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Send Orders for Reprints to [email protected] CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets, 2015, 14, 000-000 1 Antenatal Maternal Antidepressants Drugs Affect S100B Concentrations in Fetal-Maternal Biological Fluids Valentina Bellissima1, Gerard H.A. Visser2, Tessa F. Ververs1, Frank van Bel2, Jacqueline U.M. Termote2, Marja van der Heide2 and Diego Gazzolo*1 1 Cesare Arrigo Children’s Hospital, Alessandria, Italy 2 Department of Perinatal Medicine, Utrecht Medical Center, Utrecht, the Netherlands Abstract: Introduction. Antidepressant treatment during pregnancy is speedily increasing in developed countries and this phenomenon has occurred without firm evidence on safety and/or efficacy. Aims. The present study investigated from mid-trimester of pregnancy up to 24 hours after birth the pattern of a brain damage marker, namely S100B, in maternal fetal and neonatal biological fluids of pregnant women and their newborns antenatally treated by antidepressant drugs such as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI). Methods: we conducted an observational study on 75 pregnant women treated in the mid –third trimester by antidepressant drugs and 231 healthy pregnancies. S100B concentrations were measured at 7 predetermined monitoring time-points before, during and after treatment in maternal, fetal and neonatal biological fluids and correlated with neurological follow-up at 7 days from birth. Results: In SSRI group S100B concentrations were significantly higher in SSRI than controls (P<0.001, for all) in maternal blood, in amniotic fluid, in arterial and venous cord blood and at 24-h from birth. Highest (P<0.05) S100B levels were found in SSRI infants showing major neurological symptoms at 7-d follow-up. Conclusion: The present data on increased S100B levels in maternal, fetal and neonatal biological fluids suggest that SSRI administration although beneficial to the mother, presents some risks for the infant. Keywords: SSRI, maternal depression, S100B, teratology, fetal brain, brain injury. INTRODUCTION The administration of antidepressant drugs during pregnancy, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), has raised about 2-3% of European women and up to 8% in USA Countries [1]. This phenomenon has occurred without firm evidence on safety and or efficacy. Data on animal studies showed the occurrence of abortion, birth defects and enduring behavioral alterations due to antidepressants treatment [2]. In humans, neural tube defects, cardiovascular malformations, persistent pulmonary hypertension, preterm birth, neonatal respiratory distress and withdrawal syndrome (i.e. seizures, hyper-excitability syndrome), and neurodevelopment abnormalities have been reported [3-8]. The overall risk of antidepressants related poor neonatal adaptation is estimated at 30% for all antidepressant drugs, except for paroxetine that has a higher risk [9]. Risk identification is indispensable for development of efficient strategies on neonatal management of newborns prenatally exposed to antidepressants. In this respect, the measurement of brain constituents in biological fluids could *Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, C. Arrigo Children’s Hospital, Spalto Marengo 46, 15100 Alessandria, Italy; Tel: +39 0131 207241; Fax: +39 0131 207268; E-mail: [email protected] 1871-5273/15 $58.00+.00 be useful for the early identification of cases at risk for drug side-effects. Among consolidated brain damage markers, S100B, an acidic calcium binding protein highly specific for central nervous tissue (CNS) warrants consideration [10]. The protein has a half-life of about 1-hour and it is mainly eliminated by the kidney [11, 12]. Elevated S100B levels in biological fluids (i.e. cerebrospinal, blood, urine, amniotic and saliva) are consolidated marker of brain damage and hypoxia in adult, children, newborns and fetuses [13-23]. S100B, in maternal blood of growth restricted fetuses, has been shown to be a promising diagnostic tool of postnatal cerebral hemorrhage [24]. Several functions, to date still matter of investigation, have been assigned to S100B, among which it has been reported that at physiological concentrations (nanomolar) the protein, as a cytokine, acts as neurotrophic factor [25], whilst at high concentrations (micromolar), is neurotoxic leading to cell death trough necrosis and apoptosis mechanisms [26]. Therefore, S100B has been recently used to monitor, in the perinatal period, drugs side-effect on fetal/neonatal CNS after maternal cocaine and