Maternal plasma homocysteine levels in intrauterine growth retardation.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate a possible correlation between maternal plasma homocysteine (HC) concentrations and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).

METHODS

The patients were divided into the IUGR group and controls. The IUGR group consisted of 40 women and their newborns with birth weight <the 10th percentile for gestational age, whereas 45 infants with birth weight ≥the 10th percentile comprised the control group. Blood samples were obtained from the antecubital vein within 24 h after the delivery.

RESULTS

No significant differences between the population characteristics in the two groups were found. There was a statistically significant difference in serum concentrations of HC: 5.6 ± 1.9 µmol/L in the IUGR group and 4.6 ± 1.2 µmol/L in controls (p = 0.01). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI) and HC concentrations were discriminative markers in IUGR group. According to Pearson correlation analysis there was a possible association between HC concentrations and PI, RI and middle cerebral artery Doppler velocimetry (MCA).

CONCLUSION

Higher maternal HC concentration and lower birth weight were observed in the IUGR group as compared to the control group. We are of the opinion that maternal plasma homocysteine concentration may be a prognostic marker in intrauterine growth retardation.