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Using self-reports and blood samples from 225 unselected Danish first trimester pregnant women, the purpose of this study was to assess their use of stimulants, for example caffeine and nicotine as well as over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs. According to self-reported information, 24% had used prescription drugs and 48% had used OTC drugs mainly acetaminophen (42%), 9.3% were habitual smokers, 44% stated a daily use of caffeinated beverages, and 1.3% used illegal drugs. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-HR-TOFMS) analysis was performed on corresponding blood samples applying golden standards for use of UPLC-HR-TOFMS in forensic medicine. Traces of prescription drugs were detected in 5.3% of the samples and 8.9% contained OTC drugs (acetaminophen 7.1%). Traces of smoking were identified in 8.0%, caffeine in 83% and illegal drugs in 0.9%. These results indicate a substantial use of OTC drugs and caffeine among Danish pregnant women. Blood analysis indicated that many women could be unaware of their caffeine intake. As common substances may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, healthcare professionals should inquire about such habits during pregnancy. The results also underline the need for more research into the molecular effects of such drugs on placental function and foetal development., (© 2020 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).)

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the laeverin level in maternal serum from first trimester (11-14 weeks) of pregnancy between normal pregnancies and pregnancies that later developed preeclampsia (PE). Material and methods: This was a case-cohort study. The laeverin concentration was measured in cases with preterm PE ( n  = 55), term PE ( n  = 95), and a reference group of randomly selected women with normal pregnancy outcome ( n  = 200) in stored serum samples collected from the double-test as part of the combined first trimester trisomy 21 screening program. The samples were thawed and analyzed for laeverin. The median gestational age at blood sampling was 77 days (range 57-96 days). Multiple regression analysis was performed to establish a normal median. Concentrations were converted to multiples of the median (MoM) and groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: In the reference group, laeverin was significantly correlated with gestational age ( r  = 0.18, p  = .01) and its concentration ranged from 41-393 µg/L. No significant differences in the median laeverin MoM were found between the reference group (1.01 MoM) and cases with preterm PE (0.98 MoM) or term PE (0.96 MoM). Conclusions: First trimester maternal serum laeverin level cannot be used to predict preeclampsia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of xenobiotic substances, such as caffeine, nicotine and illicit drugs (eg, cannabis and cocaine), in blood samples from first-trimester Danish pregnant women unaware of the screening., Design: A cross - sectional study examined 436 anonymised residual blood samples obtained during 2014 as part of the nationwide prenatal first-trimester screening programme. The samples were analysed by ultra performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry., Setting: An antenatal clinic in a Danish city with 62 000 inhabitants, where >95% of pregnant women joined the screening programme., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: The prevalence and patterns of caffeine, nicotine, medication and illicit drug intake during the first trimester of pregnancy., Results: The prevalence of prescription and over-the-counter drug detection was 17.9%, including acetaminophen (8.9%) and antidepressants (3.0%), of which citalopram (0.9%) was the most frequent. The prevalence of illegal drugs, indicators of smoking (nicotine/cotinine) and caffeine was 0.9%, 9.9%, and 76.4%, respectively. Only 17.4% of women had no substance identified in their sample., Conclusions: This study emphasises the need for further translational studies investigating lifestyle habits during pregnancy, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms through which xenobiotic substances may affect placental function and fetal development., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Introduction: We aimed to determine the diagnostic efficiency of quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) in a clinical setting where most of the analyses are performed on chorion villus samples from high-risk pregnancies as determined by combined first-trimester screening., Methods: A retrospective study on QF-PCR data from all pregnancies in the Central and North Denmark Regions over a four-year period (n = 2,550) with invasive prenatal testing carried out due to a high risk of carrying a foetus with Down's syndrome. Results of QF-PCR were compared with those obtained by karyotyping. Other supplementary data were obtained from the Danish Foetal Medicine Database and the Danish Cytogenetic Central Register., Results: QF-PCR for common aneuploidies is fast, has a low failure rate, and is associated with high positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) (> 99.8%) for all analysed abnormal karyotypes except for mosaicism for trisomy 13 (PPV = 20%) and sex chromosome mosaic cases (PPV = 40%; NPV = 99.7%)). In 25 (1%) cases, clinically significant chromosome abnormalities other than chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y were identified by karyotyping., Conclusion: QF-PCR is a rapid and accurate diagnostic method to detect common aneuploidies in high-risk pregnancies. However, the rapid test cannot stand alone as several clinically significant abnormal karyotypes would be overlooked., Funding: not relevant., Trial Registration: not relevant.

Background: Levels of maternal alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) are increased during multiple gestations and preeclampsia but little is known regarding AFP levels in relation to other reproductive factors. Consequently, the objective of this work was to describe the possible relationship between AFP levels during pregnancy and maternal age at birth, maternal age at first birth, parity, time since previous birth and gender of the offspring., Methods: Based on national registries we obtained the reproductive history on a population-based cohort of 44 227 women who had serum AFP levels determined in gestational weeks 14-21 and whose present and previous pregnancies resulted in live-born singletons., Results: Many previous births and an interval of less than 2 years since last birth were significantly associated with extremely low levels of AFP in the mother. However, age at first birth and age at present pregnancy did not influence the AFP level. Women who gave birth to a girl had AFP levels that were 5%[95% confidence interval (CI) 4-6%] lower than those of women who had a boy. Adjustment for birthweight did not significantly affect the estimate., Conclusions: Low serum AFP levels in pregnancy are significantly correlated with high parity and with a short interval between births. The significantly lower levels of AFP in women who gave birth to girls could indicate a possible gender-specific regulatory mechanism.