Jené Oliveras, Mª del Mar

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Facultat de Biociències

Diposit Digital de Documents de la UAB

PEth is suggested as a bio-marker for early pregnancy detection. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders:  Biomarkers and Treatments  Mª del Mar Jené Oliveras, Grau en Biotecnologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Exposure to ethanol during pregnancy can have devastating effects on the developing fetus. Depending on time of exposure, pat-tern of alcohol consumption and genetic and environmental factors, the symptoms can go from mild to severe, referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The main symptoms are growth retardation, facial abnormalities and central nervous system dysfunction. Due to its low molecular weight and solubility, alcohol freely crosses the placenta, causing teratogenic effects such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, cell migration impairing, signalling interferences and epigenetic effects.   FASD is 100% preventable and has no cure. As maternal self report is not always reliable, there is a need of molecular biomarkers of fetal alcohol exposure. So far, meconium has been proposed to be the best matrix to detect bio-markers of fetal exposure, although it is mainly formed during the last 8 weeks of pregnancy (and provides information about this period only). Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters FAEEs are the result of alcohol conjugation with a fatty acid.  Only a few are useful for fetal exposure to alcohol. Phosphatidylethanol Ethyl Glucuronide and Ethyl Sulphate EtG and EtS are both direct  minor alcohol metabolites. FAEEs EtG and EtS PEthFacial  abnormalities Advantages They cannot cross the placenta  (indicate fetal exposure) High specificity and  sensitivity  High sensitivity and long life in maternal matrices  Easy to evaluate Possible false results Information about the last 8 weeks (when meconium is mainly formed) They cross the placenta  (indicate maternal exposure) Information about the last 8 weeks (as it is detected in meconium) Not always present Bad results in neonatal  matrices detection  Disadvantages When present, facial characteris-tics are a good indicator of FASD. Facial Abnormalities Based on alcohol teratogenic mechanisms, several molecules have been proposed to prevent or avoid FASD symptoms during fetal exposure to ethanol. Biomarkers CELL DEATH Treatments Overstimulation of NDMA Receptors NDMA  antagonists Signal pathway interference Choline Supplement Oxidative Stress Nfr-2 transcription factor inductionAntioxidants Cell-cell  adhesion disrupted (CAM L1) 1-octanol Vitamin A Supplement NAP and SAL Peptides Introduction Only during  ABSTINENCE Treatment Damage  mechanism Conclusions ë Although further studies are needed to correlate chronic or acute con-sumption with biomarkers concentration, FAEEs and/or EtG and EtS are good indicators of prenatal exposure to ethanol.   ë PEth could be used to detect ethanol consumption in early pregnancy.  ë If a cheap, easy and quick method of screening is developed, it would be possible to establish a neonatal diagnosis for ethanol exposure us-ing this biomarkers. ë Several therapeutic agents have been suggested, although none of them act in all mechanisms of damage.  ë Therapeutic strategies based on vitamin or nutrient supplement have better perspectives to reach clinics because of security concerns.  ë The best prevention is to avoid total consumption of ethanol during pregnancy. Neurotransmitter interference Serotonin agonists Neurotrophic and growth factors *R, R1 and R2 are fatty acid chains 

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders : biomarkers and treatments

http://ddd.uab.cat/pub/tfg/2013/114034/TFG_marjeneoliveras.pdf

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders : biomarkers and treatments

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Diposit Digital de Documents de la UAB