alcohol exposure or after antenatal nitric oxide donors, glucocorticoids and allopurinol administration [2731]. The present study investigated in pregnancies exposed to SSRI whether S100B concentrations are: i) changed in © 2015 Bentham Science Publishers 2 CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets, 2015, Vol. 14, No. 1 maternal bloodstream assessed during the during the midthird trimester of pregnancy; ii) modified in arterial and peripheral cord blood, and iii) correlated with severe/mild neurological sequelae. MATERIALS AND METHODS Population We conducted an observational study in 75 pregnant women, complicated by mood disorders and other psychiatric illnesses requiring antenatal treatment with SSRI, admitted to our III level centres for obstetrics and neonatal care from February 2010 to March 2011. All women had been treated by paroxetine (seroxat, 20 mg daily per os) for at least 6 months. Psychiatric diagnosis and decisions about SSRI dose, management and drug discontinuation were at discretion of the treating physician. Diagnosis comprised major depression (n=29), panic disorders (n=7), a combination of both (n=35), generalized anxiety disorder (n=2), obsessive compulsive disorder (n=1) and bulimia (n=1). At eight predetermined monitoring time-points (T1: 16-20 wks; T2: 27-30 wks; T3: 35-40 wks; T4: at delivery; T5: amniotic fluid; T6: venous cord blood, T7: arterial cord blood; T8: at 24-h after birth) maternal, fetal and neonatal biological fluids were collected for standard laboratory assessment and for S100B assessment. Control group was composed by 231 physiological pregnancies whose deliveries were between 37 and 42 weeks’ gestation. In control infants, clinical and laboratory parameters were recorded at birth and at 24 hrs from birth for the standard assessment (i.e., red blood cell count, glycemia, urea, creatinine, and ion concentrations). Gestational age was determined by clinical data and by first trimester ultrasound scan. Appropriate growth was defined by the presence of ultrasonographic signs (when biparietal diameter and abdominal circumference were between the 10th and the 90th centiles) according to the normograms of Campbell and Thoms and by postnatal confirmation of a birth weight between the 10th and 90th centiles according to our population standards after corrections for the mother’s height, weight and parity and the sex of the newborn [32]. All infants admitted to the study fulfilled all the following criteria: no maternal illness, no signs of fetal distress, pH more than 7.2 in cord blood or venous blood, Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes >7. All newborns were in normal clinical condition showing no overt neurological syndrome at the discharge from the hospital. The study protocol was approved by the local Ethics Committees and the parents of the subjects examined gave informed consent. Exclusion criteria were: multiple pregnancies, fetal malformations, chromosomal abnormalities, perinatal asphyxia, and distocia. Cranial Assessment Cerebral ultrasound scanning was performed routinely in newborns within the first 72-h and at day 7 after birth by use of a real-time ultrasound instrument (Acuson; 128SP5, Bellissima et al. Mountain View CA), with a transducer frequency emission of 3.5 MHz. In the controls, cerebral ultrasound patterns were evaluated before discharge from the hospital. Neurodevelopmental Outcome Neurologic examinations were performed daily, and neonatal neurologic conditions were classified as described by Prechtl [33], with each infant assigned to one of three diagnostic groups: normal, abnormal (when one or more of the following neurologic syndromes were present: hyper- or hypokinesia, hyper- or hypotonia, hemisyndrome, apathy syndrome, hyperexcitability syndrome), or suspect (if only isolated symptoms were present but no defined syndrome was evident). Laboratory Measurements Laboratory values in SSRIs infants were recorded at admission to neonatal intensive care units for the standard assessment (i.e., erythrocyte count; glucose, urea, creatinine, hemoglobin, and ion concentrations; hematocrit; venous blood pH; venous carbon dioxide and oxygen partial pressures; base excess). In controls, clinical and laboratory indexes were recorded at birth. S100B Measurements At the indicated time-points fetal and maternal biological fluids were collected. Samples were centrifuged at 900 g for ten minutes and resulting sera were stored at –70°C before measurements. The S100B protein concentrations was measured in all samples, using a commercially available