Xenobiotic-Metabolizing Genes and Small-for-Gestational-Age Births

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the role of xenobiotic-metabolizing gene variants as risk factors for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births or as modifiers for the effects of exposures such as maternal smoking. METHODS: We conducted 2 joint studies: a case-control design including 493 cases (birth weight below the 10th percentile according to gestational age and sex) and 472 controls (at or above the 10th percentile) and a family-based study (mother, father, and newborn) with approximately 250 case trios and a similar number of control trios. Logistic regression and a log-linear model were used to analyze the association between genetic variants such as CYP1A1*2A, CYP1A1*2B, CYP1A1*4, GSTT1, GSTM1, and XRCC3 and SGA. The interaction between genetic variants and maternal smoking was also studied. RESULTS: The odds ratio (OR) for the association of complete maternal GSTT1 deletion with SGA was 0.63 (95% confidence interval = 0.41-0.97), and that for the complete newborn GSTM1 deletion was 0.74 (0.55-0.98). Newborns with the partial GSTT1 deletion had an OR of 1.40 (1.01-1.95), and newborns homozygous for CYP1A1*2A had an OR of 4.28 (1.02-18.0). These results were coherent with the trio-based results. Significant interactions were observed between maternal smoking in the third trimester and CYP1A1*2A (P = 0.03), XRCC3 (P = 0.03), and newborn GSTT1 (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Certain genetic variants involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics increase the risk of SGA, as well as modify the effects of maternal smoking by increasing or decreasing its risk.