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Czeiger S, Weissbach T, Zloto K, Wiener A, Nir O, Massarwa A, Weisz B, Bartal MF, Ulman RY, Bart Y, Achiron R, Kivilevitch Z, Mazaki-Tovi S, Kassif E. Umbilical-portal-systemic venous shunt and intrauterine growth restriction: an inquiry from a prospective study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2024; 231:340.e1-340.e16. [PMID: 38218510 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2024.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The investigation of the fetal umbilical-portal venous system is based on the premise that congenital anomalies of this system may be related to adverse perinatal outcomes. Several small retrospective studies have reported an association between umbilical-portal-systemic venous shunts and intrauterine growth restriction. However, the prevalence of portosystemic shunts in the fetal growth restricted population is yet to be determined. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were (1) to determine the prevalence of fetal umbilical-portal-systemic venous shunts in pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction and (2) to compare the perinatal and neonatal outcomes of pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction with and without umbilical-portal-systemic venous shunts. STUDY DESIGN This was a prospective, cross-sectional study of pregnancies diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction, as defined by the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine intrauterine growth restriction guidelines. All participants underwent a detailed anomaly scan, supplemented with a targeted scan of the fetal portal system. Venous shunts were diagnosed using color Doppler mode. The perinatal outcomes of pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction with and without umbilical-portal-systemic venous shunts were compared. RESULTS A total of 150 cases with intrauterine growth restriction were recruited. The prevalence of umbilical-portal-systemic venous shunts in our cohort was 9.3% (n=14). When compared with the control group (intrauterine growth restriction without umbilical-portal-systemic venous shunts, n=136), the study group had a significantly lower mean gestational age at the time of intrauterine growth restriction diagnosis (29.7±5.6 vs 32.47±4.6 weeks of gestation; P=.036) and an earlier gestational age at delivery (33.50±6.0 vs 36.13±2.8; P=.005). The study group had a higher rate of fetal death (21.4% vs 0.7%; P<.001) and, accordingly, a lower rate of live births (71.4% vs 95.6%; P=.001). Additional associated fetal vascular anomalies were significantly more prevalent in the study group than in the control group (35.7% vs 4.4%; P≤.001). The rate of other associated anomalies was similar. The study group had a significantly lower rate of abnormal uterine artery Doppler indices (0% vs 40.4%; P=.011) and a higher rate of abnormal ductus venosus Doppler indices (64.3% vs 23%; P=.001). There were no cases of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in the study group, whereas the control group had an incidence of 12.5% (P=.16). Other perinatal and neonatal outcomes were comparable. CONCLUSION Umbilical-portal-systemic venous shunt is a relatively common finding among fetuses with growth restriction. When compared with pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction with a normal portal system, these pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction and an umbilical-portal-systemic venous shunt are associated with a different Doppler flow pattern, an increased risk for fetal death, earlier presentation of intrauterine growth restriction, a lower gestational age at delivery, additional congenital vascular anomalies, and a lower rate of pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders. Meticulous sonographic evaluation of the portal system should be considered in the prenatal workup of intrauterine growth restriction, as umbilical-portal-systemic venous shunts may affect perinatal outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelly Czeiger
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayanei HaYeshuha Medical Center, Bnei-Brak, Israel.
| | - Tal Weissbach
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Keren Zloto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ariella Wiener
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Omer Nir
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Abeer Massarwa
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Boaz Weisz
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michal Fishel Bartal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Rakefet Yoeli Ulman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yossi Bart
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Reuven Achiron
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Zvi Kivilevitch
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Shali Mazaki-Tovi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eran Kassif
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Ramirez Zegarra R, Ghi T, Lees C. Does the use of angiogenic biomarkers for the management of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction improve outcomes?: Challenging the current status quo. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2024; 300:268-277. [PMID: 39053087 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2024.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Monitoring and timing of delivery in preterm preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction is one of the biggest challenges in Obstetrics. Finding the optimal time of delivery of these fetuses usually involves a trade-off between the severity of the disease and prematurity. So far, most clinical guidelines recommend the use of a combination between clinical, laboratory and ultrasound markers to guide the time of delivery. Angiogenic biomarkers, especially placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), have gained significant attention in recent years for their potential role in the prediction and diagnosis of placenta-related disorders including preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. Another potential clinical application of the angiogenic biomarkers is for the differential diagnosis of patients with chronic kidney disease, as this condition shares similar clinical features with preeclampsia. Consequently, angiogenic biomarkers have been advocated as tools for monitoring and deciding the optimal time of the delivery of fetuses affected by placental dysfunction. In this clinical opinion, we critically review the available literature on PlGF and sFlt-1 for the surveillance and time of the delivery in fetuses affected by preterm preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. Moreover, we explore the use of angiogenic biomarkers for the differentiation between chronic kidney disease and superimposed preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Ramirez Zegarra
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Tullio Ghi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Christoph Lees
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Centre for Fetal Care, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom; Department of Development and Regeneration, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Ricart M, Bonacina E, Garcia-Manau P, López M, Caamiña S, Vives À, Lopez-Quesada E, Maroto A, de Mingo L, Pintado E, Ferrer-Costa R, Martín L, Rodriguez-Zurita A, Garcia E, Pallarols M, Pratcorona L, Teixidor M, Orizales-Lago C, Ocaña V, Del Barco E, Carreras E, Suy A, Mendoza M. Placental growth factor at 24-28 weeks for aspirin discontinuation in pregnancies at high risk for preterm preeclampsia: Post hoc analysis of StopPRE trial. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2024. [PMID: 39171611 DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study aims to evaluate the safety of discontinuing aspirin treatment at 24-28 weeks in women at high risk after first-trimester combined screening for preeclampsia (PE) and normal placental growth factor (PlGF) levels at 24-28 weeks of gestation. MATERIAL AND METHODS This is a post hoc analysis of the StopPRE trial, conducted at nine Spanish maternity hospitals from September 2019 to September 2021. In the StopPRE trial, all high-risk single pregnancies identified during first-trimester screening for PE were treated with 150 mg of daily aspirin. Out of 1604 eligible women with a soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 to PlGF ratio (sFlt-1/PlGF) ≤38 at 24-28 weeks, 968 were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either continue aspirin until 36 weeks (control group) or discontinue it (intervention group). In this secondary analysis, only women with PlGF ≥100 pg/mL at 24-28 weeks were included. As in the StopPRE trial, the non-inferiority margin was set at a 1.9% difference in preterm PE incidence between the groups. RESULTS Among the 13 983 screened pregnant women, 1984 (14.2%) were deemed high-risk for preterm PE, of which 397 (20.0%) were ineligible, 636 declined participation, and 32 were excluded. Ultimately, 919 women with PlGF >100 pg/mL were randomized and included in this analysis. Preterm PE occurred in 0.9% of the intervention group (4 out of 465) and 1.5% of the control group (7 out of 454), indicating non-inferiority of aspirin discontinuation. There were no significant differences between the groups in adverse pregnancy outcomes before 37 weeks, at <34 weeks, or ≥37 weeks. Minor antepartum hemorrhage incidence was significantly lower in the intervention group (absolute difference, -5.96; 95% CI, -10.10 to -1.82). CONCLUSIONS Discontinuation of aspirin treatment at 24-28 weeks in women with PlGF levels ≥100 pg/mL was non-inferior to continuing until 36 weeks for preventing preterm PE. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution, as they originate from a subanalysis of the StopPRE trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Ricart
- Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Erika Bonacina
- Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Garcia-Manau
- Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Monica López
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Sara Caamiña
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Àngels Vives
- Department of Obstetrics, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Eva Lopez-Quesada
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitari Mútua Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Anna Maroto
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitari de Girona Doctor Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain
| | - Laura de Mingo
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa, Leganés, Spain
| | - Elena Pintado
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitario de Getafe, Getafe, Spain
| | - Roser Ferrer-Costa
- Department of Biochemistry, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lourdes Martín
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Alicia Rodriguez-Zurita
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Esperanza Garcia
- Department of Obstetrics, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Mar Pallarols
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitari Mútua Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Laia Pratcorona
- Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Mireia Teixidor
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitari de Girona Doctor Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain
| | | | - Vanesa Ocaña
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitario de Getafe, Getafe, Spain
| | - Esther Del Barco
- Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Carreras
- Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Suy
- Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manel Mendoza
- Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
