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Häkkinen M, Arponen A, Jylhä A, Sulin K, Gunnar T. Phosphatidylethanol is a promising tool for screening alcohol consumption during pregnancy. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024. [PMID: 39147721 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is one of the leading causes of preventable developmental disabilities. A lack of objective screening methods results in an under-recognition of the phenomenon. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a specific ethanol biomarker that reveals alcohol intake up to several weeks after alcohol use. So far, PEth has mostly been a tool for detecting moderate and heavy drinking. With lower PEth cut-offs, revealing even minor prenatal alcohol consumption is possible. We aimed to find out if a sensitive method for PEth analysis would give additional information about PAE and to assess the cut-off value for a positive alcohol result in prenatal screening. METHODS The study was an observational study of 3000 anonymous blood samples collected from the Helsinki University Hospital Diagnostic Center between June and September 2023. The Finnish Red Cross Blood Service received the samples originally for blood group typing and antibody screening as part of the prenatal blood screening program. We developed a sensitive PEth 16:0/18:1 analysis method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) equipment after liquid-liquid extraction of PEth from whole blood. The lower limit of quantification was 1 ng/mL. RESULTS PEth was ≥2 ng/mL in 5.2% of the cases, ≥8 ng/mL in 2.0%, and ≥20 ng/mL in 1.0%. The detection time of PEth can be several weeks, especially with low PEth concentrations and after heavy alcohol consumption. It remained unknown whether the positive PEth tests resulted from drinking deliberately during pregnancy or before pregnancy recognition. CONCLUSIONS We suggest adding PEth 16:0/18:1 to a routine prenatal blood screening program with a cut-off of 2 ng/mL-and in positive cases, clinical evaluation and retesting in 2-4 weeks. In clinical settings, information on gestational week and alcohol consumption before pregnancy is relevant and needs to be considered when interpreting low PEth concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margareeta Häkkinen
- Department of Government Services, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Addiction Hospital, A-Clinic Ltd, Järvenpää, Finland
| | - Anne Arponen
- Department of Government Services, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Antti Jylhä
- Department of Government Services, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kati Sulin
- Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Vantaa, Finland
| | - Teemu Gunnar
- Department of Government Services, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
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Janeski JD, Naik VD, Carabulea AL, Jiang H, Ramadoss J. In Vivo Administration of Phosphatidic Acid, a Direct Alcohol Target Rescues Fetal Growth Restriction and Maternal Uterine Artery Dysfunction in Rat FASD Model. Nutrients 2024; 16:1409. [PMID: 38794647 PMCID: PMC11123873 DOI: 10.3390/nu16101409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction is a hallmark of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and is accompanied by maternal uterine circulatory maladaptation. FAS is the most severe form of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a term for the range of conditions that can develop in a fetus when their pregnant mother consumes alcohol. Alcohol exerts specific direct effects on lipids that control fundamental developmental processes. We previously demonstrated that direct in vitro application of phosphatidic acid (PA, the simplest phospholipid and a direct target of alcohol exposure) to excised uterine arteries from alcohol-exposed rats improved vascular function, but it is unknown if PA can rescue end organ phenotypes in our FASD animal model. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 40 total dams) were gavaged daily from gestational day (GD) 5 to GD 19 with alcohol or maltose dextrin, with and without PA supplementation, for a total of four unique groups. To translate and assess the beneficial effects of PA, we hypothesized that in vivo administration of PA concomitant with chronic binge alcohol would reverse uterine artery dysfunction and fetal growth deficits in our FASD model. Mean fetal weights and placental efficiency were significantly lower in the binge alcohol group compared with those in the control (p < 0.05). However, these differences between the alcohol and the control groups were completely abolished by auxiliary in vivo PA administration with alcohol, indicating a reversal of the classic FAS growth restriction phenotype. Acetylcholine (ACh)-induced uterine artery relaxation was significantly impaired in the uterine arteries of chronic in vivo binge alcohol-administered rats compared to the controls (p < 0.05). Supplementation of PA in vivo throughout pregnancy reversed the alcohol-induced vasodilatory deficit; no differences were detected following in vivo PA administration between the pair-fed control and PA alcohol groups. Maximal ACh-induced vasodilation was significantly lower in the alcohol group compared to all the other treatments, including control, control PA, and alcohol PA groups (p < 0.05). When analyzing excitatory vasodilatory p1177-eNOS, alcohol-induced downregulation of p1177-eNOS was completely reversed following in vivo PA supplementation. In summary, these novel data utilize a specific alcohol target pathway (PA) to demonstrate a lipid-based preventive strategy and provide critical insights important for the development of translatable interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. Janeski
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Vishal D. Naik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Alexander L. Carabulea
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Jayanth Ramadoss
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
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3
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Perilli M, Toselli F, Franceschetto L, Cinquetti A, Ceretta A, Cecchetto G, Viel G. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in Blood as a Marker of Unhealthy Alcohol Use: A Systematic Review with Novel Molecular Insights. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12175. [PMID: 37569551 PMCID: PMC10418704 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and its short form, the AUDIT-C, the main clinical instruments used to identify unhealthy drinking behaviors, are influenced by memory bias and under-reporting. In recent years, phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in blood has emerged as a marker of unhealthy alcohol use. This systematic review aims to investigate the molecular characteristics of PEth and summarize the last ten years of published literature and its use compared to structured questionnaires. A systematic search was performed, adhering to PRISMA guidelines, through "MeSH" and "free-text" protocols in the databases PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science. The inclusion criteria were as follows: PEth was used for detecting unhealthy alcohol consumption in the general population and quantified in blood through liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, with full texts in the English language. Quality assessment was performed using the JBI critical appraisal checklist. Twelve papers were included (0.79% of total retrieved records), comprising nine cross-sectional studies and three cohort studies. All studies stratified alcohol exposure and quantified PEth 16:0/18:1 through liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) in liquid blood or dried blood spots (DBS) with lower limits of quantitation (LLOQ) ranging from 1.7 ng/mL to 20 ng/mL. A correlation between blood PEth level and the amount of alcohol ingested in the previous two weeks was generally observed. PEth interpretative cut-offs varied greatly among the included records, ranging from 4.2 ng/mL to 250 ng/mL, with sensitivity and specificity in the ranges of 58-100% and 64-100%, respectively. Although the biomarker seems promising, further research elucidating the variability in PEth formation and degradation, as well as the molecular mechanisms behind that variability, are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Guido Viel
- Legal Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via G. Falloppio 50, 35121 Padova, Italy; (M.P.); (F.T.); (L.F.); (A.C.); (A.C.); (G.C.)
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4
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Franceschetto L, Perilli M, Cinquetti A, Giraudo C, Gardi M, Cecchetto G, Viel G. Phosphatidylethanol in Maternal or Neonatal Blood to Detect Alcohol Exposure during Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12101528. [PMID: 36294962 PMCID: PMC9604963 DOI: 10.3390/life12101528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption during pregnancy, even at low doses, may damage the fetus. Pregnant women tend to underreport their alcohol consumption generating the need for sensitive and specific biomarkers, among which PEth has emerged due to its high specificity and possibility to be measured in both maternal and neonatal blood. The aim of this study is to systematically review the latest 20 years of literature for depicting the state of the art, the limitations, and the prospects of PEth for estimating alcohol consumption during pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS A systematic search, adhering to PRISMA guidelines, of the latest 20 years of literature through "MeSH" and "free-text" protocols in the databases PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science, with time limits 1 January 2002-1 March 2022, was performed. The inclusion criteria were as follows: PEth used for detecting alcohol consumption during pregnancy, quantified in blood through liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and full texts in the English language. Opinion papers, editorials, and narrative reviews were excluded. RESULTS Sixteen (16) papers were included in the present review (0.81% of total retrieved records). All the included records were original articles, of which there were seven prospective cohort/longitudinal studies, six cross-sectional studies, two observational-descriptive studies, and one retrospective study. All studies assayed PEth in at least one biological matrix; seven (7) studies quantified PEth in maternal blood, seven studies in newborn blood, and only two studies in both maternal and neonatal blood. In several included papers, PEth proved more sensitive than self-reports for identifying pregnant women with an active alcohol intake with the diagnostic efficiency improving with the increase of the maternal alcohol intake. CONCLUSIONS Further studies, performed on wider and well-stratified populations, are needed to drive any definitive conclusion. PEth is a promising marker for monitoring alcohol use in pregnancy; however, at the present time, its use is still limited mainly by the absence of a globally agreed interpretative cut-off, the paucity of data regarding its specificity/sensitivity, and the lack of standardization on the diagnostic efficiency of the different isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Franceschetto
