Association of folic acid receptor α in maternal serum with neural tube defects
Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, vol.27, no.11, pp.1083-1087, 2014 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 27 Issue: 11
- Publication Date: 2014
- Doi Number: 10.3109/14767058.2013.849239
- Journal Name: Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Page Numbers: pp.1083-1087
- Keywords: Folate, Folic acid receptor α, Maternal serum, Neural tube defect
- Hatay Mustafa Kemal University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate whether serum folic receptor α levels are changed in women whose previous pregnancies were complicated with neural tube defects (NTDs). Methods: This was a case-control study that included 41 women as the control group who had previously had at least one healthy pregnancy and 37 women as the study group who had a previous pregnancy complicated with NTDs. Blood samples were obtained from all of the participants six weeks after the termination of pregnancy or delivery of a baby. Serum folate receptor α concentrations were analyzed using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Results: The mean concentrations of serum folate receptor α were significantly lower in the NTD cases compared to those in the control group (p=0.02). There was no significant difference in mean serum folate titers between the NTD cases and the control group (p=0.07). Conclusion: Low serum folic acid receptor α levels in the current study did not appear to be a regulatory marker of maternal folate homeostasis per se but rather a factor that contributed to the development of NTDs. © 2014 Informa UK Ltd.