Blood visfatin concentrations in normal full-term pregnancies

To prospectively investigate blood visfatin concentrations during the perinatal period in normal pregnancies.

Visfatin concentrations were determined in maternal, umbilical cord (representing the foetal state) and neonatal blood on day 1 (N1) and 4 (N4).

Maternal and foetal visfatin concentrations were similar (18.83+/-4.27 and 19.35+/-4.90 ng/mL, respectively). There were significant correlations between maternal and foetal (r=0.742, p<0.001), as well as between N1 and N4 (r=0.487, p=0.029) visfatin concentrations. Foetal concentrations were significantly elevated compared to N1 (p=0.032). There was no difference between N1 and N4 concentrations. However, there was a correlation between birth weight and neonatal visfatin concentrations: there was a mean increase in N1 and N4 visfatin concentrations by 0.221 ng/mL and 0.292 ng/mL, respectively, for every unit increase in customized centile (adjusted birth weight) (p=0.021 and p=0.005, respectively). No association was found between serum visfatin concentrations and gender, parity or mode of delivery.

Expression in foetal membranes and placental transfer could be responsible for higher blood visfatin concentrations during intrauterine life. Customized centiles seem to be independent predictor variables for postnatal visfatin concentrations. This finding could be attributed to the production of visfatin in adipose tissue, a main contributor to birth weight and consequently to customized centiles.