Serum metallome in pregnant women and the relationship with congenital malformations of the central nervous system: a case-control study

BACKGROUND: Congenital malformations of the central nervous system (CNS) consist of a wide range of birth defects of multifactorial origin. METHODS: Concentrations of 44 metals were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry in serum of 111 mothers in the second trimester of pregnancy who carried a malformed fetus and compared them with serum concentrations of the same metals in 90 mothers with a normally developed fetus at the same week of pregnancy. Data are reported as means ± standard deviations. RESULTS: We found a direct relationship between congenital defects of the CNS and maternal serum concentration of aluminum: it was statistically higher in women carrying a fetus with this class of malformation, compared both to mothers carrying a fetus with another class of malformation (6.45 ± 15.15 μg/L Vs 1.44 ± 4.21 μg/L, p < 0.0006) and to Controls (i.e. mothers carrying a normally-developed fetus) (6.45 ± 15.15 μg/L Vs 0.11 ± 0.51 μg/L, p < 0.0006). Moreover, Aluminum abundances were below the limit of detection in the majority of control samples. CONCLUSION: CAluminum may play a role in the onset of central nervous system malformations, although the exact Aluminum species and related specific type of malformation needs further elucidation.