Objective: Asthma often complicates pregnancy and represents a risk for complications. Periostin is considered as a biomarker of asthma; however, as it also plays a role in normal gestation, pregnancy may influence circulating periostin levels. This is the first study assessing periostin in asthmatic pregnancy.
Methods: Plasma periostin levels were investigated in asthma (asthmatic non-pregnant, ANP; N = 19) and asthmatic pregnancy (AP; N = 14), compared to healthy non-pregnant controls (HNP; N = 12) and healthy pregnant women (HP; N = 17). The relationship between periostin levels and asthma control determinants was also evaluated. The diagnostic efficacy of periostin to detect uncontrolled asthma was analyzed using ROC analysis.
Results: Plasma periostin levels were similar in the HNP and ANP (55.68 [37.21-67.20] vs. 45.25 [32.67-64.55], p > 0.05), and elevated in the HP (68.81 [57.34-98.84] ng/mL, p = 0.02 vs. HNP) and AP groups (54.02 [44.30-74.94] ng/mL, p = 0.0346 vs. ANP). Periostin levels of the two pregnant groups were similar (p > 0.05). In AP women periostin correlated negatively with FEV1 (r = -0.5516) and positively with Raw (r = 0.5535; both p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Pregnancy itself increases circulating periostin levels and this elevation is detectable in asthmatic pregnancy as well. Although periostin correlates with lung function in asthmatic pregnancy, periostin as a biomarker has to be handled with caution in pregnant patients due to the influence of pregnancy on its plasma level.
Keywords: Asthma; control; periostin; pregnancy.