The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics 2009 , Vol 51 , Num 2
Perinatal risk factors affecting the maternal and fetal asymmetric dimethylarginine levels
1Departments of Pediatrics, Gülhane Military Medical Academy Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
2Department of Pediatrics, Gülhane Military Medical Academy Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
3Departments of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Gülhane Military Medical Academy Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ministry of Health Etlik Maternity and Women’s Health Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
5Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey
6Emergency Medicine Laboratory of Biochemistry, Gülhane Military Medical Academy Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
Kul M, Demirkaya E, İpçioğlu OM, Karadeniz RS, Tunç T, Vurucu S, Yeşil FG, Öztin H, Çakır E. Perinatal risk factors affecting the maternal and fetal asymmetric dimethylarginine levels. Turk J Pediatr 2009; 51: 141-145.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between maternal risk factors, neonatal demographic features and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels in a randomly selected group of pregnancies during delivery.

The subjects were categorized into five groups as having: no maternal risk factor, maternal hypertension, gestational diabetes, maternal smoking history, and meconium staining. Blood samples were taken from the mothers before delivery and from the umbilical vein after delivery.

Mean ADMA levels were significantly lower in the cord blood when compared with maternal levels in all groups. Mean ADMA level of neonates in the meconium staining group was found to be significantly higher than in the other groups (p<0.001). Maternal age, delivery type, parity and sex did not show any effect on cord blood ADMA levels.

Overall, umbilical vein ADMA levels are modulated independent of several maternal features and risk factors. Although these factors are interrelated and it is difficult to interpret the relevant data separately, the most significant factor affecting umbilical vein ADMA levels seems to be perinatal hypoxia as in the case of meconium staining. Keywords : asymmetric dimethylarginine, cord blood, hypoxia, meconium, perinatal risk factors

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