EVALUATION OF EARLY 2ND-TRIMESTER MATERNAL SERUM CREATINE-KINASE ISOENZYME BB AS A MARKER OF POOR PREGNANCY OUTCOME

We hypothesized that maternal serum levels of the isoenzyme creatine k inase (CK)-BB, which is highly expressed in the placenta, may be eleva ted during the early second trimester in gestations destined to delive r prematurely or of a small-for-gestational-age infant (birthweight be low 10th percentile). To test this hypothesis, we compared maternal se rum CK-BB levels and percentage of CK-BB over total CK, in 69 normal p regnancies (delivering at term of appropriate-for-gestational-age infa nts) with those of 25 cases complicated by preterm delivery at less th an or equal to 34 weeks (n = 14), of a small-for-gestational-age infan t (n = 8), or both (n = 3). No differences were present in maternal se rum CK BB levels between normal and complicated pregnancies. Moreover, no correlation was found between gestational age at delivery and CK B B levels (r = 0.03; p = 0.7).