IgM-antibodies against phosphorylcholine in mothers and normal or low birth weight term newborn infants.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine levels of athero-protective IgM antibodies against phosphorylcholine in mothers and term-born normal or low birth weight infants. APPROACH: Twenty three mother-infant pairs were studied, of whom 16 infants were within the normal weight range for gestational age (NGA; 3652[504] g) and 7 were small for gestational age (SGA; birth weight: 2715[255] g), the latter 75th percentile) was larger in mothers of NGA-infants (43%) vs. those of SGA-infants (0%, p = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: IgM anti-PC levels are low at birth, which suggests that these antibodies do not play a "housekeeping" role in immune function during fetal life/development, but arise predominately on exposure to external antigens after birth. Furthermore, low maternal IgM anti-PC levels may play a role in placental insufficiency, contributing to poor fetal growth and a small-for-date baby. This preliminary observation may have implications for the future risk of atherosclerosis/cardiovascular disease development in pregnant women and their offspring.