We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Cord Blood FGF-21 and GDF-15 Levels Are Affected by Maternal Exposure to Moderate to Severe Anemia and Malaria.
- Authors
Hjort, Line; Albrechtsen, Nicolai J Wewer; Minja, Daniel; Rasmussen, Christine; Møller, Sofie Lykke; Lusingu, John; Theander, Thor; Bygbjerg, Ib Christian; Schmiegelow, Christentze; Grunnet, Louise Groth
- Abstract
Context Anemia and malaria are global health problems affecting >50% of pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa and are associated with intrauterine growth restriction. The hormones fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) and growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) are involved in metabolic regulation and are expressed in the placenta. No studies exist on FGF-21 and GDF-15 responses to exposures of malaria and anemia in pregnancy. Objective and Methods Using a prospective, longitudinal pregnancy and birth cohort of women with an average age of 26 years from a rural region in northeastern Tanzania, we examined if FGF-21 and GDF-15 levels in maternal blood at week 33 ± 2 (n = 301) and in cord blood at birth (n = 353), were associated with anemia and malaria exposure at different time points in pregnancy and with neonatal anthropometry. Results Among mothers at gestation week 33 ± 2, lower FGF-21 levels were observed after exposure to malaria in the first trimester, but not anemia, whereas GDF-15 levels at week 33 ± 2 were not associated with malaria nor anemia. In cord blood, moderate to severe anemia at any time point in pregnancy was associated with higher levels of FGF-21, whereas malaria exposure in the third trimester was associated with lower FGF-21 levels in cord blood. Negative associations were observed between cord blood FGF-21 and GDF-15 levels and neonatal skinfold thicknesses and birthweight. Conclusion Our results suggest that moderate to severe anemia throughout pregnancy associates with higher FGF-21 levels, and malaria in last trimester associates with lower FGF-21 levels, in the neonates, thereby potentially affecting the future cardiometabolic health of the child.
- Subjects
TANZANIA; SUB-Saharan Africa; CORD blood; MATERNAL exposure; GROWTH differentiation factors; FIBROBLAST growth factors; FETAL growth retardation
- Publication
Journal of the Endocrine Society, 2023, Vol 7, Issue 10, p1
- ISSN
2472-1972
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1210/jendso/bvad120