title: Estrogen and alpha-fetoprotein levels in maternal and umbilical cord blood samples in relation to birth weight.
abstract: Birth weight has been associated with a subsequent risk of breast cancer. The present study examined associations between birth weight and pregnancy estrogens and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The concentrations of estradiol, estriol, and AFP were measured in maternal and umbilical cord blood samples from 194 women during pregnancy and at birth. Birth weight was significantly positively correlated with maternal serum estradiol and estriol levels in the 29th week (estradiol: r = 0.16, P = 0.03; estriol: r = 0.29, P = 0.001) and at delivery (estradiol: r = 0.20, P = 0.01; estriol: r = 0.41, P < 0.0001) after controlling for covariates. The umbilical cord estriol level was moderately but significantly correlated with birth weight (r = 0.15, P = 0.049). There was no significant association between umbilical cord serum estradiol and birth weight. There was no significant association between birth weight and maternal serum AFP in any gestational week. Umbilical cord AFP was significantly inversely correlated with birth weight (r = -0.16, P = 0.04). Umbilical cord AFP was unrelated to cord levels of estradiol and estriol. The data suggested a greater exposure to estriol and a lower exposure to AFP among high birth weight babies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan. chisato@cc.gifu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Chisato
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwasa
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiraki
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D014470:Umbilical Cord; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins