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Our results show that CSF fetuin-A is a biomarker of disease activity and natalizumab response in MS. Neuronal expression of fetuin-A suggests that fetuin-A may play a pathological role in the disease process.

We examined associations between maternal smoking and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children in a statewide population-based cohort and sibling comparison design using California birth records (n=2,015,104) with information on maternal smoking, demographics and pregnancy (2007-2010). ASD cases (n=11,722) were identified through California Department of Developmental Services records with diagnoses based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-R. We estimated odds ratios (OR) for ASD with/without intellectual disability in the full cohort using logistic regression, and conditional logistic regression in a sibling comparison. In the full cohort, the adjusted OR for ASD and maternal smoking 3-months before/during pregnancy compared to non-smoking was 1.15 (95%CI: 1.04, 1.26), and was similar in cases with (OR=1.12, 95%CI: 0.84, 1.49) and without intellectual disability (OR=1.15, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.27); heavy prenatal smoking (20+ cigarettes/day in any trimester) was related to 58% risk increase (95%CI: 23%, 101%). In the sibling comparison, the OR for heavy smoking was similarly elevated but the CI was wide. Our findings are consistent with an increased risk for ASD in offspring of mothers who smoked 20+ cigarettes/day during pregnancy; associations with lighter smoking were weaker.

1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:476-482.

Purpose of Review-Review how to use metabolomic profiling in causal mediation analysis to assess epidemiological evidence for air pollution impacts on birth outcomes.Recent Findings-Maternal exposures to air pollutants have been associated with pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Causal mediation analysis enables us to estimate direct and indirect effects on outcomes (i.e., effect decomposition), elucidating causal mechanisms or effect pathways. Maternal metabolites and metabolic pathways are perturbed by air pollution exposures may lead to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, thus they can be considered mediators in the causal pathways. Metabolomic markers have been used to explain the biological mechanisms linking air pollution and respiratory function, and of arsenic exposure and birth weight. However, mediation analysis of metabolomic markers has not been used to assess air pollution effects on adverse birth outcomes. In this article, we describe the assumptions and Beate Ritz,