European Heart Journal Advance Access originally published online on April 25, 2008
European Heart Journal 2008 29(11):1424-1431; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehn170
Eight-fold increased risk for congenital heart defects in children carrying the nicotinamide N-methyltransferase polymorphism and exposed to medicines and low nicotinamide
gine P.M. Steegers-Theunissen1,2,3,6,*
1 Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, s-Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2 Division of Paediatric Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
3 Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
4 Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
5 Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
6 Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
7 Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Received 29 October 2007; revised 22 February 2008; accepted 4 April 2008; online publish-ahead-of-print 25 April 2008.
* Corresponding author. Tel: +31 10 4636886, Fax: +31 10 4636815, Email: r.steegers{at}erasmusmc.nl
Aims: Congenital heart defects (CHDs) have a multifactorial origin, in which subtle genetic factors and peri-conception exposures interact. We hypothesize that derangements in the homocysteine and detoxification pathways, due to a polymorphism in the nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) gene, low maternal dietary nicotinamide intake, and medicine use in the peri-conception period, affect CHD risk.
Methods and results: In 292 case and 316 control families, maternal peri-conception medicine use and low dietary intake of nicotinamide (
13.8 mg/day) were independently associated with CHD risk [odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.6 (1.1–2.3) and 1.5 (1.03–2.3), respectively]. No significant association was found for the NNMT AG/AA genotype in mothers [0.9 (0.7–1.3)], fathers [1.1 (0.8–1.6)], or children [1.1 (0.8–1.6)]. However, the combination of peri-conception medicine use, low dietary nicotinamide intake, and the NNMT AG/AA genotype in mothers or children showed risk of 2.7 (1.02–8.1) and 8.8 (2.4–32.5), respectively.
Conclusion: Children carrying the NNMT A allele face additional CHD risk in combination with peri-conception exposure to medicines and/or a low dietary nicotinamide intake. These findings provide a first set of data against which future studies with larger sample sizes can be compared with.
Key Words: Cardiovascular anomalies Aetiology NNMT Nutrition Medicine B-vitamin
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