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Uçkan K, Özgökçe Ç, Başkiran Y, Eyisoy ÖG, Çeleğen İ, Akbay Hİ. The role of ultrasound and mitofusin-2 levels to predict pregnancy outcomes in patients with severe preeclampsia: a case-control study. REVISTA DA ASSOCIACAO MEDICA BRASILEIRA (1992) 2024; 70:e20240152. [PMID: 39166673 PMCID: PMC11329264 DOI: 10.1590/1806-9282.20240152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate mitofusin-2 levels and fetal Doppler ultrasonography effects in patients with severe preeclampsia. METHODS This single-center case-control study was conducted in the gynecology service of the university hospital in Van. A total of 90 pregnant women aged 18-40 years were included in the study. Of these, 30 are normal, 30 have mild preeclampsia, and 30 are pregnant with severe preeclampsia. In this study, especially in severe preeclampsia patients, serum mitofusin-2 levels and important fetal Doppler flows such as uterine arterial pressure, umbilical arterial pressure, and 1st and 5th minute Apgar scores, birth weight, and the relationship between postnatal outcomes such as week of birth and the number of patients in the neonatal intensive care unit were investigated. RESULTS There was a significant difference between the three groups in terms of mitofusin-2 levels, which was the highest in the group (p<0.05). Maternal serum mitofusin-2 levels were positively correlated with uterine arterial pressure (r=0.543, p=0.007), umbilical arterial pressure (r=0.238, p=0.008), diastolic blood pressure, and systolic blood pressure (p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve of mitofusin-2 in predicting preeclampsia is as follows: optimal cutoff 1.6 ng/mL; area under the curve: 0.861; 95%CI: 0.786-0.917; sensitivity: 83.9%; and specificity: 70.0%, (p≤0.001). A one-unit increase in mitofusin-2 resulted in a statistically significant 4.21-fold increase in preeclampsia risk. CONCLUSION This study recommends the use of mitofusin-2 together with fetal Doppler ultrasound findings as a reliable indicator of preeclampsia severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazım Uçkan
- Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic - Van, Turkey
| | - Çağdaş Özgökçe
- Zeynep Kamil Women and Children Research Hospital - İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Başkiran
- Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic - Van, Turkey
| | - Ömer Gökhan Eyisoy
- Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic - Van, Turkey
| | - İzzet Çeleğen
- Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health - Van, Turkey
| | - Halil İbrahim Akbay
- Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic - Van, Turkey
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Chen X, Lan L, Wu H, Zeng M, Zheng Z, Zhong Q, Lai F, Hu Y. Chromosomal Microarray Analysis in Fetuses with Ultrasound Abnormalities. Int J Gen Med 2024; 17:3531-3540. [PMID: 39161407 PMCID: PMC11332413 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s472906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective To explore and evaluate the value of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in prenatal diagnosis of fetuses with ultrasound abnormalities. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 370 fetuses with ultrasound abnormalities received invasive prenatal diagnosis at Meizhou People's Hospital from October 2022 to December 2023. Fetal specimens were analyzed by CMA, and the detection rates of aneuploidy and pathogenic (P)/likely pathogenic (LP) copy number variations (CNVs) in ultrasound structural abnormalities (malformations of fetal anatomy) and non-structural abnormalities (abnormalities of fetal nonanatomical structure) were analyzed. Results There were 114 (30.8%) cases with isolated ultrasound structural abnormalities, 226 (61.1%) cases with isolated non-structural abnormalities (182 isolated ultrasound soft markers abnormalities, 30 isolated fetal growth restriction (FGR), and 8 isolated abnormalities of amniotic fluid volume), and 30 (8.1%) cases with both structural and non-structural abnormalities. The overall detection rate of aneuploidy and P/LP CNVs in isolated ultrasonic structural abnormalities was 5.3%, among which cardiovascular system abnormalities were the highest. In addition, the largest number of fetuses with non-structural abnormalities was nuchal translucency (NT) thickening (n = 81), followed by ventriculomegaly (n = 29), and nasal bone dysplasia (n = 24). The detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities of fetuses with abnormal ultrasound soft markers was 9.9%, and the detection rate in single abnormal ultrasound soft marker, and multiple ultrasound soft markers abnormalities was 9.7% (16/165) and 11.8% (2/17), respectively. Moreover, the detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities of fetuses with FGR and structural abnormalities combined with non-structural abnormalities was 6.7% (2/30), and 13.3% (4/30), respectively. Conclusion The incidence of chromosomal abnormalities (aneuploidy and P/LP CNVs) varies among different fetal ultrasound abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqin Chen
- Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou Academy of Medical Sciences, Meizhou, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Obstetrics, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou Academy of Medical Sciences, Meizhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liubing Lan
- Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou Academy of Medical Sciences, Meizhou, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Obstetrics, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou Academy of Medical Sciences, Meizhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Heming Wu
- Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou Academy of Medical Sciences, Meizhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mei Zeng
- Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou Academy of Medical Sciences, Meizhou, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Obstetrics, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou Academy of Medical Sciences, Meizhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiyuan Zheng
- Department of Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou Academy of Medical Sciences, Meizhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiuping Zhong
- Department of Obstetrics, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou Academy of Medical Sciences, Meizhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fengdan Lai
- Department of Obstetrics, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou Academy of Medical Sciences, Meizhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yonghe Hu
- Department of Obstetrics, Meizhou People’s Hospital, Meizhou Academy of Medical Sciences, Meizhou, People’s Republic of China
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Wei XH, Liao LY, Yin YX, Xu Q, Xie SS, Liu M, Gao LB, Chen HQ, Zhou R. Overexpression of long noncoding RNA DUXAP8 inhibits ER-phagy through activating AKT/mTOR signaling and contributes to preeclampsia. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:336. [PMID: 39120751 PMCID: PMC11335266 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05385-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is a life-threatening pregnancy-specific complication with controversial mechanisms and no effective treatment except delivery is available. Currently, increasing researchers suggested that PE shares pathophysiologic features with protein misfolding/aggregation disorders, such as Alzheimer disease (AD). Evidences have proposed defective autophagy as a potential source of protein aggregation in PE. Endoplasmic reticulum-selective autophagy (ER-phagy) plays a critical role in clearing misfolded proteins and maintaining ER homeostasis. However, its roles in the molecular pathology of PE remain unclear. We found that lncRNA DUXAP8 was upregulated in preeclamptic placentae and significantly correlated with clinical indicators. DUXAP8 specifically binds to PCBP2 and inhibits its ubiquitination-mediated degradation, and decreased levels of PCBP2 reversed the activation effect of DUXAP8 overexpression on AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Function experiments showed that DUXAP8 overexpression inhibited trophoblastic proliferation, migration, and invasion of HTR-8/SVneo and JAR cells. Moreover, pathological accumulation of swollen and lytic ER (endoplasmic reticulum) was observed in DUXAP8-overexpressed HTR8/SVneo cells and PE placental villus trophoblast cells, which suggesting that ER clearance ability is impaired. Further studies found that DUXAP8 overexpression impaired ER-phagy and caused protein aggregation medicated by reduced FAM134B and LC3II expression (key proteins involved in ER-phagy) via activating AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The increased level of FAM134B significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of DUXAP8 overexpression on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of trophoblasts. In vivo, DUXAP8 overexpression through tail vein injection of adenovirus induced PE-like phenotypes in pregnant rats accompanied with activated AKT/mTOR signaling, decreased expression of FAM134B and LC3-II proteins and increased protein aggregation in placental tissues. Our study reveals the important role of lncRNA DUXAP8 in regulating trophoblast biological behaviors through FAM134B-mediated ER-phagy, providing a new theoretical basis for understanding the pathogenesis of PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hong Wei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University) , Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Ling-Yun Liao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University) , Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Yang-Xue Yin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University) , Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Qin Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University) , Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Shuang-Shuang Xie
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University) , Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University) , Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Lin-Bo Gao
- Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Qin Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University) , Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Rong Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University) , Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China.
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Giorgione V, Ramnarine S, Malik A, Bhide A. The value of angiogenetic biomarkers in the detection of early onset fetal growth restriction. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2024; 299:91-95. [PMID: 38850897 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2024.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The identification of fetal growth restriction (FGR) due to uteroplacental insufficiency is important to improve perinatal outcomes. To distinguish FGR from small for gestational age (SGA), FGR consensus definition is currently based on biometry and/or additional biophysical parameters. This study aims to verify if this definition might be modified by including circulating angiogenic factors. STUDY DESIGN This historical cohort study included singleton pregnancies with SGA fetuses after 20 weeks. All patients underwent detailed ultrasound and measurements of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) at first assessment. ISUOG criteria for FGR were applied. Total PlGF was calculated using free PlGF, sFlt-1 and a receptor pharmacology model, and multiple of the median (MoM) values for sFlt-1, free PlGF, total PlGF and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio were calculated to adjust for gestational age. RESULTS 72 pregnancies with SGA were first evaluated at median (IQR) of 28+5 (26+2 -31+3) weeks' gestation, and 51 fetuses (70.8 %) satisfied the FGR consensus definition. Pregnancies with FGR showed significantly lower levels of free and total PlGF MoM (0.12, 95 % IQR: 0.07-0.36 vs 0.32, 95 % IQR: 0.20-0.53, p = 0.008) and 0.26, 95 % CI: 0.16-0.55 vs 0.43, 95 % IQR: 0.23-0.53, p = 0.028) respectively; and higher sFlt-1 MoM (4.62, 95 % IQR: 1.80-7.30 vs 1.74, 95 % IQR:1.11-3.61, p = 0.014) than pregnancies not classified as FGR. Free and total PlGF MoM correlated significantly with gestational age at delivery (r = 0.776, p < 0.001 and r = 0.707, p < 0.001, respectively). sFlt-1 MoM and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio MoM also correlated with gestational age at delivery (r = -0.681, p < 0.001 and r = -0.823, p < 0.001). Six cases identified as FGR at first ultrasound were not confirmed at birth showing significantly higher levels of free PlGF MoM (0.77, 95 % IQR: 0.27-3.07 vs 0.17, 95 % IQR: 0.08-0.43, p = 0.022). CONCLUSION These findings show that total as well as free PlGF levels are lower in pregnancies affected with placental growth restriction. Angiogenic biomarkers might improve the differentiation between placental growth restriction and constitutional smallness. Further studies are needed to determine how to integrate them into the current definitions of FGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Giorgione
- Maternity Department, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Stephan Ramnarine
- Maternity Department, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Amna Malik
- Maternity Department, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Amarnath Bhide
- Maternity Department, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Vascular Biology Research Center, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK.
