Cord Blood Cardiac Troponin T and Nonprotein-Bound Iron Levels in Newborns of Mild Pre-Eclamptic Mothers

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In hypoxic newborns, cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was shown to be an indicator of cardiac damage and increased levels of nonprotein-bound iron (NPBI), an indicator of increased free radical production and perinatal brain damage. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine cord blood cTnT and NPBI levels in neonates of mild pre-eclamptic mothers. METHODS: The study included 50 babies of mild pre-eclamptic mothers and 50 babies of healthy mothers. cTnT and NPBI levels were measured in cord blood. RESULTS: The mean gestational age in the pre-eclamptic and healthy groups were 36.1 +/- 3.5 and 38.1 +/- 1.9 weeks, mean birth weights were 2,456 +/- 945 and 3,059 +/- 493 g. Cord blood median cTnT level was significantly higher in the pre-eclamptic group (0.024 vs. 0.015 ng/ml). Serum cTnT in the 95th percentile was 0.047 ng/ml in the healthy group. cTnT levels of preterm babies in the pre-eclamptic group was found to be significantly higher compared to term babies in the control group (0.038 vs. 0.013 ng/ml). It could not be demonstrated whether there is a statistically significant relation between cTnT levels and respiratory distress, gestation, type of delivery, sex and birth weight. The median NPBI level was higher in the control group (3.26 vs. 1.86 micromol/l). CONCLUSIONS: Increased levels of cTnT may be a biochemical marker of cardiac involvement in babies of mild pre-eclamptic mothers. In this study, no correlation was found between cTnT levels and NPBI levels.