High molecular weight adiponectin dominates in cord blood of newborns but is unaffected by pre-eclamptic pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: This study is the first to report high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin in newborns from normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancies (PE). Adiponectin is adversely related to Metabolic Syndrome-linked diseases such as obesity, dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance and hypertension. It is abundant in human plasma where it circulates as several characteristic multimeric forms of which the HMW form is the most active. As children from PE-pregnancies have a greater susceptibility to hypertensive disorders later in life, we hypothesized that adiponectin measured in cord blood could be a putative risk marker. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Cross-sectional, hospital-based study of newborns from mothers with pre-eclampsia (30 cases and 62 controls). Venous cord blood samples were collected immediately after birth and were analysed for total adiponectin and HMW adiponectin. MEASUREMENTS: Total adiponectin and HMW adiponectin were measured by commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.
RESULTS: The PE newborns showed a significantly lower gestational age (GA), total adiponectin and HMW adiponectin levels than the controls. No differences in adiponectin levels were found between case and control groups when correcting for GA. In combined groups, log (total adipo) = 0.40 + 0.027*GA; r = 0.43, P < 0.001. Furthermore, the HMW form is the dominant form of adiponectin: HMW adipo = -5.06 + 0.81*total adipo; r = 0.90, P < 0.001.
CONCLUSIONS: Adiponectin in cord blood from PE pregnancies may not be a tentative risk marker for Metabolic Syndrome-linked diseases. HMW adiponectin is the dominant form of adiponectin in cord blood. Its role during pregnancy and postnatal life should be further explored.