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8
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Silver RM, Reddy U. Stillbirth: we can do better. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2024; 231:152-165. [PMID: 38789073 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2024.05.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Stillbirth is far too common, occurring in millions of pregnancies per year globally. The rate of stillbirth (defined as death of a fetus prior to birth at 20 weeks' gestation or more) in the United States is 5.73 per 1000. This is approximately 1 in 175 pregnancies accounting for about 21,000 stillbirths per year. Although rates are much higher in low-income countries, the stillbirth rate in the United States is much higher than most high resource countries. Moreover, there are substantial disparities in stillbirth, with rates twice as high for non-Hispanic Black and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders compared to non-Hispanic Whites. There is considerable opportunity for reduction in stillbirths, even in high resource countries such as the United States. In this article, we review the epidemiology, risk factors, causes, evaluation, medical and emotional management, and prevention of stillbirth. We focus on novel data regarding genetic etiologies, placental assessment, risk stratification, and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Silver
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Divisions of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
| | - Uma Reddy
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Divisions of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY
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9
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Burns LP, Potchileev S, Mueller A, Azzi M, Premkumar A, Peterson J, Rausch A, Gonzalez M, Silasi M, Karumanchi SA, Thadhani R, Rana S. Real-world evidence for the utility of serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1/placental growth factor test for routine clinical evaluation of hospitalized women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2024:S0002-9378(24)00758-0. [PMID: 39029547 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2024.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An imbalance of the antiangiogenic factor, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1, and proangiogenic factor, placental growth factor, in the circulation is a reliable predictor for the development of preeclampsia with severe features and related adverse outcomes. In 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor test at a cutoff of 40 to aid in the risk assessment of women hospitalized for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy for the progression to preeclampsia with severe features between 23 and 35 weeks. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to generate real-world evidence for clinical utility for serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor test when made available to clinicians in a timely fashion as an aid in risk stratification of development of preeclampsia with severe features within 2 weeks of testing among hospitalized patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN Hospitalized patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy between 23 weeks to 34 weeks and 6 days of gestation were prospectively studied from June 2023 to January 2024 after the implementation of serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor testing into routine clinical practice. Serum samples were obtained from patients via venipuncture and analyzed on an automated immunoassay platform (placental growth factor and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 assays; Thermo Fisher Scientific). Before implementation, physicians were educated on appropriate use and management guidelines on the basis of biomarkers but made pragmatic management decisions independently. Results of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor tests were available to clinicians within 24 hours of venipuncture. The association between soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor ≥40 and progression to preeclampsia with severe features and adverse maternal/perinatal outcomes were assessed. RESULTS Of the 65 patient encounters, 36 had a soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor <40 (55.4%). The rate of delivery for indications related to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy within 2 weeks was significantly lower among encounters with a low ratio vs high ratio (2/36 [5.6%] vs 21/29 [72.4%]) even after controlling for relevant confounders (adjusted hazard ratio, 7.52; 95% confidence interval, 3.05-18.54; P<.001). A diagnosis of preeclampsia with severe features within 2 weeks of testing was also less likely among the encounters with soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor ratio <40 when compared with soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor ratio ≥40 (2/36 [5.6%] vs 23/29 [79.3%], P<.001; positive predictive value of 79% [95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.94] and negative predictive value of 0.94 [95% confidence interval, 0.87-1.00]). The positive and negative likelihood ratios for the development of preeclampsia with severe features within 2 weeks of testing were 6.13 and 0.09, respectively. Encounters with a soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor ratio <40 were less likely to experience a maternal or fetal adverse event as compared with encounters with soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor ratio ≥40 (3/36 [8.3%] vs 10/29 [34.5%], P=.01). Among 36 encounters involving low soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor values, 22 had had equivocal clinical or laboratory criteria resembling preeclampsia at presentation but were expectantly managed on the basis of biomarkers, and none developed preeclampsia with severe features or adverse outcomes at 2 weeks. The median latency defined as days between biomarker measurement and delivery in patients with a low biomarker ratio was 33 (interquartile ratio, 23-47) vs 7 (interquartile ratio, 4-14) days among patients with a high ratio (P<.001). Corticosteroid use within 2 weeks was also significantly reduced in the low biomarker group when compared with the high biomarker group (8/35 [22.9%] vs 24/29 [82.8%], P<.001). CONCLUSION In this study, the incorporation of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor ratio into clinical practice serves as a dependable supplement in assessing risk for progression to preeclampsia with severe features and adverse outcomes in patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in the United States. Among patients with a low ratio, pregnancy may be prolonged, which results in better neonatal outcomes without harm to the mother.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke P Burns
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Sanela Potchileev
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Ariel Mueller
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Marly Azzi
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Ashish Premkumar
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Jessica Peterson
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Andrew Rausch
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Maritza Gonzalez
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Michelle Silasi
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Mercy Hospital, St. Louis, MO
| | | | | | - Sarosh Rana
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
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Givens M, Valcheva I, Einerson BD, Rogozińska E, Jauniaux E. Evaluation of maternal serum protein biomarkers in the prenatal evaluation of placenta accreta spectrum: A systematic scoping review. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2024. [PMID: 39004916 DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is an increasingly commonly reported condition due to the continuous increase in the rate of cesarean deliveries (CD) worldwide; however, the prenatal screening for pregnant patients at risk of PAS at birth remains limited, in particular when imaging expertise is not available. MATERIAL AND METHODS Two major electronic databases (MEDLINE and Embase) were searched electronically for articles published in English between October 1992 and January 2023 using combinations of the relevant medical subject heading terms and keywords. Two independent reviewers selected observational studies that provided data on one or more measurement of maternal blood-specific biomarker(s) during pregnancies with PAS at birth. PRISMA Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) was used to extract data and report results. RESULTS Of the 441 reviewed articles, 29 met the inclusion criteria reporting on 34 different biomarkers. 14 studies were retrospective and 15 prospective overall including 18 251 participants. Six studies had a cohort design and the remaining a case-control design. Wide clinical heterogeneity was found in the included studies. In eight studies, the samples were obtained in the first trimester; in five, the samples were collected on hospital admission for delivery; and in the rest, the samples were collected during the second and/or third trimester. CONCLUSIONS Measurements of serum biomarkers, some of which have been or are still used in screening for other pregnancy complications, could contribute to the prenatal evaluation of patients at risk of PAS at delivery; however, important evidence gaps were identified for suitable cutoffs for most biomarkers, variability of gestational age at sampling and the potential overlap of the marker values with other placental-related complications of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Givens
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Drs Givens and Einerson), University of Utah Health (UUH), Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Ivaila Valcheva
- EGA Institute for Women's Health, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Brett D Einerson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Drs Givens and Einerson), University of Utah Health (UUH), Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Ewelina Rogozińska
- The EVIdencE Synthesis and Methodology Group for Women's Health Research (EVIE), Institute of Clinical Trials & Methodology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Eric Jauniaux
- EGA Institute for Women's Health, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, University College London, London, UK
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Nema J, Sundrani D, Randhir K, Deshpande J, Lalwani S, Wagh G, Gupte S, Joshi S. Maternal angiogenic factor disruptions prior to clinical diagnosis of preeclampsia: insights from the REVAMP study. Hypertens Res 2024:10.1038/s41440-024-01775-8. [PMID: 38965425 DOI: 10.1038/s41440-024-01775-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Preeclampsia is characterized by impaired angiogenesis and assessment of angiogenic factors can play a crucial role in the early diagnosis of preeclampsia. The current study reports the levels of angiogenic factors longitudinally from early pregnancy in women with preeclampsia and in the subtypes of preeclampsia, to identify their role in early prediction of preeclampsia. A total of 1154 women with singleton pregnancies were recruited in early pregnancy from 2 hospitals. Blood samples were collected, plasma samples were separated and stored at four time points across gestation: V1 = 11-14 weeks, V2 = 18-22 weeks, V3 = 26-28 weeks, and V4 = at delivery. The current study includes a total of 108 women developed preeclampsia (PE), and 216 matched controls. Angiogenic factors were estimated using commercially available ELISA kits. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the potential diagnostic value in the prediction of PE. Lower levels of VEGF, PlGF, and higher levels of sEng and sEng/PlGF ratio (p < 0.05 for all) predate clinical diagnosis in women with preeclampsia. sEng levels and sEng/PlGF ratio showed significant correlation with odds of preeclampsia at all the timepoints. This study identifies a cut off of 33.5 for sFlt-1/PlGF and 25.9 for sEng/PlGF for prediction of early onset preeclampsia. This study reports various angiogenic factors serially across gestation in a general population to identify women at risk of developing preeclampsia and its subtypes. The study also reports a potential biomarker and a pragmatic window for estimation of angiogenic markers to identify women at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhi Nema
- Mother and Child Health, ICMR- Collaborating Centre of Excellence (ICMR-CCoE), Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune Satara Road, Pune, 411043, India
| | - Deepali Sundrani
- Mother and Child Health, ICMR- Collaborating Centre of Excellence (ICMR-CCoE), Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune Satara Road, Pune, 411043, India
| | - Karuna Randhir
- Mother and Child Health, ICMR- Collaborating Centre of Excellence (ICMR-CCoE), Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune Satara Road, Pune, 411043, India
| | - Juilee Deshpande
- Mother and Child Health, ICMR- Collaborating Centre of Excellence (ICMR-CCoE), Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune Satara Road, Pune, 411043, India
| | - Sanjay Lalwani
- Department of Pediatrics, Bharati Medical College and Hospital, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune, 411043, India
| | - Girija Wagh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bharati Medical College and Hospital, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune, 411043, India
| | - Sanjay Gupte
- Gupte Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, 411004, India
| | - Sadhana Joshi
- Mother and Child Health, ICMR- Collaborating Centre of Excellence (ICMR-CCoE), Interactive Research School for Health Affairs, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune Satara Road, Pune, 411043, India.
