Neopterin Concentrations in Cord Blood: A Single-Cohort Study of Paired Samples from 541 Pregnant Women and Their Newborns

Abstract

Neopterin, a product of interferon-γ-activated monocyte-derived macrophages, is a sensitive indicator of cell-mediated immune activation (1). In humans, increased concentrations of neopterin in serum and urine have been found in various malignant disorders and autoimmune diseases as well as during allograft rejection episodes and viral infections, including HIV type 1 (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Serum neopterin concentrations have also been investigated during pregnancy and in the neonatal period (9)(10)(11). In this study, serum neopterin was measured in women with uncomplicated pregnancies, and concentrations were compared with cord-blood concentrations after delivery. A total of 541 women with a median age of 29.0 years (range, 15.5–44.3 years) who delivered at the University Hospital Innsbruck between October 1997 and July 1999 and who had all examinations during pregnancy performed at the same institution were included in the study. All of them took part in the Austrian healthcare program called “Mutter-Kind-Pass”, which is recommended to every pregnant woman and is supported by the public health system. This program includes at least five gynecologic examinations and one internal medical investigation during pregnancy. In addition, all pregnant women are tested for antibodies against rubella virus, Treponema pallidum , and Toxoplasma gondii and are screened for hepatitis B surface antigen. None of them had medical or obstetric complications. All pregnancies were uncomplicated singleton gestations that produced (with one exception) healthy term infants (290 males and 251 females), whose growth was appropriate for gestational age. In keeping with customary healthcare practice in Austria, the development of all the children was checked by medical investigations at least five times beginning with the neonatal period up to the age of …