant difference between groups as regard to maternal age (P= 0.797), parity (P= 0.77), gestational age (P= 0.528) and BMI (P= 0.091). Umbilical cord resistin and adiponectin were significantly lower among LGA group (resistin: 16.9±1.92 ng/ml; adiponectin: 6.74±2.23 ᶙg/ml), and significantly elevated among SGA group (resistin: 23.03±3.97 ng/ml; adiponectin: 14.92±3.19 ᶙg/ml) than AGA group (resistin: 17.98±1.89 ng/ml; adiponectin: 11.04±1.91 ᶙg/ml; P < 0.001 for all). Finally, there was significant negative correlation between both resistin and adiponectin with birth weight, length and head circumference (P < 0.001 for all). Conclusion: Adiponectin and resistin might have an important role in controlling fetal growth and may be related to the occurrence of fetal macrosomia and intrauterine growth restriction.

Keywords: resistin, adiponectin, cord blood, neonates, small for gestational age, birth weight, fetal macrosomia.