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Moronge D, Ayulo V, Elgazzaz M, Mellott E, Ogbi S, Faulkner JL. Both endothelial mineralocorticoid receptor expression and hyperleptinemia are required for clinical characteristics of placental ischemia in mice. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2024; 327:H118-H130. [PMID: 38758130 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00188.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
One of the initiating events in preeclampsia (PE) is placental ischemia. Rodent models of placental ischemia do not present with vascular endothelial dysfunction, a hallmark of PE. We previously demonstrated a role for leptin in endothelial dysfunction in pregnancy in the absence of placental ischemia. We hypothesized that placental ischemia requires hyperleptinemia and endothelial mineralocorticoid receptor (ECMR) expression to induce PE-associated endothelial dysfunction in pregnant mice. We induced placental ischemia via the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) procedure in pregnant ECMR-intact (ECMR+/+) and ECMR deletion (ECMR-/-) mice at gestational day (GD) 13. ECMR+/+ RUPP pregnant mice also received concurrent leptin infusion via miniosmotic pump (0.9 mg/kg/day). RUPP increased blood pressure via radiotelemetry and decreased fetal growth in ECMR+/+ pregnant mice. Both increases in blood pressure and reduced fetal growth were abolished in RUPP ECMR-/- mice. Placental ischemia did not decrease endothelial-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine (ACh) but increased phenylephrine (Phe) contraction in mesenteric arteries of pregnant mice, which was ablated by ECMR deletion. Addition of leptin to RUPP mice significantly reduced ACh relaxation in ECMR+/+ pregnant mice, accompanied by an increase in soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1)/placental growth factor (PLGF) ratio. In conclusion, our data indicate that high leptin levels drive endothelial dysfunction in PE and that ECMR is required for clinical characteristics of hypertension and fetal growth restriction in placental ischemia PE. Collectively, we show that both ECMR and leptin play a role to mediate PE.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Leptin is a key feature of preeclampsia that initiates vascular endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia characterized by placental ischemia. Endothelial mineralocorticoid receptor (ECMR) deletion in placental ischemia protects pregnant mice from elevations in blood pressure and fetal growth restriction in pregnancy. Increases in leptin production mediate the key pathological feature of endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia in rodents. ECMR activation contributes to the increase in blood pressure and fetal growth restriction in preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desmond Moronge
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
| | - Victor Ayulo
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
| | - Mona Elgazzaz
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
- Genetics Unit, Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Elisabeth Mellott
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
| | - Safia Ogbi
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
| | - Jessica L Faulkner
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, United States
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Hong J, Crawford K, Cavanagh E, da Silva Costa F, Kumar S. Prediction of preterm birth in growth-restricted and appropriate-for-gestational-age infants using maternal PlGF and the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio-A prospective study. BJOG 2024; 131:1089-1101. [PMID: 38196326 DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.17752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the utility of placental growth factor (PlGF) levels and the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor (sFlt-1/PlGF) ratio to predict preterm birth (PTB) for infants with fetal growth restriction (FGR) and those appropriate for gestational age (AGA). DESIGN Prospective, observational cohort study. SETTING Tertiary maternity hospital in Australia. POPULATION There were 320 singleton pregnancies: 141 (44.1%) AGA, 83 (25.9%) early FGR (<32+0 weeks) and 109 (30.0%) late FGR (≥32+0 weeks). METHODS Maternal serum PlGF and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio were measured at 4-weekly intervals from recruitment to delivery. Low maternal PlGF levels and elevated sFlt-1/PlGF ratio were defined as <100 ng/L and >5.78 if <28 weeks and >38 if ≥28 weeks respectively. Cox proportional hazards models were used. The analysis period was defined as the time from the first measurement of PlGF and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio to the time of birth or censoring. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary study outcome was overall PTB. The relative risks (RR) of birth within 1, 2 and 3 weeks and for medically indicated and spontaneous PTB were also ascertained. RESULTS The early FGR cohort had lower median PlGF levels (54 versus 229 ng/L, p < 0.001) and higher median sFlt-1 levels (2774 ng/L versus 2096 ng/L, p < 0.001) and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio higher (35 versus 10, p < 0.001). Both PlGF <100 ng/L and elevated sFlt-1/PlGF ratio were strongly predictive for PTB as well as PTB within 1, 2 and 3 weeks of diagnosis. For both FGR and AGA groups, PlGF <100 ng/L or raised sFlt-1/PlGF ratio were strongly associated with increased risk for medically indicated PTB. The highest RR was seen in the FGR cohort when PlGF was <100 ng/L (RR 35.20, 95% CI 11.48-175.46). CONCLUSIONS Low maternal PlGF levels and elevated sFlt-1/PlGF ratio are potentially useful to predict PTB in both FGR and AGA pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesrine Hong
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kylie Crawford
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Erika Cavanagh
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Fabricio da Silva Costa
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
- Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sailesh Kumar
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Nagao T, Hasegawa A, Samura O, Okamoto A. Utilizing Repetitive Serial Placental Ultrasounds for Diagnosing a Massive Subchorionic Thrombohematoma: Insights Into Soluble FMS-Like Tyrosine Kinase-1/Placental Growth Factor (sFlt-1/PlGF) Trends. Cureus 2024; 16:e63927. [PMID: 39105034 PMCID: PMC11299127 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.63927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The patient, a 34-year-old primigravida with no prior medical history, presented at 23 + 0 weeks with gestational hypertension and fetal growth restriction (FGR). Ultrasound examination showed a placental mass, and subsequent repeated ultrasound scans revealed changes in the mass' echogenicity, raising suspicion of a massive subchorionic thrombohematoma (MST). While the blood pressure was mildly elevated without proteinuria and organ dysfunctions, serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor (sFlt-1/PlGF) ratios showed significantly elevated values. A cesarean section was performed at 29 + 2 weeks due to the nonreassuring fetal status. The female infant, with Apgar scores of 1/1 at one/five minutes and an umbilical artery pH of 7.16, remained unresponsive and died seven hours postdelivery. Pathology examination revealed a massive hematoma in the subchorionic space, measuring 22 mm thick, directly beneath the umbilical cord attachment. This case underscores the importance of repetitive placental ultrasound in MST diagnosis and suggests the potential utility of sFlt-1/PlGF ratios in predicting adverse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Nagao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, JPN
| | - Akihiro Hasegawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, JPN
| | - Osamu Samura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, JPN
| | - Aikou Okamoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, JPN
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15
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Dall'Asta A, Penas Da Costa MA, Sorrentino S, Lees C, Ghi T. Counseling in fetal medicine: pre- and periviable fetal growth restriction. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2024; 64:10-14. [PMID: 37902741 DOI: 10.1002/uog.27519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A Dall'Asta
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - M A Penas Da Costa
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - S Sorrentino
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - C Lees
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Fetal Care, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - T Ghi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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Yi K, Ao M, Ding T, Zheng D, Li L. Bowtie Nanoantenna LSPR Biosensor for Early Prediction of Preeclampsia. BIOSENSORS 2024; 14:317. [PMID: 39056593 PMCID: PMC11274383 DOI: 10.3390/bios14070317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The concentration of the placental circulating factor in early pregnancy is often extremely low, and the traditional prediction method cannot meet the clinical demand for early detection preeclampsia in high-risk gravida. It is of prime importance to seek an ultra-sensitive early prediction method. METHODS In this study, finite-different time-domain (FDTD) and Discrete Dipole Approximation (DDA) simulation, and electron beam lithography (EBL) methods were used to develop a bowtie nanoantenna (BNA) with the best field enhancement and maximum coupling efficiency. Bio-modification of the placental circulating factor (sFlt-1, PLGF) to the noble nanoparticles based on the amino coupling method were explored. A BNA LSPR biosensor which can specifically identify the placental circulating factor in preeclampsia was constructed. RESULTS The BNA LSPR biosensor can detect serum placental circulating factors without toxic labeling. Serum sFlt-1 extinction signal (Δλmax) in the preeclampsia group was higher than that in the normal pregnancy group (14.37 ± 2.56 nm vs. 4.21 ± 1.36 nm), p = 0.008, while the serum PLGF extinction signal in the preeclampsia group was lower than that in the normal pregnancy group (5.36 ± 3.15 nm vs. 11.47 ± 4.92 nm), p = 0.013. The LSPR biosensor detection results were linearly consistent with the ELISA kit. CONCLUSIONS LSPR biosensor based on BNA can identify the serum placental circulating factor of preeclampsia with high sensitivity, without toxic labeling and with simple operation, and it is expected to be an early detection method for preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Yi
- Gynecology Department of West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Mengyin Ao
- Gynecology Department of West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ting Ding
- Gynecology Department of West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Danxi Zheng
- Gynecology Department of West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lin Li
- Gynecology Department of West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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17
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Cristodoro M, Messa M, Tossetta G, Marzioni D, Dell’Avanzo M, Inversetti A, Di Simone N. First Trimester Placental Biomarkers for Pregnancy Outcomes. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6136. [PMID: 38892323 PMCID: PMC11172712 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The placenta plays a key role in several adverse obstetrical outcomes, such as preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction and gestational diabetes mellitus. The early identification of at-risk pregnancies could significantly improve the management, therapy and prognosis of these pregnancies, especially if these at-risk pregnancies are identified in the first trimester. The aim of this review was to summarize the possible biomarkers that can be used to diagnose early placental dysfunction and, consequently, at-risk pregnancies. We divided the biomarkers into proteins and non-proteins. Among the protein biomarkers, some are already used in clinical practice, such as the sFLT1/PLGF ratio or PAPP-A; others are not yet validated, such as HTRA1, Gal-3 and CD93. In the literature, many studies analyzed the role of several protein biomarkers, but their results are contrasting. On the other hand, some non-protein biomarkers, such as miR-125b, miR-518b and miR-628-3p, seem to be linked to an increased risk of complicated pregnancy. Thus, a first trimester heterogeneous biomarkers panel containing protein and non-protein biomarkers may be more appropriate to identify and discriminate several complications that can affect pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Cristodoro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20072 Milano, Italy; (M.C.)