- Legal Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via G. Falloppio 50, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Matteo Perilli
- Legal Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via G. Falloppio 50, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cinquetti
- Legal Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via G. Falloppio 50, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Giraudo
- UOSD Imaging Avanzato Clinico e Translazionale, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Mario Gardi
- Unit of Urology, Sant’Antonio Hospital, University Hospital of Padua, 35100 Padua, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cecchetto
- Legal Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via G. Falloppio 50, 35121 Padova, Italy
| | - Guido Viel
- Legal Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via G. Falloppio 50, 35121 Padova, Italy
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Breunis LJ, Wassenaar S, Sibbles BJ, Aaldriks AA, Bijma HH, Steegers EAP, Koch BCP. Objective assessment of alcohol consumption in early pregnancy using phosphatidylethanol: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2021; 21:342. [PMID: 33931032 PMCID: PMC8086351 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-021-03804-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is associated with major birth defects and developmental disabilities. Questionnaires concerning alcohol consumption during pregnancy underestimate alcohol use while the use of a reliable and objective biomarker for alcohol consumption enables more accurate screening. Phosphatidylethanol can detect low levels of alcohol consumption in the previous two weeks. In this study we aimed to biochemically assess the prevalence of alcohol consumption during early pregnancy using phosphatidylethanol in blood and compare this with self-reported alcohol consumption. Methods To evaluate biochemically assessed prevalence of alcohol consumption during early pregnancy using phosphatidylethanol levels, we conducted a prospective, cross-sectional, single center study in the largest tertiary hospital of the Netherlands. All adult pregnant women who were under the care of the obstetric department of the Erasmus MC and who underwent routine blood testing at a gestational age of less than 15 weeks were eligible. No specified informed consent was needed. Results The study was conducted between September 2016 and October 2017. In total, we received 1,002 residual samples of 992 women. After applying in- and exclusion criteria we analyzed 684 samples. Mean gestational age of all included women was 10.3 weeks (SD 1.9). Of these women, 36 (5.3 %) tested positive for phosphatidylethanol, indicating alcohol consumption in the previous two weeks. Of women with a positive phosphatidylethanol test, 89 % (n = 32) did not express alcohol consumption to their obstetric care provider. Conclusions One in nineteen women consumed alcohol during early pregnancy with a high percentage not reporting this use to their obstetric care provider. Questioning alcohol consumption by an obstetric care provider did not successfully identify (hazardous) alcohol consumption. Routine screening with phosphatidylethanol in maternal blood can be of added value to identify women who consume alcohol during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonieke J Breunis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Sophie Wassenaar
- Department of Hospital Pharmacy, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Barbara J Sibbles
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ab A Aaldriks
- Department of Psychiatry, Reinier de Graaf Hospital, Reinier de Graafweg 5, 2625 AD, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Hilmar H Bijma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eric A P Steegers
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Birgit C P Koch
- Department of Hospital Pharmacy, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Finanger T, Spigset O, Gråwe RW, Andreassen TN, Løkken TN, Aamo TO, Bratt GE, Tømmervik K, Langaas VS, Finserås K, Salvesen KÅB, Skråstad RB. Phosphatidylethanol as Blood Biomarker of Alcohol Consumption in Early Pregnancy: An Observational Study in 4,067 Pregnant Women. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:886-892. [PMID: 33586791 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The teratogenic effects of alcohol are well documented, but there is a lack of screening methods to detect alcohol use during pregnancy. Phosphatidylethanol 16:0/18:1 (PEth) is a specific and sensitive biomarker reflecting alcohol intake up to several weeks after consumption. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of positive PEth values as an indicator of early prenatal alcohol exposure in a general population of pregnant women. METHODS Rhesus typing is routinely performed in Norway in all pregnancies around gestational week 12. Rhesus-negative women have an additional test taken around week 24. Blood samples submitted to St. Olav University Hospital in Trøndelag, Norway, for Rhesus typing during the period September 2017 to October 2018 were collected. A total of 4,533 whole blood samples from 4,067 women were analyzed for PEth (limit of quantification of 0.003 µM). RESULTS Fifty-eight women had a positive PEth sample. Of these, 50 women were positive around gestational week 12, 3 women were positive around week 24, and in 5 cases, the timing was unknown. There were no significant differences in proportions of women with positive PEth values related to age, or rural versus urban residency. CONCLUSION In an unselected pregnant population in Norway, 1.4% had a positive PEth sample around gestational week 12, whereas 0.4% had a positive sample around week 24. The use of PEth as an alcohol biomarker should be further investigated as a diagnostic tool in the antenatal setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trine Finanger
