Pentraxin 3 values during normal pregnancy.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Immunology
• Obstetrics

Background:

• Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is an inflammatory molecule identified as a potential early biomarker for preeclampsia.
• Pregnancy involves dynamic physiological changes, necessitating the establishment of normal reference intervals for biomarkers like PTX3.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the reference intervals for serum Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) levels during normal pregnancy.
• To characterize the longitudinal changes in PTX3 concentrations throughout gestation.

Main Methods:

• Blood samples were collected from 52 healthy pregnant individuals across various gestational periods (week 7-38, before and after delivery).
• Serum PTX3 concentrations were quantified using a sandwich ELISA technique.
• 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles were calculated for each sampling period to establish reference ranges.

Main Results:

• Serum PTX3 levels demonstrated a continuous increase as pregnancy progressed.
• The most pronounced elevation in PTX3 concentrations was observed after week 31 of gestation.
• Peak PTX3 levels were recorded immediately prior to delivery.

Conclusions:

• Normal pregnancy is associated with a progressive increase in serum PTX3 levels.
• Established reference intervals for PTX3 during pregnancy are essential for its accurate interpretation as a potential preeclampsia biomarker.
• The observed increase in PTX3 may reflect its role in pregnancy-related inflammatory processes.