| | - Martina Messa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20072 Milano, Italy; (M.C.)
| | - Giovanni Tossetta
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Daniela Marzioni
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Annalisa Inversetti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20072 Milano, Italy; (M.C.)
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Di Simone
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20072 Milano, Italy; (M.C.)
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
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18
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Barron A, Barrett L, Tuulari J, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, McCarthy C, O'Keeffe G. sFlt-1 impairs neurite growth and neuronal differentiation in SH-SY5Y cells and human neurons. Biosci Rep 2024; 44:BSR20240562. [PMID: 38700092 PMCID: PMC11130541 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20240562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy which is associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in exposed offspring. The pathophysiological mechanisms mediating this relationship are currently unknown, and one potential candidate is the anti-angiogenic factor soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), which is highly elevated in PE. While sFlt-1 can impair angiogenesis via inhibition of VEGFA signalling, it is unclear whether it can directly affect neuronal development independently of its effects on the vasculature. To test this hypothesis, the current study differentiated the human neural progenitor cell (NPC) line ReNcell® VM into a mixed culture of mature neurons and glia, and exposed them to sFlt-1 during development. Outcomes measured were neurite growth, cytotoxicity, mRNA expression of nestin, MBP, GFAP, and βIII-tubulin, and neurosphere differentiation. sFlt-1 induced a significant reduction in neurite growth and this effect was timing- and dose-dependent up to 100 ng/ml, with no effect on cytotoxicity. sFlt-1 (100 ng/ml) also reduced βIII-tubulin mRNA and neuronal differentiation of neurospheres. Undifferentiated NPCs and mature neurons/glia expressed VEGFA and VEGFR-2, required for endogenous autocrine and paracrine VEGFA signalling, while sFlt-1 treatment prevented the neurogenic effects of exogenous VEGFA. Overall, these data provide the first experimental evidence for a direct effect of sFlt-1 on neurite growth and neuronal differentiation in human neurons through inhibition of VEGFA signalling, clarifying our understanding of the potential role of sFlt-1 as a mechanism by which PE can affect neuronal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Barron
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Centre, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Lauren Barrett
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College, Cork, Ireland
| | - Jetro J. Tuulari
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Centre, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry and Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Turku Collegium for Science, Medicine and Technology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Centre, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Unit of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Centre, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry and Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Cathal M. McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Gerard W. O'Keeffe
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College, Cork, Ireland
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19
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Palmrich P, Kalafat E, Pateisky P, Schirwani-Hartl N, Haberl C, Herrmann C, Khalil A, Binder J. Prognostic value of angiogenic markers in pregnancy with fetal growth restriction. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2024; 63:619-626. [PMID: 37774098 DOI: 10.1002/uog.27509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pregnancies with fetal growth restriction (FGR) are at increased risk for pre-eclampsia. Angiogenic markers including soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) are altered in pregnancies complicated by FGR, but their utility for predicting pre-eclampsia in growth-restricted pregnancies is uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of angiogenic markers for predicting the development of pre-eclampsia in pregnancies with FGR and suspected pre-eclampsia. METHODS This was a retrospective study of singleton pregnancies with FGR, defined according to Delphi consensus criteria, which underwent sampling of sFlt-1 and PlGF for suspicion of pre-eclampsia at the Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, between 2013 and 2020. Women with an established diagnosis of pre-eclampsia at sampling were excluded. Cox regression analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate the association of angiogenic markers with the development of pre-eclampsia at various timepoints. RESULTS In this cohort of 93 women, pre-eclampsia was diagnosed in 14 (15.1%) women within 1 week after sampling, 21 (22.6%) within 2 weeks after sampling and 38 (40.9%) at any time after assessment. The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio consistently showed a stronger association with the development of pre-eclampsia compared to sFlt-1 or PlGF alone (pre-eclampsia within 1 week: area under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve, 0.87 vs 0.82 vs 0.72). Models including the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio were associated more strongly with pre-eclampsia hazard compared to models including sFlt-1 or PlGF alone (concordance index, 0.790 vs 0.759 vs 0.755). The risk classification capability of the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio decreased after the 2-week timepoint. The established cut-off value for the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio of < 38 was effective for ruling out pre-eclampsia within 2 weeks, with a negative predictive value of 0.933 and sensitivity of 0.952. CONCLUSIONS Use of the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio is preferrable to the use of PlGF alone for the prediction of pre-eclampsia in pregnancies with FGR. Established cut-offs for ruling out the development of pre-eclampsia in the short term seem to be effective in these patients. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Palmrich
- Department of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - E Kalafat
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - P Pateisky
- Department of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - N Schirwani-Hartl
- Department of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - C Haberl
- Department of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - C Herrmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - A Khalil
- Fetal Medicine Unit, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of London, London, UK
- Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - J Binder
- Department of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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20
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Januzzi JL, Liu Y, Sattar N, Yavin Y, Pollock CA, Butler J, Jardine M, Heerspink HJL, Masson S, Breyer M, Hansen MK. Vascular endothelial growth factors and risk of cardio-renal events: Results from the CREDENCE trial. Am Heart J 2024; 271:38-47. [PMID: 38401646 DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2024.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulating concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family members may be abnormally elevated in type 2 diabetes (T2D). The roles of placental growth factor (PlGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFLT-1), and VEGF-A in cardio-renal complications of T2D are not established. METHOD The 2602 individuals with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) from the Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation trial were randomized to receive canagliflozin or placebo and followed for incident cardio-renal outcomes. PlGF, sFLT-1, and VEGF-A were measured at baseline, year 1, and year 3. Primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease, doubling of the serum creatinine, or renal/cardiovascular death. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to investigate the association between biomarkers with adverse clinical events. RESULTS At baseline, individuals with higher PlGF levels had more prevalent cardiovascular disease compared to those with lower values. Treatment with canagliflozin did not meaningfully change PlGF, sFLT-1, and VEGF-A concentrations at years 1 and 3. In a multivariable model, 1 unit increases in baseline log PlGF (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23, 2.54, P-value = .002), sFLT-1 (HR: 3.34, [95% CI: 1.71, 6.52], P-value < .001), and PlGF/sFLT-1 ratio (HR: 4.83, [95% CI: 0.86, 27.01], P-value = .07) were associated with primary composite outcome, while 1 unit increase in log VEGF-A did not increase the risk of primary outcome (HR: 0.96 [95% CI: 0.81, 1.07]). Change by 1 year of each biomarker was also assessed: HR (95% CI) of primary composite outcome was 2.45 (1.70, 3.54) for 1 unit increase in 1-year concentration of log PlGF, 4.19 (2.18, 8.03) for 1 unit increase in 1-year concentration of log sFLT-1, and 21.08 (3.79, 117.4) for 1 unit increase in 1-year concentration of log PlGF/sFLT-1. Increase in 1-year concentrations of log VEGF-A was not associated with primary composite outcome (HR: 1.08, [95% CI: 0.93, 1.24], P-value = .30). CONCLUSIONS People with T2D and DKD with elevated levels of PlGF, sFLT-1, and PlGF/sFLT-1 ratio were at a higher risk for cardiorenal events. Canagliflozin did not meaningfully decrease concentrations of PlGF, sFLT-1, and VEGF-A. CLINICAL TRIAL CREDENCE, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02065791.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L Januzzi
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Heart Failure and Biomarker Trials, Baim Institute for Clinical Research, Boston, MA.
