Maternal obesity and markers of inflammation in pregnancy

To evaluate whether obesity is associated with changes in pro-inflammatory and immunomodulatory cytokines in pregnancy.

We performed a cross-sectional study using maternal serum from the early second trimester to examine biomarkers associated with inflammation in relation to maternal body mass index (n=80 total).

Leptin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly different between groups and increased with increasing body mass index. MCP-1 was significantly increased in the morbidly obese mothers. Interleukin-2 exhibited a U-shaped relationship with body mass index; transforming growth factor-beta1 demonstrated a nonsignificant negative trend with body mass index; and the levels of hepatocyte growth factor and tumor necrosis factor-alpha did not differ appreciably between groups.

Maternal obesity in pregnancy is associated with changes in cytokines, protein hormones and acute phase proteins in the second trimester, with an increase in MCP-1 in the morbid obesity category, and an increase in Leptin and hsCRP with increasing BMI category.