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Maternal Obesity Modulates Cord Blood Concentrations of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin-type 9 Levels

Dimitrios Rallis1,2, Aimilia Eirini Papathanasiou1, Helen Christou1

  • 1Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Journal of the Endocrine Society
|March 5, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Neonates born to overweight or obese mothers had higher cord blood PCSK9. Maternal overweight/obesity is linked to elevated proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin-type 9 (PCSK9) in newborns, indicating a potential metabolic risk.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Health
  • Maternal Health
  • Metabolic Syndrome

Background:

  • Maternal obesity and diabetes create a pro-inflammatory in utero environment.
  • Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin-type 9 (PCSK9) is influenced by inflammation and metabolic factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if cord blood PCSK9 levels are elevated in neonates born to overweight, obese, or diabetic mothers.
  • To assess the association between maternal metabolic status and neonatal PCSK9 concentrations.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of 116 full-term neonates (2010-2023).
  • Comparison of cord blood PCSK9 levels between neonates of overweight/obese mothers and non-overweight/non-obese mothers.
  • Multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for perinatal factors.

Main Results:

  • Neonates born to overweight/obese mothers had significantly higher cord blood PCSK9 concentrations (323 ng/mL vs. 270 ng/mL, P = .041).
  • No significant difference in cord blood PCSK9 was found between neonates of diabetic and non-diabetic mothers.
  • Maternal overweight/obesity was significantly associated with higher cord plasma PCSK9 (b = 50.12, P = .033) after adjustments.

Conclusions:

  • Higher cord blood PCSK9 concentrations in neonates are associated with maternal overweight/obesity.
  • Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore PCSK9's role in metabolic syndrome development in high-risk neonates.
  • Findings highlight the impact of maternal metabolic health on neonatal cardiovascular risk markers.
Abstract

Keywords:
body mass indexcardiovascular diseasegestational diabeteshypercholesterolemiametabolic syndrome

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