| | - Yuxi Liu
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Naveed Sattar
- BHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Yshai Yavin
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA
| | - Carol A Pollock
- Kolling Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Javed Butler
- University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS; Baylor Scott & White Institute, Dallas, TX
| | - Meg Jardine
- The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW
| | - Hiddo J L Heerspink
- Department Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Serge Masson
- Roche Diagnostics International, Rotkreuz, Switzerland
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21
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Hong J, Crawford K, Cavanagh E, da Silva Costa F, Kumar S. Placental growth factor and fetoplacental Doppler indices in combination predict preterm birth reliably in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2024; 63:635-643. [PMID: 37820083 DOI: 10.1002/uog.27513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the association between placental biomarkers (placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1)/PlGF ratio) and fetoplacental Doppler indices (umbilical artery (UA) pulsatility index (PI) and uterine artery (UtA) PI) in various combinations for predicting preterm birth (PTB) in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction (FGR). METHODS This was a prospective observational cohort study, performed at Mater Mother's Hospital in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, from May 2022 to June 2023, of pregnancies complicated by FGR and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) pregnancies. Maternal serum PlGF levels, sFlt-1/PlGF ratio, UA-PI and UtA-PI were measured at 2-4-weekly intervals from recruitment until delivery. Harrell's concordance statistic (Harrell's C) was used to evaluate multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models featuring various combinations of placental biomarkers and fetoplacental Doppler indices to ascertain the best combination to predict PTB (< 37 weeks). Multivariable Cox regression models were used with biomarkers as time-varying covariates. RESULTS The study cohort included 320 singleton pregnancies, comprising 179 (55.9%) affected by FGR, defined according to a Delphi consensus, and 141 (44.1%) with an AGA fetus. In the FGR cohort, both low PlGF levels and elevated sFlt-1/PlGF ratio were associated with significantly shorter time to PTB. Low PlGF was a better predictor of PTB than was either sFlt-1/PlGF ratio or a combination of PlGF and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio (Harrell's C, 0.81, 0.78 and 0.79, respectively). Although both Doppler indices were significantly associated with time to PTB, in combination they were better predictors of PTB than was either UA-PI > 95th centile or UtA-PI > 95th centile alone (Harrell's C, 0.82, 0.75 and 0.76, respectively). Predictive utility for PTB was best when PlGF < 100 ng/L, UA-PI > 95th centile and UtA-PI > 95th centile were combined (Harrell's C, 0.88) (hazard ratio, 32.99; 95% CI, 10.74-101.32). CONCLUSIONS Low maternal serum PlGF level (< 100 ng/L) and abnormal fetoplacental Doppler indices (UA-PI > 95th centile and UtA-PI > 95th centile) in combination have the greatest predictive utility for PTB in pregnancies complicated by FGR. Their assessment may help guide clinical management of these complex pregnancies. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Hong
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - K Crawford
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - E Cavanagh
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - F da Silva Costa
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University and Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - S Kumar
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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22
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Chirilă CN, Mărginean C, Ghiga DV, Voidăzan S, Chirilă PM, Gliga ML. A Second Trimester Prediction Algorithm for Early-Onset Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Occurrence and Severity Based on Soluble fms-like Tyrosine Kinase 1 (sFlt-1)/Placental Growth Factor (PlGF) Ratio and Uterine Doppler Ultrasound in Women at Risk. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:468. [PMID: 38671685 PMCID: PMC11049313 DOI: 10.3390/children11040468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) represent a significant source of severe maternal and fetal morbidity. Screening strategies relying on traditional medical history and clinical risk factors have traditionally shown relatively modest performance, mainly in the prediction of preeclampsia, displaying a sensitivity of 37% for the early-onset form and 29% for the late-onset form. The development of more accurate predictive and diagnostic models of preeclampsia in the early stages of pregnancy represents a matter of high priority. The aim of the present paper is to create an effective second trimester prediction algorithm of early-onset HDP occurrence and severity, by combining the following two biochemical markers: a soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1)/placental growth factor (PlGF) ratio and uterine artery Doppler ultrasound parameters, namely the pulsatility index (PI) and the resistivity index (RI), in a population of high-risk pregnant women, initially assessed through traditional risk factors. A prospective single-center observational longitudinal study was conducted, in which 100 women with singleton pregnancy and traditional clinical and medical history risk factors for preeclampsia were enrolled at 24 weeks of gestation. Shortly after study enrollment, all women had their sFlt-1 and PlGF levels and mean uterine artery PI and RI determined. All pregnancies were followed up until delivery. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis established algorithms based on cutoffs for the prediction of the later development of preeclampsia: PI 1.25 (96.15% sensitivity, 86.49% specificity), RI 0.62 (84.6% sensitivity, 89.2% specificity) and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio 59.55 (100% sensitivity, 89.2% specificity). The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio was the best predictor for preeclampsia, as it displayed the highest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.973. The prediction algorithm for the severe form of preeclampsia, complicated by fetal growth restriction leading to preterm birth, antepartum fetal demise or acute fetal distress with a cerebro-placental ratio of
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Nicolae Chirilă
- Department of Internal Medicine-Nephrology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Romania; (C.N.C.); (M.L.G.)
- Department of Nephrology, Mures Clinical County Hospital, 540103 Târgu Mureș, Romania
- Doctoral School, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Romania;
| | - Claudiu Mărginean
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Romania
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mures Clinical County Hospital, 540057 Târgu Mureș, Romania
| | - Dana Valentina Ghiga
- Department of Scientific Medical Research Methodology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Romania;
| | - Septimiu Voidăzan
- Department of Epidemiology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Romania;
| | - Paula Maria Chirilă
- Doctoral School, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Romania;
- Department of Endocrinology, Mures Clinical County Hospital, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Romania
| | - Mirela Liana Gliga
- Department of Internal Medicine-Nephrology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540142 Târgu Mureș, Romania; (C.N.C.); (M.L.G.)
- Department of Nephrology, Mures Clinical County Hospital, 540103 Târgu Mureș, Romania
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23
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Davenport BN, Wilson RL, Williams AA, Jones HN. Placental Nanoparticle-mediated IGF1 Gene Therapy Corrects Fetal Growth Restriction in a Guinea Pig Model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.05.587765. [PMID: 38645174 PMCID: PMC11030242 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.05.587765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) caused by placental insufficiency is a major contributor to neonatal morbidity and mortality. There is currently no in utero treatment for placental insufficiency or FGR. The placenta serves as the vital communication, supply, exchange, and defense organ for the developing fetus and offers an excellent opportunity for therapeutic interventions. Here we show efficacy of repeated treatments of trophoblast-specific human insulin-like 1 growth factor ( IGF1 ) gene therapy delivered in a non-viral, polymer nanoparticle to the placenta for the treatment of FGR. Using the guinea pig maternal nutrient restriction model of FGR, nanoparticle-mediated IGF1 treatment was delivered to the placenta via ultrasound guidance across the second half of pregnancy, after establishment of FGR. This treatment resulted in correction of fetal weight in MNR animals compared to control, improved fetal physiology and no negative maternal side-effects. Overall, we show for the first time a therapy capable of improving the entire pregnancy environment: maternal, placental, and fetal. This combined with our previous studies using this therapy at both mid pregnancy and in numerous cell and animal models demonstrate the plausibility of this therapy for future human translation to improve health outcomes of neonates and decrease numerous morbidities associated with the developmental origins of disease.
