Evaluation of the level of antibodies and complement proteins in the umbilical cord and their match maternal blood

Background and Objective: Humoral immunity including complement system and antibodies has a fundamental role in early defense and long-term protection against a broad spectrum of infectious agents. Although, the neonate is unable to produce different classes of antibodies but this defect is compensated by the transmission of pathogen-specific antibodies (IgG) through the placenta and breast milk during infancy (IgA). The data about the effect of the maternal immune system on the level of neonatal humoral system and other parameters are scarce and this study aimed to evaluate the level of different classes of antibodies as well as C۳, C۴, and C۱inhibitor in both maternal and cord blood samples.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on pregnant women who were admitted to Valiasr Hospital at Birjand city. The study was approved by the ethics committee of Birjand University of Medical Sciences with the ethics code IR.BUMS.REC.۱۳۹۹.۲۹۰ and a consent form was obtained from all participants. Before delivery, five milliliters of venous blood were taken from the mother and after delivery ۱۰ milliliters of umbilical cord blood was collected and serum was separated from both samples. Demographic data about the mother and newborn baby were collected by a questionnaire. The level of antibodies and complement proteins in serum samples was measured by commercial immunonephelometric kits.Findings: In total ۶۲ mothers (Mean age: ۲۷.۴ ± ۶.۰ years) were enrolled in this study. Among ۶۲ neonates, ۵۶.۵% were female. The mean level of IgG, IgA, and IgM in maternal blood were ۷.۵, ۱.۸, and ۱.۶, respectively. The mean level of cord blood IgG was significantly higher than the maternal level (۹.۲ vs. ۷.۲, P =۰.۰۰۶). In case of C۳, C۴ and C۱inh, the mean level was ۱.۷, ۰.۴ and ۰.۶ for maternal blood and ۰.۸, ۰.۱ and ۰.۲ for cord blood samples (P <۰۰۱, P <۰.۰۰۱ and P =۰۲۶, respectively). IgA and IgG antibody titers were significantly higher in addicted women than in others (P =۰.۰۲۵ and P =۰.۰۰۸, respectively). There was no significant relationship between the level of antibodies and complement proteins of the blood cord with the sex and weight of infants. The mean C۱inh titer in cord blood of neonates whose mothers were infected was significantly lower than other neonates (۰.۱ vs. ۰.۳, P =۰.۰۲۳). Titers of the components of the complement system in the umbilical cord of preterm and term infants were not statistically different.Conclusions: There was a significant relationship between the level of antibodies and complement proteins in maternal serum and cord blood. The results of this study showed that maternal addiction and infection affected the level of antibodies (IgA and IgG) and C۱inh in cord blood

کلیدواژه ها:

Complement system ، Cord blood ، Immunoglobulins