Urinary Neopterin Levels in the Different Stages of Pregnancy

Abstract

Background/Aims: Neopterin is a biochemical marker of activated cell-mediated immune response which increases in pathological conditions associated with cellular immune activation as well as in pregnancy where cellular immune response is predominant. The aim of this study was to determine the urinary neopterin level in each trimester of pregnancy and to determine if it can be used as a marker. Methods: 104 healthy pregnant women (mean age 22.10 ± 4.39 years; 36 in the first, 30 in the second and 38 in the third trimester) and 16 non-pregnant healthy women (mean age 20.94 ± 4.48 year) were included. Results: The mean urinary neopterin concentration of all pregnant women was higher than that of non-pregnant women (166.4 ± 31.7 and 103.1 ± 27.5 µmol/mol creatinine respectively, p < 0.01). The mean urinary neopterin levels in each trimester and non-pregnant women were 139.8 ± 49.6, 131 ± 40.2, 227.9 ± 86.5 and 103.1 ± 27.5 µmol/mol creatinine, respectively. Urinary neopterin levels were not significantly different between non-pregnant, first and second trimester groups, but were significantly higher in the third trimester than each of these groups (p < 0.05, p < 0.01 and p < 0.01 respectively). Conclusion: Urinary neopterin levels increase significantly in the third trimester probably due to more predominated cellular immunity. The pathologies causing cellular immune activation, especially in the first two trimesters can be predicted with urinary neopterin levels.