title: Effect of hepatitis C virus status on liver enzymes in opioid-dependent pregnant women maintained on opioid-agonist medication.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine hepatic enzyme test results throughout the course of pregnancy in women maintained on methadone or buprenorphine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were randomized to either methadone or buprenorphine maintenance. Blood chemistry tests, including liver transaminases and hepatitis C virus (HCV) status, were determined every 4 weeks and once postpartum. As part of a planned secondary analysis, generalized mixed linear models were conducted with aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) as the dependent variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six US sites and one European site that provided comprehensive treatment to pregnant opioid-dependent women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 175 opioid-dependent pregnant women enrolled in the Maternal Opioid Treatment: Human Experimental Research (MOTHER) study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ALT, AST and GGT levels decreased for all subjects across pregnancy trimesters, rising slightly postpartum. HCV-positive subjects exhibited higher transaminases at all time-points compared to HCV-negative subjects, regardless of medication (all Ps < 0.05) condition. Both HCV-positive and negative buprenorphine-maintained participants exhibited lower GGT levels than those who were methadone-maintained (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neither methadone nor buprenorphine appear to have adverse hepatic effects in the treatment of pregnant opioid-dependent women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Philadelphia VA Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Laura F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: McNicholas
authors.forename: Amber M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Holbrook
authors.forename: Kevin E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: O'Grady
authors.forename: Hendrée E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Mara G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Coyle
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Sarah H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Heil
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Stine
authors.forename: Karol
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaltenbach
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D000637:Transaminases / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D002047:Buprenorphine; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000637:Transaminases; D008691:Methadone