The effect of smoking on bone metabolism: maternal and cord blood bone marker levels.
BACKGROUND
To clarify the effect of smoking on bone metabolism in the fetus, we measured osteocalcin (OC), bone isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (BALP), procollagen type 1 C-terminal propeptide (PICP) in maternal serum and umbilical cord blood.


METHODS
15 active smoker, 14 passive smoker, 15 nonsmoker women and their newborn were included in this study. OC, BALP, PICP were determined by enzyme immunoassay.


RESULTS
Of the bone markers tested only OC was different in the serum of the three groups of women. Infants of smoker women have significantly lower umbilical cord blood OC levels than those of infants from both passive smoker and nonsmoker women.(25.6 +/- 6.6, 35.8 +/- 10.4, 37.2 +/- 16.1 ng/mL respectively, p < 0.05). Infants of smoker women have significantly lower umbilical cord blood BALP levels than those of infants from nonsmoker women. (46 +/- 12, 57 +/- 15 U/L p < 0.05). All bone markers except total ALP were significantly higher in umbilical cord blood as compared to maternal blood levels (p < 0.001 for all).


CONCLUSIONS
High umbilical cord blood bone marker levels may reflect the altered bone metabolism of fetus. Moreover, chronic hypoxia due to smoking may cause the suppression of bone matrix synthesis or placental synthesis as reflected by low OC and BALP levels in umbilical cord blood of infants from smoker women.
Colak
Omer
O
Department of Biochemistry, The Medical Faculty, Osmangazi University, Eskişehir 26480, Turkey. ocolak@ogu.edu.tr
Alataş
Ozkan
O
Aydoğdu
Sultan
S
Uslu
Sema
S
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001846:Bone Development; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood; D012306:Risk; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects
D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011347:Procollagen; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; C042813:procollagen type I carboxy terminal peptide; D015675:Osteocalcin; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase