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Cigarette smoking in pregnancy results in marked decrease in maternal hCG and oestradiol levels
Author(s) -
BERNSTEIN LESLIE,
PIKE MALCOLM C.,
LOBO ROGERTO A.,
DEPUE ROBERT H.,
ROSS RONALD K.,
HENDERSON BRIAN E.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1989.tb01582.x
Subject(s) - sex hormone binding globulin , pregnancy , medicine , endocrinology , globulin , cigarette smoking , human chorionic gonadotropin , hormone , biology , androgen , genetics
Summary. We have examined serum levels of oestradiol (E 2 ), sexhormone binding globulin (SHBG) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) during early pregnancy in relation to smoking status at the time of sampling in a series of 147 women. Smoking was associated with significantly depressed serum levels of E 2 , SHBG and hCG: in smokers, E 2 levels were on average 17·6% lower ( P =0·037), SHBG levels were 12·4% lower ( P =0·15), and hCG levels were 21·5% lower ( P =0·044). There appeared to be a steady decline in these values with increasing cigarette consumption. These lower hormone levels in smokers may explain certain adverse effects of smoking in pregnancy.