Infant birth weight and third trimester maternal plasma markers of vascular integrity: the MIREC study.

There is paucity of information on mechanisms constituting adverse birth outcomes. We assessed here the relationship between vascular integrity and adverse birth effects. Third trimester maternal plasma (n = 144) from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Study (MIREC) was analysed for vascular, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers by HPLC-fluorescence, protein array and EIA method. Analysis of the <25th and >75th percentile birth weight subgroups revealed markers associated with birth weight (ETs, MMP-9, VEGF, and 8-isoPGF-2α) and gestational age (ET-1, MMP-2, and VEGF). Mechanistic insights into adverse birth outcome pathways can be achieved by integrating information on multiple biomarkers, physiology using systems biology approach.