11/10/03 Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy alters neonatal cytokine responsesSummaryMaternal cigarette smoking (MCS) during pregnancy has been identified as a risk factor for allergies and asthma developing in the child in infancy. The mechanisms underlying this effect of MCS are not defined although the cord blood IgE levels areoften elevated when there is MCS during pregnancy. Noakes et al of the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia compared the patterns of in vitro cytokine secretion by cord blood mononuclear cells obtained during delivery of children of mothers who had MCS vs no MCS during the just completed pregnancy. They found that MCS during pregnancy was associated with greater cord blood T cell secretion of an IL-13 (a Th2 type cytokine) in response to culture with ovalbumin or dust mite. In contrast, there were no differences in the patterns of secretion of interferon-gamma (a Th1-type cytokinw) by the cord blood cells following MCS vs non-MCS pregnancies when such cells were stimulated with these allergens or mitogens such as Con A or PHA. The increased IL-13 secretion by cord blood cells obtained following an MCS pregnancy was not due to a greater incidence of atopy in the women who smoked during pregnancy. Reference Allergy 2003; 124:51-6 Editor's Comments These findings add to a number of previous observations that argue strongly against smoking during pregnancy (and when not pregnant as well). The child born of a mother with MCS during pregnancy will likely be exposed to side-stream cigarette smoke during infancy and childhood from smoking by the mother and perhaps others in the household. This represents an additional risk factor for childhood asthma.
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