5-methyltetrahydrofolate and Premature-Birth

A low folate or low thiamine status may be associated with the risk of preterm delivery, small for gestational age (SGA) offspring and adverse pregnancy outcomes.. 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate (5MTHF) and thiamine diphosphate (TDP) were measured directly in cord-blood erythrocytes (CBEs) of early preterm (n=26; <32 weeks gestational age; including 50% multiple births), late preterm (n=38; 32 to <37 weeks; including 24% multiple births) and term newborns (n=60, 37-42 weeks) via high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection. Associations between 5MTHF and TDP with gestational age, newborn anthropometrics (birth weight, newborn's length and head circumference) and risk of being SGA were explored.. Group comparison as well as multivariate linear regression analysis of cord-blood vitamins revealed that 5MTHF was significantly lower in late preterms compared with terms but did not differ between singletons and multiples. TDP tended to be higher in preterms than in terms and lower in multiples than in singletons in both early and late preterms. Multivariate analysis on birth outcomes showed that 5MTHF was significantly positively associated with gestational age, birth weight and newborn's length. 5MTHF, increasing gestational age and parity were associated with a significantly reduced risk for being SGA, while TDP, multiple births and gender were not associated with the risk for being SGA.. Higher CBE concentrations of 5MTHF were associated with improved birth outcomes. Lower TDP concentrations were observed in multiple births. Future studies evaluating cord-blood vitamin concentrations and their associations with birth outcomes should additionally include dietary intakes and maternal blood concentrations at different stages of pregnancy.

Topics: Adult; Birth Weight; Body Height; Female; Fetal Blood; Folic Acid Deficiency; Gestational Age; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Infant, Premature, Diseases; Infant, Small for Gestational Age; Linear Models; Male; Mothers; Multiple Birth Offspring; Parity; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Premature Birth; Tetrahydrofolates; Thiamine Pyrophosphate; Vitamin B Deficiency

We previously reported that elevated antiinflammatory cervical cytokines in early pregnancy were associated with spontaneous preterm birth. Our objective was to explore the relation between serum folate vitamers and the lower genital tract inflammatory milieu.. Pregnant women (n = 417) at <16 weeks' gestation had serum samples that were analyzed for folate species 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, and cervical fluid that was assayed for cytokine concentrations. Patterns in proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, -6, -8, and -10; monocyte chemotactic protein-1) and antiinflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, IL-13) were identified with factor analysis.. After confounder adjustment, maternal serum 5-methyltetrahydrofolate concentrations had a strong negative association with elevated antiinflammatory scores; serum 5-formyltetrahydrofolate concentrations were associated positively with elevated antiinflammatory scores (both P < .05). Maternal folate was not associated with proinflammatory scores.. Maternal serum folate vitamers are associated with cervical cytokine concentrations, which suggests a possible mechanistic link between folate and preterm birth risk.

Topics: Cytokines; Female; Folic Acid; Humans; Incidence; Inflammation; Leucovorin; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Premature Birth; Prevalence; Reproductive Tract Infections; Tetrahydrofolates; Vaginosis, Bacterial