Maternal serum serotonin, serotonin transporter, and umbilical cord arterial serotonin levels in obese versus non-obese pregnancies

OBJECTIVE: Maternal obesity correlates with metabolic and inflammatory alterations that may affect biomarkers of the serotonin system. Serotonin is also thought to influence the fetal neurobehavioral system. This research analyzed the levels of maternal serum serotonin, maternal serum serotonin transporter (SERT), and umbilical cord arterial serotonin in obese versus non-obese pregnant women.
METHODS: Maternal serum serotonin, maternal serum serotonin transporter (SERT), and umbilical cord arterial serotonin levels were compared between obese and non-obese pregnant women. A total of pregnant women undergoing cesarean delivery were included. The levels of serotonin and SERT in maternal serum and umbilical cord arterial blood were measured, and statistical analyses were performed to compare the groups.
RESULTS: Maternal serum serotonin was higher in the obese group than in the non-obese group (440.34 [275.26–542.40] ng/mL vs 237.00 [167.05–368.36] ng/mL; p = 0.003).
Umbilical cord arterial serotonin was higher in the obese group (188.17 [101.10–243.36] ng/mL vs 118.19 [64.32–189.71] ng/mL; p = 0.019).No significant maternal serum SERT was observed.
CONCLUSION: Obese and non-obese pregnant women undergoing cesarean delivery showed differences in maternal and umbilical cord arterial serotonin levels. No significant difference was observed in maternal serum SERT levels. These findings suggest that maternal obesity affects serotonin biomarkers, which may have implications for fetal neurobehavioral development. [NCI-2025-12-9]