- Clinic of Substance Use and Addiction Medicine, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Olav Spigset
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Rolf W Gråwe
- Department of Research and Development, Division of Mental Health, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Trine N Andreassen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Trine N Løkken
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Trond O Aamo
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Guro E Bratt
- Clinic of Laboratory Medicine, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kristin Tømmervik
- Clinic of Substance Use and Addiction Medicine, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Vibeke S Langaas
- Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kristin Finserås
- Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kjell Å B Salvesen
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ragnhild B Skråstad
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
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7
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Reisfield GM, Teitelbaum SA, Opie SO, Jones J, Morrison DG, Lewis B. The roles of phosphatidylethanol, ethyl glucuronide, and ethyl sulfate in identifying alcohol consumption among participants in professionals health programs. Drug Test Anal 2020; 12:1102-1108. [PMID: 32309913 DOI: 10.1002/dta.2809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Direct alcohol biomarkers, including urinary ethyl glucuronide (EtG), urinary ethyl sulfate (EtS), and blood phosphatidylethanol (PEth), are used to monitor alcohol abstinence in individuals who are mandated to abstain. In this consecutive case series study, we examined 1000 forensic reports of participants enrolled in a professionals health program who were contractually obligated to abstain from alcohol and who underwent recovery status evaluations. We identified 52 evaluations in which urinary EtG, EtS, and blood PEth were measured and which produced a positive result for at least one of these analytes. PEth, at a cutoff concentration of 20 ng/mL, revealed alcohol use more frequently than EtG or EtS at our laboratory's cutoff concentrations of 100 and 25 ng/mL, respectively. This was true, as well, at alternative EtG/EtS cutoff concentrations of 200/50, 300/75, and 400/100 ng/mL. PEth was more likely than EtG/EtS to be positive in participants previously diagnosed with alcohol use disorders (AUD), whereas EtG/EtS was more likely than PEth to be positive in participants without AUD. In this study, blood PEth was the most sensitive biomarker for evidencing alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary M Reisfield
- Division of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, 4037 NW 86th Terrace, Gainesville, Florida, FL 32606, USA
| | - Scott A Teitelbaum
- Division of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, 4037 NW 86th Terrace, Gainesville, Florida, FL 32606, USA
| | - Shannon O Opie
- Florida Intervention Project for Nurses, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, FL 32240, USA
| | - Joseph Jones
- United States Drug Testing Laboratories, Des Plaines, Illinois, USA
| | - Deborah G Morrison
- Division of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, 4037 NW 86th Terrace, Gainesville, Florida, FL 32606, USA
| | - Ben Lewis
- Division of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida College of Medicine, 4037 NW 86th Terrace, Gainesville, Florida, FL 32606, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can result in detrimental developmental complications. The objective of this study was to estimate the most recent PAE prevalence data for the state of West Virginia (WV) and associated factors. METHOD In all, 1830 newborn residual dried blood spots (DBS) in the WV Newborn Screening Repository were analyzed for phosphatidylethanol (PETH). Data were matched with Project WATCH data (94% match, N = 1729). RESULTS The prevalence of late pregnancy PAE was 8.10% (95%CI: 6.81, 9.38) for all births, 7.61% (95%CI: 6.26, 8.97) for WV residents only, and ranged from 2.27 to 17.11% by region. The significant factors associated with PAE included smoking (OR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.40, 2.94), preterm births (OR: 1.88; 95% CI: 1.23, 2.89), birth weight of ≤2000 g vs. >3000 g (OR: 2.62, 95%CI: 1.19, 5.79), no exclusive breastfeeding intention (OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.04), and not exclusively breastfeeding before discharge (OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.38). CONCLUSION The prevalence of PAE is higher than previously shown for the state. Accurate and timely estimates are vital to inform public health workers, policymakers, researchers, and clinicians to develop and promote effective prevention strategies to lower PAE prevalence and provide targeted interventions and treatment services for infants affected by PAE.
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Raggio GA, Psaros C, Fatch R, Goodman G, Matthews LT, Magidson JF, Amanyire G, Cross A, Asiimwe S, Hahn JA, Haberer JE. High Rates of Biomarker-Confirmed Alcohol Use Among Pregnant Women Living With HIV in South Africa and Uganda. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2019; 82:443-451. [PMID: 31567551 PMCID: PMC6857734 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000002156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use is common among people living with HIV and particularly harmful during pregnancy. However, objective data on alcohol use in pregnant women living with HIV (WLWH) are lacking. In areas with high levels of alcohol use generally, such as South Africa and Uganda, these data are needed to inform interventions. METHODS Pregnant and nonpregnant, antiretroviral therapy-naive WLWH were recruited from outpatient clinics in South Africa and Uganda. Women provided self-report data on previous three-month alcohol use and potential mental health correlates of alcohol use (depression and stigma). Blood samples were used to measure phosphatidylethanol (PEth), an objective biomarker of recent alcohol intake. We analyzed any alcohol use (ie, any self-reported use or PEth-positive [≥8 ng/mL]) and under-reporting of alcohol use (ie, no self-reported use with concurrent PEth-positive). RESULTS Among pregnant WLWH (n = 163, median age was 26 [interquartile range: 23-29], median gestational age was 20 weeks [interquartile range: 16-26]), 40% were using alcohol and 16% under-reported alcohol use. Neither any alcohol use nor under-reporting of alcohol use differed significantly between pregnant and nonpregnant women or by country (P > 0.05). Greater depression (but not greater stigma) was significantly associated with any alcohol use (adjusted odds ratio = 1.41, 95% confidence interval: [1.01 to 1.99]; P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS Alcohol use was prevalent and under-reported among pregnant WLWH in South Africa and Uganda, similar to nonpregnant participants, and associated with depression. General health care and antenatal clinic settings present opportunities to provide integrated alcohol-based counseling and depression treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greer A. Raggio
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- National Center for Weight and Wellness, Washington, DC
| | - Christina Psaros
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Robin Fatch
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Georgia Goodman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Lynn T. Matthews
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Infectious Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | | | | | - Anna Cross
- Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa;
| | - Stephen Asiimwe
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Community Health, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda; and
- Kabwohe Clinical Research Center, Kabwohe, Uganda.
| | - Judith A. Hahn
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Jessica E. Haberer
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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10
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Maxwell S, Thompson S, Zakko F, Bracero LA. Screening for prenatal alcohol exposure and corresponding short-term neonatal outcomes. Reprod Toxicol 2019; 85:6-11. [PMID: 30664987 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Detection of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is important for early intervention and treatment. The main purpose of this study was to compare 1.) PAE rates using the biomarker, phosphatidylethanol (PEth), in umbilical cord (UC) blood vs. ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in UC tissue, the standard of care, and 2.) Pregnancy characteristics and neonatal outcomes in newborns positive vs. negative for PAE biomarkers. We examined records of neonates born over a two-year span receiving UC-PEth dried blood spots testing at the time of delivery in addition to standard of care PAE screening (n = 146). UC-PEth testing had a higher PAE detection rate (26%) vs. UC tissue EtG (0%, p < 0.01). PAE was not associated with any neonatal dysmorphic features or short-term adverse outcomes. The absence of significant clinical findings for identifying PAE in neonates reinforces alcohol biomarker necessity. We conclude that UC-PEth may be a valuable test for assessing PAE at birth and in identifying infants at risk for developing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Maxwell
- Pediatrix Medical Group and Department of Pediatrics, Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, WV, USA.
| | - Stephanie Thompson
- Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research, Charleston Area Medical Center Health Education and Research Institute, Charleston, WV, USA
| | - Fadi Zakko
- Department of Pediatrics, Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, WV, USA
| | - Luis A Bracero
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West Virginia University-Charleston Division, Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, WV, USA
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