Evaluating pentraxin-3 and hypersensitivity CRP expression in obese pregnancies

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Biochemistry
• Immunology

Background:

• Obesity in pregnancy is associated with increased inflammatory markers.
• Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) and hypersensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are emerging inflammatory biomarkers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the correlation between serum PTX3 and hs-CRP levels and obesity in pregnant women.
• To assess the utility of PTX3 and hs-CRP as inflammatory biomarkers in obese pregnancies.

Main Methods:

• Nested case-control study involving 160 pregnant women (80 obese, 80 control).
• Measurements included body mass index (BMI), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and serum PTX3 and hs-CRP levels via ELISA.
• Data collected in the first, second, and third trimesters.

Main Results:

• Both PTX3 and hs-CRP levels increased with gestational age in all participants.
• Obese pregnant women (OBE) showed significantly higher hs-CRP in the second trimester and PTX3 in the third trimester compared to controls (CON).
• PTX3 positively correlated with hs-CRP, BMI, fasting plasma glucose, and HOMA-IR in the obese group.

Conclusions:

• Serum PTX3 and hs-CRP levels rise with gestational age during pregnancy.
• PTX3 expression is linked to BMI, confirming an inflammatory response in obese pregnant women.
• These markers may serve as valuable indicators of inflammation in pregnancy-related obesity.