Pregnancy-induced hypertension, preterm birth, and cord blood adipokine levels

Maternal hypertension may alter physiological parameters, dysregulating the release of hormones such as adipokines, thus influencing the fetal growth course. This study investigated whether hypertensive disorders of pregnancy alter cord blood adipokine levels and correlate these with anthropometric parameters in preterm infants. This is a prospective cohort study with pregnant women < 37-week gestation with and without hypertension and their offspring. Cord blood leptin, adiponectin, and ghrelin were analyzed by LUMINEX®. These adipokines were compared between the groups exposed or not to gestational hypertension using non-parametric statistical tests. The hypertensive pregnancies had significantly higher cord blood leptin (1.00 (IQR 0.67-1.20 ng/mL)) and adiponectin (18.52 (IQR 17.52-25.13 μg/mL)) levels than those without hypertension (0.07 (IQR 0.06-0.08 ng/mL) and 8.13 (IQR 6.50-8.68 μg/mL), respectively, p < 0.0001). The adipokine levels were higher in AGA and SGA infants in the exposed group for both moderate and late preterm. SGA had significantly higher ghrelin levels than the AGA infants. Ghrelin levels were negatively correlated with birth weight (r = - 0.613, p < 0.001), birth length (r = - 0.510, p < 0.001), head circumference (- 0.346, p < 0.002), and gestational age (r = - 0.612, p < 0.001).Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate an increase in adipokine levels in the cord blood of preterm newborn infants exposed to maternal hypertension. What is Known: • Clinical evidence suggests that concentration of the serum adipokines may be affected by risk of hypertension in both adults and pregnant women. • Maternal profile as hypertension alters intrauterine environment and could affect the function of fetal metabolism, impairing fetal growth. What is New: • Gestational hypertension modifies the adipokine profile, with higher rates already present at birth in cord blood samples. • Within the hypertensive group and stratifying for gestation age, ghrelin concentrations were higher in SGA newborns, both in the moderate and late preterm, compared with AGA newborns.