immunoluminometric assay (Lia-mat Sangtec 100, AB Sangtec Medical, Bromma, Sweden). According to the manufacturer’s instructions, this assay is specific for the β subunit of the S100 protein and measures the β subunit as defined by the three monoclonal antibodies SMST 12, SMSK 25, and SMSK 28. The β subunit of the S100 protein is known to be predominant (80% to 96%) in the human brain [23]. Each measurement was performed in duplicate according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, and the averages were reported. According to the manufacturer’s instructions, the sensitivity of the assay (B0 ± 3SD) was 0.02 µg/L; the within-assay coefficient of variability was ≤5.5 %, and interassay coefficient of variability was ≤10.1% for concentrations ranging between 0.28 and 4.17 µg/L. Statistical Analysis S100B concentrations are expressed as mean and 25-75th centiles. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney U test when not normally distributed. Comparison between proportions was performed with Fisher’s exact test. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. RESULTS Perinatal characteristics in the studied groups are shown in Table 1. Maternal age, gestational age and weight at birth, Antenatal SSRI Administration and S100B CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets, 2015, Vol. 14, No. 1 the incidence of vaginal and caesarean section delivery, gender, Apgar score at 1st and 5th minutes did not differ (P>0.05, for all) between SSRI and controls, whilst the incidence of deliveries before 37 wks was significantly higher (P<0.001) in SSRI group. Indeed, no significant differences (P>0.05, for all) regarding gestational age at sampling time-points T1 and T2 have been found, whilst at T3 and T4 gestational age was at sampling was lower (P<0.01, for both) in SSRI group. Table 1. Perinatal characteristics in mothers and infants antenatally treated by selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) and controls. different monitoring time-points (T1-T4) showed a flat trend and did not differ (P>0.05, for all) from baseline to delivery time-points. In SSRI pregnant women, S100B started to increase from T1 onwards, remaining at higher level at T2T3 and reaching its highest peak at delivery (T4) (P<0.01, for all). Table 2. Severe and mild neonatal symptoms in infants antenatally treated by selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) and controls. Neonatal Outcomes SSRI (n=75) Controls (n=231) P Severe Neonatal Symptoms SSRI (n=75) Controls (n=231) P Maternal Age 30 ± 5 26 ± 4 0.59 Grade I (N°/total) 18/75 57/231 0.95 Gestational age at delivery (wk) 39 ± 2 40 ± 1 0.63 Grade II (N°/total) 0/75 0/231 100 8/75 0/231 <0.001 Grade III (N°/total) 1/75 0/231 0.56 Parameters Delivery <37 wk (N°/total) Vaginal (N°/total) RDS CNS Mode of Delivery Cesarean section (N°/total) 3 10/75 65/75 52/231 179/231 0.09 Hypotonia (N°/total) 4/75 0/231 0.004 0.09 Seizures (N°/total) 3/75 0/231 0.02 Gastrointestinal Tract Gender Male (N°/total) 42/75 121/231 0.6 Feeding difficulty (N°/total) 19/75 0/231 <0.0001 Female(N°/total) 33/75 110/231 0.9 Vomiting (N°/total) 4/75 0/231 0.004 Birth Weight Mild Neonatal Symptoms <10th centile (N°/total) 0/75 0/231 1.00 Excessive crying (N°/total) 12/75 0/231 <0.001 10-90th centiles (N°/total) 75/75 231/231 1.00 Tremors (N°/total) 18/75 0/231 <0.001 Sleep alteration (N°/total) 25/75 0/231 <0.001 Hypo/Hyperthermia (N°/total) 2/75 0/231 0.10 Apgar Score >7 Apgar 1 min (N°/total) 59/75 231/231 0.26 Apgar 5 min (N°/total) 73/75 231/231 0.96 Gestational Age at Sampling T1 (wks) 26 ± 1 26 ± 1 1.00 T2 (wks) 31 ± 1 31 ± 1 1.00 T3 (wks) 37 ± 1 38 ± 1 <0.01 T4 (delivery) 38 ± 2 40 ± 1 <0.01 In Table 2 mild and severe clinical patterns at 7th day follow-up are reported. No significant differences (P>0.05, for all) in different RDS grades were found between groups. Newborns antenatally exposed to SSRI showed a higher incidence (P<0.01, for both) of major CNS patterns characterized by hypotonia syndrome and seizures. Furthermore, infants complicated by feeding difficulties and vomiting were significantly higher in SSRI group (P<0.001, for both). Among mild symptoms no differences (P>0.05) between groups in hypo/hyperthermia occurrence has been reported whilst the detection of CNS patterns characterized by excessive crying, tremors and sleep alterations were significantly higher (P<0.001, for all) in SSRI group. S100B concentrations were measurable in all samples drawn from different fetal-maternal biological fluids. In controls, maternal blood proteins’ concentrations at