Maternal serum midkine level in fetal growth restriction: a case-control study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology
• Maternal-fetal medicine
• Biomarker discovery

Background:

• Idiopathic fetal growth restriction (FGR) poses significant risks to newborns.
• Identifying reliable biomarkers for FGR and its complications is crucial for improved perinatal care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare maternal serum midkine (MK) levels between pregnant women with idiopathic FGR and healthy controls.
• To evaluate the predictive value of maternal serum MK for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission in FGR pregnancies.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 144 pregnant women (72 with idiopathic FGR, 72 healthy controls).
• Maternal serum MK levels were measured and compared between groups.
• Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess MK's predictive ability for NICU admission.

Main Results:

• Maternal serum MK levels were significantly higher in the idiopathic FGR group compared to the healthy control group (0.24 ng/mL vs. 0.18 ng/mL, p<0.001).
• Higher MK levels were observed in FGR patients requiring NICU admission (0.25 ng/mL vs. 0.21 ng/mL, p=0.014).
• Serum MK demonstrated moderate predictive value for NICU admission in FGR (AUC: 0.668, sensitivity 63%, specificity 62% at a cut-off of 0.22 ng/mL).

Conclusions:

• Maternal serum MK is significantly elevated in pregnancies complicated by idiopathic FGR.
• Maternal serum MK may serve as a potential biomarker for predicting NICU admission in FGR cases.