Detection of neuroglobin in umbilical cord blood signals progress in perinatal medicine

TL;DR

Neuroglobin was detected in umbilical cord blood, suggesting a potential role in perinatal health and opening new research directions.

Contribution

First detection of Neuroglobin in umbilical cord blood and its correlation with hemoglobin and hematocrit.

Findings

Neuroglobin concentrations in cord blood ranged from 1.65 to 45.18 ng/mL with a mean of 18.49 ng/mL.

83.13% of babies had NGB levels above 8.4 ng/mL, a cut-off for recovery from cerebral ischemia in adults.

NGB correlated with hemoglobin and hematocrit, indicating a role in oxygen-regulated metabolism.

Abstract

To assess whether Neuroglobin could play a functional role during perinatal period and birth, it was analyzed in 83 umbilical cord blood samples where its concentration ranged between 1.65 and 45.18 ng/mL, mean 18.49 ng/mL. Although resembling concentrations previously detected in many pathologic conditions in adults, none of newborns displayed altered Apgar score and were regularly discharged in healthy status. Surprisingly, 83.13% of babies had NGB concentrations higher than the putative 8.4 ng/mL value, recently hypothesized as a prognostic cut-off between good and bad recovery from cerebral ischemia in adults. Significant Pearson correlations were observed between NGB and Hb (r = 0.368, p = 0.001), and Htc (r = 0.372, p = 0.001) confirming its physiological role in oxygen-regulated metabolic information within the child-mother dyad. Besides the direct action in regulating blood flow and gas exchange, the first NGB discovery in cord blood is discussed in relation to new perspectives in perinatal medicine.

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