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Updated: May 27, 2026

Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
Maternal serum protein S forms in pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction
Maria De Bonis1, Laura Sabatini, Luna R Galeazzi
1Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Objectives:
The clinical relevance of protein S deficiency in pregnant women remains controversial. Major debate exists regarding which parameter (total protein S antigen, free protein S antigen or functional protein S) should be evaluated in order to define protein S deficiency. The present study aimed to identify which of these parameters correlate with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
Study Design:
A retrospective case-control study of women with IUGR (n=27) and healthy controls (n=123) in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Results:
The maternal serum of women in the IUGR group had significantly lower levels of functional and free protein S compared with the control group: 54.07 ± 24.72% vs 65.20 ± 17.95% (p<0.005) and 42.88 ± 11.01% vs 56.64 ± 13.30% (p<0.0001), respectively. No significant correlation was found between total protein S and IUGR.
Conclusions:
Levels of functional and free protein S are correlated with IUGR.
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