Effects of delivery on maternal & neonatal irisin levels in normal and preeclamptic pregnant women

Study objective: The aim of this work was to measure the irisin levels in maternal and umbilical cord serums at cesarean section and vaginal delivery. Study design: This is a case-control study conducted at the Obstetric Department of the Mansoura University Hospital, Mansoura University, Egypt. Material and methods: The 150 nulliparous cases were divided into three groups. Main outcome measure: Serum irisin concentrations were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Statistical analysis: Unpaired t-test and correlation were done by using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). Results: The maternal irisin levels in cases with mild preeclampsia were found to be significantly lower than that of the normal cases. In cases with mild preeclampsia, the maternal irisin levels early in labor for vaginal deliveries were significantly higher than that during cesarean section. The maternal irisin levels after vaginal deliveries were significantly higher than the levels early in labor. The maternal serum irisin was a significantly correlated with the duration of the first stage. The umbilical cord serum irisin levels were significantly correlated with the neonatal weight and with the duration of the first stage of labor. Major conclusion: Labor is a strong stimulus to the release of irisin into the maternal and fetal circulations. Neonatal serum irisin levels are positively correlated with the birth weight and with the duration of the first stage. The neonatal birth weight and the duration of the first stage of labor are positively correlated with the umbilical cord serum irisin levels.