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S100B maternal blood levels are gestational age- and gender-dependent in healthy pregnancies
Insights
Maternal S100B protein levels during pregnancy can serve as a non-invasive indicator of fetal central nervous system (CNS) development. This study establishes a reference curve for S100B, aiding in monitoring fetal CNS health.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Obstetrics
Background:
- S100B protein is a known biomarker for fetal central nervous system (CNS) development and perinatal damage.
- Fetal CNS activity leads to increased S100B levels detectable in maternal blood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a reference curve for S100B protein concentrations in maternal blood during the second and third trimesters of healthy pregnancies.
- To provide insights into fetal CNS development, especially when traditional monitoring methods are limited.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 1213 healthy pregnancies was conducted between July 2012 and December 2014.
- Maternal blood samples were analyzed for S100B levels.
- Multiple forward stepwise regression analysis correlated S100B with gestational age, fetal gender, and delivery outcomes.
Main Results:
- S100B concentrations varied significantly with gestational age, fetal gender, and delivery mode (p<0.05).
- A significant positive correlation was observed between maternal S100B levels and gestational age at blood sampling (R=0.13; p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- The established S100B reference curve in maternal blood indicates the feasibility of non-invasive fetal CNS monitoring.
- These findings pave the way for further research into neuro-biomarker assessment via maternal blood.
Background:
S100B is a well-established biomarker of central nervous system (CNS) development and damage in the perinatal period. Because the fetal CNS induces an overproduction of S100B measurable in the maternal bloodstream we evaluated S100B protein in healthy pregnancies in order to provide a reference curve of the protein in the second and third trimesters and to provide information on CNS development when standard monitoring procedures could be silent or unavailable.
Methods:
Between July 2012 and December 2014 we conducted a prospective study in 1213 healthy pregnancies delivering healthy newborns. Maternal blood samples were collected for standard monitoring procedures and S100B assessment. S100B correlations with selected outcomes (gestational age at sampling, gender of fetus, gestational age and weight at birth, delivery mode) were calculated using multiple forward stepwise regression analysis.
Results:
S100B concentrations in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy were found to be gestational age-, gender- and delivery mode-dependent (p<0.05, for all). Multiple forward stepwise regression analysis with S100B as the dependent variable and gestational age at sampling, gender, delivery mode, gestational age and weight at birth as independent variables, showed a significant correlation between S100B and gestational age at sampling (R=0.13; p<0.001).
Conclusions:
The present findings offering a S100B protein reference curve in maternal blood suggest that non-invasive fetal CNS monitoring is becoming feasible and open the way to further research in neuro-biomarker assessment in the maternal bloodstream.
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