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24
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Ghesquiere L, Boivin G, Demuth B, Giguere Y, Forest JC, Hamelin ME, Muckle G, Carbonneau J, Bujold E. Impact of COVID-19 and Vaccination During Pregnancy on Placenta-Mediated Complications (COVIGRO Study). JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY CANADA 2024; 46:102291. [PMID: 38000624 DOI: 10.1016/j.jogc.2023.102291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES COVID-19 has been associated with preterm birth (PTB) and placental-mediated complications, including fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia (PE). This study aimed to estimate the impact of COVID-19 and vaccination on adverse pregnancy outcomes and markers of placental function. METHODS We performed a study on a prospective cohort of women recruited in the first trimester of pregnancy during the early COVID-19 pandemic period (December 2020 to December 2021). At each trimester of pregnancy, the assessment included a questionnaire on COVID-19 and vaccination status; serological tests for COVID-19 (for asymptomatic infection); measurement of placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) in maternal blood; measurement of mean uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI); and pregnancy outcomes (PTB, PE, birth weight below the fifth and the tenth percentile). RESULTS Among 788 patients with complete data, we observed 101 (13%) cases of symptomatic infection and 74 (9%) cases of asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2. Most cases (73%) of infection were among women with previous vaccination or COVID-19 infection before pregnancy. COVID-19 infection was not associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, abnormal fetal growth, sFlt-1/PlGF ratio, or mean UtA-PI. Vaccination during pregnancy did not influence these outcomes either. We observed no case of severe COVID-19 infection requiring respiratory support. CONCLUSION Mild symptomatic or asymptomatic COVID-19 during pregnancy did not influence the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and the markers of placental function in predominantly vaccinated women. Fetal growth monitoring is unlikely to be mandatory in women with mild symptoms of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Ghesquiere
- Reproduction, Mother and Child Health Unit, Research Center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC
| | - Guy Boivin
- Research Center in Infectious Diseases of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC
| | - Brielle Demuth
- Reproduction, Mother and Child Health Unit, Research Center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC
| | - Yves Giguere
- Reproduction, Mother and Child Health Unit, Research Center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC; Department of Molecular Biology, Médical Biochemistry and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC
| | - Jean-Claude Forest
- Reproduction, Mother and Child Health Unit, Research Center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC; Department of Molecular Biology, Médical Biochemistry and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC
| | - Marie-Eve Hamelin
- Research Center in Infectious Diseases of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC
| | - Gina Muckle
- Reproduction, Mother and Child Health Unit, Research Center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC
| | - Julie Carbonneau
- Research Center in Infectious Diseases of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC
| | - Emmanuel Bujold
- Reproduction, Mother and Child Health Unit, Research Center of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC.
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Xia Y, Wang Y, Yuan S, Hu J, Zhang L, Xie J, Zhao Y, Hao J, Ren Y, Wu S. Development and validation of nomograms to predict clinical outcomes of preeclampsia. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1292458. [PMID: 38549768 PMCID: PMC10972945 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1292458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the most severe pregnancy-related diseases; however, there is still a lack of reliable biomarkers. In this study, we aimed to develop models for predicting early-onset PE, severe PE, and the gestation duration of patients with PE. Methods Eligible patients with PE were enrolled and divided into a training (n = 253) and a validation (n = 108) cohort. Multivariate logistic and Cox models were used to identify factors associated with early-onset PE, severe PE, and the gestation duration of patients with PE. Based on significant factors, nomograms were developed and evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) and a calibration curve. Results In the training cohort, multiple gravidity experience (p = 0.005), lower albumin (ALB; p < 0.001), and higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with early-onset PE. Abortion history (p = 0.017), prolonged thrombin time (TT; p < 0.001), and higher aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.002) and LDH (p = 0.003) were significantly associated with severe PE. Abortion history (p < 0.001), gemellary pregnancy (p < 0.001), prolonged TT (p < 0.001), higher mean platelet volume (p = 0.014) and LDH (p < 0.001), and lower ALB (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with shorter gestation duration. Three nomograms were developed and validated to predict the probability of early-onset PE, severe PE, and delivery time for each patient with PE. The AUC showed good predictive performance, and the calibration curve and decision curve analysis demonstrated clinical practicability. Conclusion Based on the clinical features and peripheral blood laboratory indicators, we identified significant factors and developed models to predict early-onset PE, severe PE, and the gestation duration of pregnant women with PE, which could help clinicians assess the clinical outcomes early and design appropriate strategies for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xia
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shijin Yuan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiaming Hu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiamin Xie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiahui Hao
- School of Medical Technology and Information Engineering, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanwei Ren
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shengjun Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
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Bernardi S, Tonon F, Barbieri M, Zamagni G, Nuredini R, Perer L, Comar S, Toffoli B, Ronfani L, Ricci G, Fabris B, Stampalija T. A longitudinal study on the effect of obesity upon circulating renin-angiotensin system in normal pregnancy. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2024; 34:771-782. [PMID: 38161127 DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2023.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Obesity is the most common health issue in women of reproductive age, which profoundly affects maternal-fetal health. Despite progress in understanding key inflammatory and metabolic changes, the pathogenesis of the cardiovascular phenotype of obese pregnant women remains to be fully understood. This study aimed at: (i) evaluating the changes of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) throughout pregnancy in obese vs normal weight (control) women, and (ii) evaluating the presence of any associations between maternal hemodynamic status and RAS changes. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirty-eight normal weight and nineteen obese pregnant women were included. Clinical assessment, blood samples and maternal hemodynamic evaluation were performed at 12, 20, 30, and 36 weeks, while ultrasound assessment was scheduled at 20, 30, and 36 weeks of gestation. Measurements of sFlt-1, PlGF, Angiotensinogen, Renin, AngII, Ang1-7, ACE and ACE2 were performed by ELISA. Our data show that normotensive obese women had lower placental blood supply, as assessed by UV-Q and UV-Q/EFW, as compared to controls, and significantly higher levels of AngII and AngII/Ang1-7 ratio, which were inversely related to placental blood supply. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows for the first time that normotensive obese women exhibited a significant progressive increase of AngII and AngII/Ang1-7 throughout pregnancy, which were inversely related to placental blood supply as assessed by UV-Q and UV-Q/EFW. Our data shed light on the early changes in pregnant obese women and suggest that RAS dysregulation is a prerequisite rather than a consequence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and other maternal neonatal complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Bernardi
- Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149, Trieste, Italy; Unit of Endocrinology, ASUGI, Cattinara Teaching Hospital, 34149, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Federica Tonon
- Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Moira Barbieri
- Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giulia Zamagni
- Clinical Epidemiology and Public Health Research Unit, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", 34147, Trieste, Italy
| | - Roberto Nuredini
- Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Laura Perer
- Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sarah Comar
- Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Barbara Toffoli
- Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Luca Ronfani
- Clinical Epidemiology and Public Health Research Unit, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", 34147, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ricci
- Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149, Trieste, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", 34137, Trieste, Italy
| | - Bruno Fabris
- Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149, Trieste, Italy; Unit of Endocrinology, ASUGI, Cattinara Teaching Hospital, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Tamara Stampalija
- Department of Medical Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149, Trieste, Italy; Unit of Fetal Medicine and Prenatal Diagnosis, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, 34137, Trieste, Italy
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Yang M, Bai Y, Li M, Lin X, Duan X, Zhang X. Predictive value of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 to placental growth factor ratio for preeclampsia in twin pregnancies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2024; 6:101290. [PMID: 38401234 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2024.101290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In recent years, the ratio of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 to placental growth factor for use in predicting preeclampsia has been explored extensively. Despite extensive research, available data on its effectiveness in predicting preeclampsia in twin pregnancies are limited and conflicting. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 to placental growth factor ratio in distinguishing cases with preeclampsia in twin pregnancies from healthy controls. DATA SOURCES Studies that evaluated the use of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 to placental growth factor ratio in predicting preeclampsia were searched in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases from inception to August 6, 2023, without language restriction. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA The following population, exposure, comparators, outcomes, and study designs were included: women with twin pregnancies; an increased soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 to placental growth factor ratio with preeclampsia as the outcome; women without preeclampsia; a 2 × 2 diagnostic table, diagnostic accuracy data, and the incidence of preeclampsia; and prospective cohort studies and observational comparative studies, respectively. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS The quality of the included studies was evaluated. Key parameters, including the specificity, sensitivity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio, were calculated using the random- and fixed-effects models. In addition, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the summary receiver operating characteristic curve were evaluated. RESULTS A total of 7 studies were included, including 442 women with twin pregnancies (115 patients with preeclampsia and 327 controls without preeclampsia). The results highlighted the promising effectiveness of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 to placental growth factor ratio in predicting preeclampsia in twin pregnancies with a pooled specificity of 0.89 (95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.95), a sensitivity of 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.73-0.93), a positive likelihood ratio of 32.76 (95% confidence interval, 12.82-83.74), and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.03 (95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.08). The combined diagnostic odds ratio was 35.72 (95% confidence interval, 12.92-98.76), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.92. CONCLUSION These collective findings underscore the potential of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 to placental growth factor ratio as an accurate marker for identifying preeclampsia among women with twin pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meilin Yang
- Department of Obstetrics, Women and Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China (Drs Yang, Lin, Duan, and Zhang); Xiamen Key Laboratory of Basic and Clinical Research on Major Obstetric Diseases and Department of Obstetrics, Women and Children's Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China (Drs Yang, Lin, Duan, and Zhang)
| | - Yuci Bai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian, China (Drs Bai and Li)
| | - Min Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian, China (Drs Bai and Li)
| | - Xueyan Lin
- Department of Obstetrics, Women and Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China (Drs Yang, Lin, Duan, and Zhang); Xiamen Key Laboratory of Basic and Clinical Research on Major Obstetric Diseases and Department of Obstetrics, Women and Children's Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China (Drs Yang, Lin, Duan, and Zhang)
| | - Xiaoyu Duan
- Department of Obstetrics, Women and Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China (Drs Yang, Lin, Duan, and Zhang); Xiamen Key Laboratory of Basic and Clinical Research on Major Obstetric Diseases and Department of Obstetrics, Women and Children's Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China (Drs Yang, Lin, Duan, and Zhang)
| | - Xueqin Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics, Women and Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China (Drs Yang, Lin, Duan, and Zhang); Xiamen Key Laboratory of Basic and Clinical Research on Major Obstetric Diseases and Department of Obstetrics, Women and Children's Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China (Drs Yang, Lin, Duan, and Zhang).
