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Maternal hormones during early pregnancy: a cross-sectional study
Tianhui Chen1, Eva Lundin, Kjell Grankvist
1Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, In Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany.
Cancer Causes & Control : CCC
|January 20, 2010
Summary
First-trimester pregnancy hormone levels, including human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF), are influenced by maternal weight and smoking. These factors may affect early pregnancy hormone concentrations.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive endocrinology
- Maternal health
- Breast cancer research
Background:
- Limited data exists on first-trimester pregnancy hormone correlates.
- Most studies measure maternal hormones later in gestation.
- Focus on hormones implicated in breast cancer: hCG, AFP, IGF-I, IGF-II.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine associations between maternal characteristics and child sex with first-trimester hormone levels.
- Investigate early pregnancy hormone concentrations.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 338 first-trimester serum samples from the Northern Sweden Maternity Cohort (1975-2001).
- Measured hCG, AFP, IGF-I, and IGF-II.
- Used correlation, general linear regression, and multivariate regression models.
Main Results:
- Maternal age inversely correlated with IGF-I and IGF-II.
- Parous women had higher IGF-I and lower hCG compared to first-time mothers.
- Maternal weight and smoking inversely correlated with hCG.
- No association observed between hormone levels and child sex.
Conclusions:
- Potentially modifiable maternal characteristics, such as weight and smoking, influence first-trimester hormone concentrations.
- Early pregnancy hormone levels are associated with maternal factors.
