Document Type : Original Article(s)
Authors
1 Department of Pharmacology, Medical Physics, and Clinical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq
2 Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq
Abstract
Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a multisystem disorder of unknown cause, leading to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to measure the inflammatory biomarkers alpha1-acid glycoprotein (α1-AGP) and protein-bound hexose (PBH) in the maternal circulation of women with PE and normotensive pregnant women, as well as in postnatal umbilical cord blood, to compare levels between groups and assess their association with PE.
Methods: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted from June 2024 to July 2025 at the Maternity Teaching Hospital in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, including 104 preeclamptic and 99 normotensive pregnant women. Maternal and postnatal umbilical cord α1-AGP levels were measured using a BiotecSunlong ELISA kit (cut-off: 71.3 and 50.64 ng/mL, respectively), while PBH was measured using the orcinol colorimetric method (cut-off: 111 and 67.36 mg/dL, respectively).
Results: Maternal α1-AGP and PBH levels were significantly higher in preeclamptic women (P<0.001). In postnatal umbilical cord blood, α1-AGP was elevated in PE, while PBH showed no significant difference. Maternal and postnatal α1-AGP demonstrated a moderate positive correlation (ρ=0.522, P<0.001), whereas PBH showed a weak correlation (ρ=0.242, P=0.016). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated excellent discrimination between groups, with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 1.00 for maternal α1-AGP and 0.964 for maternal PBH.
Conclusion: Maternal α1-AGP and PBH are significantly elevated in preeclampsia, with α1-AGP also higher in postnatal umbilical cord blood. The high AUC supports their relevance as biomarkers of maternal and postnatal inflammation in PE.
Highlights
Jian Hussein (Google Scholar)
Keywords
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