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Serum Pancreatic Stone Protein Reference Values in Healthy Pregnant Women: A Prospective Cohort Study
Ladina Vonzun1,2, Romana Brun1,2, Nora Gadient-Limani3
1Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital of Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 10, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
Insights
Pancreatic stone protein (PSP) levels in healthy pregnant women are comparable to the general population. This finding supports PSP as a potential biomarker for early detection of pregnancy-related diseases.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Clinical Chemistry
- Reproductive Medicine
Background:
- Pancreatic stone protein (PSP) is a biomarker for severe inflammatory and infectious diseases in non-pregnant individuals.
- Establishing pregnancy-specific reference values for PSP is crucial for its clinical application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine serum PSP reference values in healthy pregnant women.
- To compare these values with those of the general healthy population.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, single-center cohort study.
- Serum PSP levels measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 440 healthy pregnant women (singleton and multiple pregnancies).
Main Results:
- Mean PSP values were 7.9 ± 2.6 ng/mL for singletons and 9.17 ± 3.06 ng/mL for multiple pregnancies (p=0.001).
- PSP levels increased significantly from the first to the third trimester (p=0.0001).
- No correlations found between PSP values and maternal characteristics in singleton pregnancies.
Conclusions:
- Serum PSP levels in healthy pregnant women fall within the general population's reference range (4-12 ng/mL vs. 8-16 ng/mL).
- PSP shows promise as a novel biomarker for early detection of pregnancy-related conditions like chorioamnionitis.
Background:
In non-pregnant populations, pancreatic stone protein (PSP) has been reported to have a higher diagnostic performance for identifying severe inflammatory and infectious disease than other established biomarkers.
Objective:
To generate reference values for serum PSP in pregnancy and compare them to the values of the general healthy population.
Design:
A prospective cohort study.
Setting:
A single center.
Population:
Healthy women with singleton and multiple pregnancies.
Methods:
This is a prospective single-center cohort study. Between 2013 and 2021, samples of 5 mL peripheral blood were drawn from 440 healthy pregnant women. Therein, 393 cases were singletons and 47 were multiple pregnancies. Serum PSP levels were measured by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The main outcome measures were serum PSP level (ng/mL) reference values in healthy pregnant women.
Results:
The mean PSP reference values in women with singleton pregnancies were 7.9 ± 2.6 ng/mL (95% CI; 2.69-13.03 ng/mL). The PSP values in women with multiple pregnancies (9.17 ± 3.06 ng/mL (95% CI; 3.05-15.28 ng/mL)) were significantly higher (p = 0.001). The PSP values in the first trimester (6.94 ± 2.53 ng/mL) were lower compared to the second (7.42 ± 2.21 ng/mL) and third trimesters (8.33 ± 2.68 ng/mL, p = 0.0001). Subgroup analyses in singletons revealed no correlations between PSP values, maternal characteristics, and pre-existing medical conditions.
Conclusion:
The PSP values in healthy pregnant women (4-12 ng/mL) were in the range of the reference values of the general healthy population (8-16 ng/mL). This insight blazes a trail for further clinical studies on the use of PSP as a potential novel biomarker for the early detection of pregnancy-related diseases such as chorioamnionitis.
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