Maternal S100B in SSRI group was significantly higher (P<0.001, for all) than controls at all monitoring time-points. Identically, S100B amniotic fluid concentrations were significantly higher (P<0.001) in SSRI than control group. At birth arterial and venous cord blood S100B concentrations were significantly higher (P<0.001, for all) in SSRI newborns. At 24-h from birth, higher (P<0.001) S100B levels were detectable in SSRI group than controls. However, when SSRI infants were sub-grouped according to the occurrence of severe CNS symptoms at 7 days follow-up the following protein’ patterns have been shown: no significant differences (P>0.05, for all) in maternal blood concentrations at T1-T4, whilst S100B concentrations were significantly higher (P<0.05, for all) in fetal/maternal (T6, T7) and neonatal (T8) biological fluids (Figure 1 and Table 3). DISCUSSION There is growing evidence that women are prone to depression and about 20% have a lifetime chance of being diagnosed with a depressive disorder [34]. Pregnancy seems a risk factor since during and directly after pregnancy 10% of women will develop a major depressive disorder [35]. 4 CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets, 2015, Vol. 14, No. 1 Thus, the use of antidepressants (i.e. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) during pregnancy is speedily increasing up to 2-3% of pregnant women in Europe and 8-10% in the USA countries [1]. Administration has happened in absence of solid evidence on safety or efficacy as well as no conclusive data on their potential side-effects on fetal/neonatal function and development have been documented. 18 P<0.05 P<0.05 P<0.05 16 S100B ( g/L) 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 C SSRI N SSRI P C SSRI N SSRI P T5 C T6 SSRI N SSRI P T7 Figure 1. S100B concentrations (µg/L) expressed as median and 5-95 centiles assessed in arterial (T5) and venous (T6) cord blood and at 24-h from birth in peripheral blood (T7) in healthy infants (C) and in those antenatally treated by selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) with normal (N) and abnormal (P) 7-d neurological follow-up. Table 3. S100B concentrations (µg/L) expressed as median and 25th-75th centiles in different maternal, fetal and neonatal biological fluids in SSRI and control groups. *P<0.001 vs controls. Biological Fluid SSRI (N=75) Controls (N=231) Median 25th 75th Median 25th 75th 16-20 wks 0.20* 0.10 0.54 0.06 0.04 0.08 27-30 wks 0.16* 0.10 0.56 0.05 0.04 0.07 35-40 wks 0.18* 0.11 0.61 0.07 0.03 0.13 delivery 1.83* 0.82 3.01 0.12 0.06 0.27 Amniotic Fluid 0.44* 0.39 0.51 0.20 0.14 0.36 arterial 3.83* 1.83 4.50 1.33 0.80 1.89 venous 2.91* 2.12 3.59 0.75 0.47 1.23 5.23 7.49 0.59 0.47 0.95 Maternal Blood Cord Blood Neonatal Peripheral Blood At 24-h 5.48* The present study shows that concentrations, in maternal, fetal and neonatal biological fluids, of a consolidated brain damage marker, namely S100B, significantly increased after SSRI administration. Furthermore, higher S100B concentrations were detectable up to 24 hours from birth Bellissima et al. especially in infants showing severe neurological symptoms. Data on S100B in maternal, fetal and neonatal biological fluids are in agreement with previous observations suggesting the presence of a clinical/subclinical CNS damage in SSRI fetuses/infants [12-24]. Mid-third trimester elevated S100B blood levels in pregnant women SSRI-treated constitutes, to our knowledge, the first observation warranting further consideration in terms of protein’s source. In detail: (i) recent meta-analysis reported that S100B concentrations in cerebrospinal, blood fluids of drug free-depressive patients were higher when compared with euthymic patients [36]; (ii) increased S100B is suggestive of glial alterations in mood disorders either due to brain damage [12-14] or due to functional secretion by glial cells or due to changes in brain blood barrier (BBB) permeability increasing protein’s release into systemic circulation [37], and (iii) anti-depressive drugs, acting on astrocytes secretion of S100B via the serotonergic system, decrease protein’s concentration in systemic circulation as expression of response to treatment [10]. Altogether, bearing in mind that treatment was successful in all pregnant women, it is reasonable to infer that the source of persistently high S100B levels could reasonably be maternal CNS although the possibility that part of the protein measured in the maternal bloodstream could have a fetal origin can be consistent. In this regard, it has been previously suggested that