The influence of maternal smoking on transferrin sialylation and fetal biometric parameters.
OBJECTIVE
Transferrin is a glycosylated protein responsible for transporting iron, an essential metal responsible for proper fetal development. Tobacco is a heavily used xenobiotic having a negative impact on the human body and pregnancy outcomes. Aims of this study was to examine the influence of tobacco smoking on transferrin sialic acid residues and their connection with fetal biometric parameters in women with iron-deficiency.


METHODS
The study involved 173 samples from pregnant women, smokers and non-smokers, iron deficient and not. Transferrin sialylation was determined by capillary electrophoresis. The cadmium (Cd) level was measured by atomic absorption and the sialic acid concentration by the resorcinol method.


RESULTS
Women with iron deficiencies who smoked gave birth earlier than non-smoking, non-iron-deficient women. The Cd level, but not the cotinine level, was positively correlated with transferrin sialylation in the blood of iron-deficient women who smoked; 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-sialoTf correlated negatively with fetal biometric parameters in the same group.


CONCLUSIONS
It has been shown the relationship between Cd from tobacco smoking and fetal biometric parameters observed only in the iron deficient group suggests an additive effect of these two factors, and indicate that mothers with anemia may be more susceptible to Cd toxicity and disturbed fetal development.
Department of Biomedical and Environmental Analyses, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland. Electronic address: krolikm87@gmail.com.
Marta
M
Wrześniak
Early Pregnancy Pathology Clinic, Centre of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology, Reymonta 8, 45-066 Opole, Poland.
Małgorzata
M
Królik
Department of Biomedical and Environmental Analyses, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
Marta
M
Kepinska
Department of Biomedical and Environmental Analyses, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland. Electronic address: halina.milnerowicz@umed.wroc.pl.
Halina
H
Milnerowicz
D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D001724:Birth Weight; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood*; D003367:Cotinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*
D014168:Transferrin; D002104:Cadmium; D007501:Iron; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D003367:Cotinine
Anaemia; Foetal development; Pregnancy; Sialylation; Tobacco smoking; Transferrin