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Updated: Jun 24, 2026
The 4-vessel Sampling Approach to Integrative Studies of Human Placental Physiology In Vivo
Published on: August 2, 2017
Cord blood survivin concentrations in human full-term normal and complicated pregnancies
Ariadne Malamitsi-Puchner1, Stavroula Baka, Maria Boutsikou
1Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece. amalpu@aretaieio.uoa.gr
Background:
Survivin (a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis family) is important for fetal development, placental survival and differentiation. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and fetal macrosomia, due to maternal diabetes mellitus (DM) are associated with excessive and decreased feto-placental apoptosis, respectively. The aim was to study survivin concentrations in cord blood at term in IUGR, large-for-gestational-age (LGA, due to gestational DM) and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) pregnancies.
Patients And Methods:
Survivin concentrations were determined in 160 mixed arterio-venous cord blood samples from IUGR (n=48), LGA (n=11) and AGA (n=101) singleton full-term infants.
Results:
No significant differences in survivin concentrations in cord blood were observed between groups. The effect of birthweight, customized centile, gestational age, gender, delivery mode and parity on survivin concentrations was not significant.
Conclusion:
Survivin concentrations in cord blood at term are independent of intrauterine growth, gender, parity and delivery mode. Thus, they probably do not reflect the disturbances of feto-placental apoptosis expected in IUGR and fetal macrosomia due to gestational DM.
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