title: TBARS and BDNF levels in newborns exposed to crack/cocaine during pregnancy: a comparative study.
abstract: To compare levels of a marker of lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in umbilical cord blood (UCB) between newborns exposed to crack/cocaine in utero (exposed newborns [EN], n=57) and non-exposed newborns (NEN, n=99), as well as in maternal peripheral blood at delivery.
  This was a cross-sectional study. Potential confounders, including perinatal parameters, psychopathology, and use of other substances, were assessed.
  After adjusting for potential confounders, adjusted mean BDNF was significantly higher in EN (3.86 ng/mL, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 2.29-5.43) than in NEN (0.85 ng/mL, 95%CI 0.47-1.23; p < 0.001; Cohen effect size: 1.12), and significantly lower in crack/cocaine mothers than in control mothers (4.03 ng/mL, 95%CI 2.87-5.18 vs. 6.67 ng/mL, 95%CI 5.60-7.74; p = 0.006). The adjusted mean TBARS level was significantly lower in EN (63.97 µM MDA, 95%CI 39.43-88.50) than NEN (177.04 µM MDA, 95%CI 140.93-213.14; p < 0.001; effect size = 0.84), with no difference between mother groups (p = 0.86).
  The changes in TBARS levels observed in EN suggest that fetuses exposed to cocaine mobilize endogenous antioxidant routes since very early stages of development. The increase in BDNF levels in EN might indicate changes in fetal development, whereas the changes in BDNF levels in mothers provide evidence of the complex metabolic processes involved in drug use during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Psiquiatria da Infância e Adolescência (SPIA), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mardini
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Psiquiatria da Infância e Adolescência (SPIA), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatria do Desenvolvimento (INPD), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.|Departamento de Psiquiatria, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina (INCT-TM), HCPA, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Keila M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Ceresér
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina (INCT-TM), HCPA, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carolina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gubert
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina (INCT-TM), HCPA, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emily G da
authors.initials: EGD
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Biomédicas, Centro Universitário Metodista IPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parcianello
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Criobiologia, Banco de Cordão Umbilical e Placentário, HCPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Liane M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Röhsig
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Departamento de Psiquiatria, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Centro de Pesquisa em Álcool e Drogas, HCPA, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pechansky
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Psiquiatria da Infância e Adolescência (SPIA), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Centro de Pesquisa em Álcool e Drogas, HCPA, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Szobot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000097:blood; D016578:Crack Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances