title: Maternal catecholamine levels in midpregnancy and risk of preterm delivery.
abstract: Associations between stress hormones and preterm delivery have not been fully explored. In this study, pregnant women enrolled from 52 clinics in 5 Michigan communities (1998-2004) provided urine samples for 3 days (waking and bedtime) during midpregnancy. Urinary catecholamine levels (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine) were measured in a subcohort (247 preterm and 760 term deliveries), and a 3-day median value was calculated. Polytomous logistic regression models assessed relations between catecholamine quartiles (of the median) and a 4-level outcome variable (i.e., term (referent) and 3 preterm delivery subtypes: spontaneous; premature rupture of membranes; and medically indicated). Final models incorporated other relevant covariates (e.g., creatinine, demographic, behavior). The risk of spontaneous preterm delivery was increased in the highest versus lowest quartile of norepinephrine and dopamine: norepinephrine, waking (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.8, 7.9) and bedtime (AOR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.3, 4.9); dopamine, waking (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.4, 5.1) and bedtime (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.6). Adjusted odds ratios were further strengthened after removing women whose placentas showed evidence of acute infection or vascular pathology. High catecholamine levels in maternal urine may be indicative of excess stressors and/or predisposition to elevated sympathetic activation that contributes to increased risk of spontaneous preterm delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. holzman@msu.edu
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holzman
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Senagore
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Bertha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bullen
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Devos
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leece
authors.forename: Adroaldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zanella
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: Mohammad H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rahbar
authors.forename: Anjali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sapkal
mesh_terms: D002395:Catecholamines / Q000652:urine*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000652:urine*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D003404:Creatinine