[The concentration of the pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) in pregnant women smoking tobacco--preliminary study].

An improvement in prenatal screening for chromosomal defects in the first trimester of pregnancy has been achieved by combining sonography and biochemical markers. Among these markers exist the metalloproteinase pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) which promotes cell growth by proteolytic cleavage of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) causing the release of IGFs. The reduced level of PAPP-A in smokers in first-trimester has been reported previously. However, smoking influence on maternal level of PAPP-A during pregnancy has not been completely determined. The aim of this preliminary study was the investigation of PAPP-A concentrations in smoking women in the first- and third-trimester of pregnancy. The study comprised 40 pregnant women: 20 nonsmokers and 20 cigarette smokers. Only normal singleton pregnancies were included. Maternal serum levels of PAPP-A were measured with the KRYPTOR rapid random-access immunoassay analyser (Brahms GmbH, Germany) using time-resolved amplified cryptate emission technology (TRACE). In first-trimester of pregnancy we observed the lower of PAPP-A median values in smokers (2.77 IU/L, range 1.12-9.28 IU/L) by 24% than in nonsmokers (3.64 IU/L, range 1.68-6.79 IU/L). Next, we indicated that in third-trimester of pregnancy the PAPP-A median values were lower in smokers (48.45 IU/L, range 15.18-176.2 IU/L) until by 50% in comparison to the controls (96.56 IU/L, range 25.59-164.0 IU/L). Further studies will be continued to assessment the influence of some components from tobacco smoke on maternal serum PAPP-A in all trimesters of pregnancy.