Reduced monoamine oxidase A activity in pregnant smokers and in their newborns.
BACKGROUND
Tobacco smoking is associated with reduced monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) activity. Smoking-associated low MAOA activities in pregnancy and in newborns may have negative perinatal and postnatal consequences. We aimed to compare, in everyday clinical conditions, biomarkers of MAOA activity in smoking (SPW) and lifetime nonsmoking pregnant women (NSPW) and in cord blood and to assess the newborns' behavior during the first 48 hours of life.


METHODS
Thirty SPW and 29 NSPW in their second trimester of pregnancy were included. Plasma MAOA dependent metabolites of norepinephrine: dihydroxyphenylglycol; dopamine: homovanillic and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid; and serotonin: 5-hydroxy-indol acetic acid were measured at the end of the second trimester, at delivery, and in arterial cord blood along with plasma cotinine. The newborns' discomfort was evaluated every 8 hours by a standardized questionnaire.


RESULTS
The SPW smoked, on average, 73 cigarettes per week at the end of second trimester and 80 cigarettes per week at delivery. Mean plasma cotinine was 84 ng/mL, 105 ng/mL, and 95 ng/mL at the end of second trimester, at delivery, and in cord blood, respectively (NSPW < 10 ng/mL). Plasma markers of MAOA activity, in particular those reflecting dopamine's catabolism, were significantly lower in SPW and in the arterial cord blood of their newborns than in NSPW and their newborns. Newborns of SPW showed significantly more facial discomfort than those of NSPW.


CONCLUSIONS
Smoking is associated with MAOA inhibition in pregnant women and in their newborns at birth. Further studies are needed to estimate the behavioral significance of these findings.
Berlin
Ivan
I
Faculté de médicine,Université Paris 6, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, INSERM U894, Paris, France. ivan.berlin@psl.aphp.fr
Heilbronner
Claire
C
Georgieu
Sabine
S
Meier
Cathy
C
Launay
Jean-Marie
JM
Spreux-Varoquaux
Odile
O
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D003367:Cotinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000097:blood; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000523:psychology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D036801:Parturition / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000097:blood; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase; D003367:Cotinine; C010117:3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol; D009638:Norepinephrine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid