Comparison of maternal serum Sestrin2 (SESN2) protein levels between healthy pregnancies and missed abortion cases at 7–13 weeks of gestation

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to compare maternal serum Sestrin2 levels between women diagnosed with missed abortion and those with healthy pregnancies at 7–13 weeks of gestation and to investigate the possible association between Sestrin2 levels and missed abortion.
METHODS: This prospective study included 45 pregnant women diagnosed with missed abortion and 45 healthy pregnant women who presented to the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic or emergency department of our hospital between January and June 2023. Maternal blood samples were collected to measure serum Sestrin2 levels. Demographic and clinical data, including age, body mass index (BMI), gravidity, parity, history of abortion, gestational age, chorionic localization, last menstrual period (LMP), uterine artery pulsatility index (PI), and crown–rump length (CRL), were recorded. The groups were compared in terms of these parameters.
RESULTS: The mean age and BMI of the participants were 30.52 years and 24.15 kg/m², respectively. The mean maternal serum Sestrin2 level was 787.4±504.6 ng/mL in the missed abortion group and 609.6±449.1 ng/mL in the healthy pregnancy group. The right and left uterine artery PI values were significantly higher in the missed abortion group, indicating increased vascular resistance compared with the healthy pregnancy group. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of age, gravidity, parity, history of abortion, chorionic localization, or LMP. Additionally, no significant difference was found in maternal serum Sestrin2 levels between the missed abortion and healthy control groups.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study found no significant difference in maternal serum Sestrin2 levels between women with missed abortion and those with healthy pregnancies. These findings suggest that maternal serum Sestrin2 may not play a significant role in the pathophysiology of missed abortion. Further large-scale, multidisciplinary, prospective studies are needed to confirm these results and provide more comprehensive insights into the role of Sestrin2 in early pregnancy outcomes.

Keywords: Miscarriage, missed abortion, oxidative stress, pregnancy, Sestrin2.