Autoantibodies to folate receptor alpha during early pregnancy and risk of oral clefts in Denmark.
The objective of this study was to determine whether IgG and IgM autoantibodies to folate receptor alpha (FRalpha) in pregnant women are associated with an increased risk of oral cleft-affected offspring. A case-control study nested in the prospective Danish National Birth Cohort (100,418 pregnancies, enrolled during 1997-2003) was done. Hundred eighty-five children were born with an oral cleft. Maternal serum from their mothers (cases) was compared with maternal serum from 779 randomly selected mothers of nonmalformed children (controls). We found that the average level of FRalpha IgG autoantibodies did not differ significantly among cases and controls (p = 0.71). Slightly higher levels of FRalpha IgM autoantibodies were found among controls compared with cases. This was, however, not statistically significant (p = 0.06), except for mothers of children with isolated cleft lip (p = 0.04). Blocking of folate binding to FR was similar among cases and controls (p = 0.54). The results did not change when stratifying into the cleft subgroups, nor when only isolated oral cleft cases were considered. In conclusion, high maternal autoantibody levels and blocking of folate binding to FRalpha in maternal serum during pregnancy are not associated with an increased risk of oral clefts in the offspring in this population-based cohort.
Bille
Camilla
C
Division of epidemiology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, Denmark. cbille@health.sdu.dk
Pedersen
Dorthe Almind
DA
Andersen
Anne-Marie Nybo
AM
Mansilla
Maria A
MA
Murray
Jeffrey C
JC
Christensen
Kaare
K
Ballard
Johnathan L
JL
Gorman
Elizabeth B
EB
Cabrera
Robert M
RM
Finnell
Richard H
RH
D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000276:immunology*; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D058973:Folate Receptors, GPI-Anchored; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008423:Maternal Age; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
D001323:Autoantibodies; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D058973:Folate Receptors, GPI-Anchored; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D005492:Folic Acid