during intrauterine conditions at highest risk for brain stress/damage (i.e. acute and chronic hypoxia, drug sideeffects) an excessive release of the protein from fetal CNS can occur and part of the protein can pass through placenta into the maternal district [24]. The mechanisms through which S100B is transported from fetus to mother is still unknown although several hypothesis (passive/active transport) have been proposed [10, 12-14]. In this respect, Sannia et al. showed that S100B concentrations are pregnancy-dependent and higher (5–6 times) in fetal than in maternal districts [38]. The explanations reside: i) in hemodilution regarding different blood volume ratio (about 1:20-25) between fetal–maternal bloodstreams, ii) to S100B transfer modalities trough placenta regulated by a gradient of concentration mechanism and, iii) to fetal CNS development requiring an higher amount of protein. It is noteworthy in this respect, that in SSRI infants fetal-maternal gradient (data not shown) were significantly different from controls. The finding warrants further consideration. It has been suggested a Janus’s face behaviour of the protein: at physiological concentration (nanomolar) S100B acts as a cytokine with a neurotrophic effect [25], whilst at elevated concentrations (micromolar) is neurotoxic participating in a cascade of events leading to cell death or apoptosis. Thus, the significant decrease in fetal-maternal gradient opens-up to the possibility of an increased maternal protein’s concentration due to fetal CNS stress/damage [26] or, interestingly, to a fetal compensatory mechanism in order to avoid protein’s neurotoxic effects. The findings of no differences in S100B concentrations between arterial and venous cord and the higher amniotic fluid levels in SSRI offer additional support to the latter point. However, the highest S100B values detected in severe cases support the notion that long-term SSRI treatment may trigger the cascade of events responsible for CNS stress and damage. Antenatal SSRI Administration and S100B In the present study we also found that in infants antenatally treated by SSRI S100B blood levels remained higher up to 24 hours from birth especially in those with severe CNS symptoms. Data fit in part a recent observation from Pawlusky et al. showing significant differences between SSRI exposed and non exposed newborns in maternal and cord blood [39]. The finding of elevated S100B concentrations in the post-natal period deserves further consideration. In particular, bearing in mind that: i) half-live of paroxetine (about 20-h) [40] and S100B (about 1-h) [10]; ii) all women stopped treatment 24-h before delivery, and iii) higher S100B were detectable in infants with mild/absent symptoms; altogether it is reasonable to suggest that high S100B is due to exaggerated release from glial cell SSRImediated reasonably responsible of CNS stress/damage at a clinical/subclinical stage. Another explanation may reside in protein release due to SSRI complication such as withdrawal syndrome [40]. Finally, the potential role of S100B as a tool for therapeutic strategy monitoring has to be taken into account. It has been previously reported that S100B can be useful for evaluating the effectiveness/side-effect of perinatal treatment such as antenatal glucocorticoids and nitric oxide donors and to investigate maternal addiction to cocaine and alcohol on fetal/neonatal brain development [27-31]. In conclusion, the present study strenghtens the notion that fetal/neonatal well-being monitoring is becoming possible: SSRI administration alters S100B release triggering a cascade of events reasonably leading to CNS damage at a clinical/subclinical stage. However, further investigations on a wider study population investigating CNS development at long-term follow-up (2-6 years) are needed. CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets, 2015, Vol. 14, No. 1 [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS BBB = Brain Blood Barrier [16] CNS = Central Nervous Tissue SSRI = Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors [17] [18] CONFLICT OF INTEREST The funding sources had no role in the study design, data collection, data interpretation, data analysis, or writing of this manuscript. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study is part of the I.O. 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Bellissima V, Ververs TF, Visser GH, Gazzolo D. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in pregnancy. Curr Med Chem 2012; 19: 4554-61. Revised: February 1, 2014 Accepted: February 18, 2014