Umbilical artery activin A combined with other markers of hypoxia could be a useful marker of perinatal hypoxia. Concentration of activin A is significantly higher in male newborns. The mode and time of delivery have no influence on activin A concentration.

Abstract

Objectives The etiology of conotruncal heart defects (CHD) remains unknown; however relation between homocysteine, folate levels, and congenital heart disease was found. With this perspective in mind, the aim of the study was to investigate biomarkers of homosyteine metabolism pathway in mothers and their neonates with CHD. Material and Methods Forty-three pairs of mothers and their neonates with CHD and forty pairs of mothers and neonates with nonconotruncal heart defects (non-CHD) were enrolled. The control group (CG) consisted of fifty-nine pairs of mothers and their healthy neonates. For estimating the plasma total homocysteine (tHcy), serum folates, and cobalamin levels, mothers' venous blood samples and umbilical cord blood were taken in all groups. Results We observed higher tHcy levels in newborns with CHD in comparison to their mothers and to neonates with non-CHD. Cobalamin levels were significantly lower in neonates with CHD compared to other children. Folates and cobalamin levels were lower in CHD mothers compared to their children. Conclusions Elevated homocysteine levels in neonates with CHD and folate metabolism disturbances in their mothers were noticed. The observed differences in homocysteine and cobalamin levels between neonates with CHD suggest the influence of various agents disturbing homocysteine metabolic pathways.

No abstract

AB ST R ACT I N T R O D U C T I O N :The etiology of congenital heart defects (CHD) and neural tube defects (NTD) remain unknown, however, the relation between homocysteine and folate levels and congenital anomalies were found. With this perspective in mind, the aim of the study was to investigate serum biomarkers of the homocysteine metabolism pathway in neonates with CHD, newborns with NTD and their mothers. M A T E R I A L S A N D M E T H O D S :Twenty-nine pairs of mothers and their neonates with CHD as well as 18 pairs of mothers and neonates with NTD were enrolled in the study. The control group consisted of 54 pairs of mothers and their healthy neonates. To estimate the total homocysteine, serum folic acid and vitamin B 12 levels in plasma, mothers' venous blood samples and umbilical cord blood were taken in the all groups. R E S U L T S : There were significantly higher tHcy levels in the newborns with CHD compared to their mothers. The total homocysteine levels in the CHD neonates were noticeably different compared to the neonates with NTD and to the controls. The vitamin B 12 levels were similar in all the investigated neonates. Significantly lower umbilical folic acid levels in the NTD and CHD groups as compared to the controls were noticed. C O N C L U S I O N S :The observed differences in concentrations of homocysteine, folic acid and cobalamin between neonates with congenital heart and neural tube defects suggest the influence of various agents disturbing the homocysteine metabolic pathways in those children. K E Y W O R D Shomocysteine, neural tube defect, congenital heart disease, folate, cobalamin