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Mecacci F, Romani E, Clemenza S, Zullino S, Avagliano L, Petraglia F. Early Fetal Growth Restriction with or Without Hypertensive Disorders: a Clinical Overview. Reprod Sci 2024; 31:591-602. [PMID: 37684516 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-023-01330-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Early onset fetal growth restriction (FGR) is one of the main adverse pregnancy conditions, often associated with poor neonatal outcomes. Frequently, early onset FGR is associated with early onset hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), and in particular preeclampsia (PE). However, to date, it is still an open question whether pregnancies complicated by early FGR plus HDP (FGR-HDP) and those complicated by early onset FGR without HDP (normotensive-FGR (n-FGR)) show different prenatal and postnatal outcomes and, consequently, should benefit from different management and long-term follow-up. Recent data support the hypothesis that the presence of PE may have an additional impact on maternal hemodynamic impairment and placental lesions, increasing the risk of poor neonatal outcomes in pregnancy affected by early onset FGR-HDP compared to pregnancy affected by early onset n-FGR. This review aims to elucidate this poor studied topic, comparing the clinical characteristics, perinatal outcomes, and potential long-term sequelae of early onset FGR-HDP and early onset n-FGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Mecacci
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Eleonora Romani
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sara Clemenza
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Sara Zullino
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Felice Petraglia
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Vasilache IA, Scripcariu IS, Doroftei B, Bernad RL, Cărăuleanu A, Socolov D, Melinte-Popescu AS, Vicoveanu P, Harabor V, Mihalceanu E, Melinte-Popescu M, Harabor A, Bernad E, Nemescu D. Prediction of Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Preeclampsia Using Machine Learning-Based Algorithms: A Prospective Study. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:453. [PMID: 38396491 PMCID: PMC10887724 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14040453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Prenatal care providers face a continuous challenge in screening for intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and preeclampsia (PE). In this study, we aimed to assess and compare the predictive accuracy of four machine learning algorithms in predicting the occurrence of PE, IUGR, and their associations in a group of singleton pregnancies; (2) Methods: This observational prospective study included 210 singleton pregnancies that underwent first trimester screenings at our institution. We computed the predictive performance of four machine learning-based methods, namely decision tree (DT), naïve Bayes (NB), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF), by incorporating clinical and paraclinical data; (3) Results: The RF algorithm showed superior performance for the prediction of PE (accuracy: 96.3%), IUGR (accuracy: 95.9%), and its subtypes (early onset IUGR, accuracy: 96.2%, and late-onset IUGR, accuracy: 95.2%), as well as their association (accuracy: 95.1%). Both SVM and NB similarly predicted IUGR (accuracy: 95.3%), while SVM outperformed NB (accuracy: 95.8 vs. 94.7%) in predicting PE; (4) Conclusions: The integration of machine learning-based algorithms in the first-trimester screening of PE and IUGR could improve the overall detection rate of these disorders, but this hypothesis should be confirmed in larger cohorts of pregnant patients from various geographical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid-Andrada Vasilache
- Department of Mother and Child Care, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (I.-A.V.); (A.C.); (D.S.); (P.V.); (E.M.)
| | - Ioana-Sadyie Scripcariu
- Department of Mother and Child Care, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (I.-A.V.); (A.C.); (D.S.); (P.V.); (E.M.)
| | - Bogdan Doroftei
- Department of Mother and Child Care, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (I.-A.V.); (A.C.); (D.S.); (P.V.); (E.M.)
| | - Robert Leonard Bernad
- Faculty of Computer Science, Politechnica University of Timisoara, 300006 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Alexandru Cărăuleanu
- Department of Mother and Child Care, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (I.-A.V.); (A.C.); (D.S.); (P.V.); (E.M.)
| | - Demetra Socolov
- Department of Mother and Child Care, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (I.-A.V.); (A.C.); (D.S.); (P.V.); (E.M.)
| | - Alina-Sînziana Melinte-Popescu
- Department of Mother and Newborn Care, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, ‘Ștefan cel Mare’ University, 720229 Suceava, Romania; (A.-S.M.-P.); (V.H.)
| | - Petronela Vicoveanu
- Department of Mother and Child Care, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (I.-A.V.); (A.C.); (D.S.); (P.V.); (E.M.)
| | - Valeriu Harabor
- Department of Mother and Newborn Care, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, ‘Ștefan cel Mare’ University, 720229 Suceava, Romania; (A.-S.M.-P.); (V.H.)
| | - Elena Mihalceanu
- Department of Mother and Child Care, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (I.-A.V.); (A.C.); (D.S.); (P.V.); (E.M.)
| | - Marian Melinte-Popescu
- Clinical and Surgical Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, ‘Dunarea de Jos’ University, 800216 Galati, Romania;
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, ‘Ștefan cel Mare’ University, 720229 Suceava, Romania
| | - Anamaria Harabor
- Department of Mother and Newborn Care, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, ‘Ștefan cel Mare’ University, 720229 Suceava, Romania; (A.-S.M.-P.); (V.H.)
| | - Elena Bernad
- Department of Mother and Newborn Care, Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences, ‘Ștefan cel Mare’ University, 720229 Suceava, Romania; (A.-S.M.-P.); (V.H.)
- Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology II, Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Dragos Nemescu
- Department of Mother and Child Care, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (I.-A.V.); (A.C.); (D.S.); (P.V.); (E.M.)
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Than NG, Romero R, Posta M, Györffy D, Szalai G, Rossi SW, Szilágyi A, Hupuczi P, Nagy S, Török O, Tarca AL, Erez O, Ács N, Papp Z. Classification of preeclampsia according to molecular clusters with the goal of achieving personalized prevention. J Reprod Immunol 2024; 161:104172. [PMID: 38141514 PMCID: PMC11027116 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2023.104172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
The prevention of pre-eclampsia is difficult due to the syndromic nature and multiple underlying mechanisms of this severe complication of pregnancy. The current clinical distinction between early- and late-onset disease, although clinically useful, does not reflect the true nature and complexity of the pathologic processes leading to pre-eclampsia. The current gaps in knowledge on the heterogeneous molecular pathways of this syndrome and the lack of adequate, specific diagnostic methods are major obstacles to early screening and tailored preventive strategies. The development of novel diagnostic tools for detecting the activation of the identified disease pathways would enable early, accurate screening and personalized preventive therapies. We implemented a holistic approach that includes the utilization of different proteomic profiling methods of maternal plasma samples collected from various ethnic populations and the application of systems biology analysis to plasma proteomic, maternal demographic, clinical characteristic, and placental histopathologic data. This approach enabled the identification of four molecular subclasses of pre-eclampsia in which distinct and shared disease mechanisms are activated. The current review summarizes the results and conclusions from these studies and the research and clinical implications of our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nándor Gábor Than
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Maternity Private Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Genesis Theranostix Group, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Roberto Romero
- Pregnancy Research Branch(1), NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Máté Posta
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary; Genesis Theranostix Group, Budapest, Hungary; Semmelweis University Doctoral School, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dániel Györffy
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary; Genesis Theranostix Group, Budapest, Hungary; Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Szalai
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary; Genesis Theranostix Group, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | | | - András Szilágyi
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Petronella Hupuczi
- Maternity Private Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sándor Nagy
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, Széchenyi István University, Győr, Hungary
| | - Olga Török
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Adi L Tarca
- Genesis Theranostix Group, Budapest, Hungary; Pregnancy Research Branch(1), NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Offer Erez
- Genesis Theranostix Group, Budapest, Hungary; Pregnancy Research Branch(1), NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Nándor Ács
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Papp
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Maternity Private Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Budapest, Hungary
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Giorgione V, Di Fabrizio C, Giallongo E, Khalil A, O'Driscoll J, Whitley G, Kennedy G, Murdoch CE, Thilaganathan B. Angiogenic markers and maternal echocardiographic indices in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2024; 63:206-213. [PMID: 37675647 DOI: 10.1002/uog.27474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The maternal cardiovascular system of women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) can be impaired, with higher rates of left ventricular (LV) remodeling and diastolic dysfunction compared to those with normotensive pregnancy. The primary objective of this prospective study was to correlate cardiac indices obtained by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and circulating angiogenic markers, such as soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF). METHODS In this study, 95 women with a pregnancy complicated by HDP and a group of 25 with an uncomplicated pregnancy at term underwent TTE and blood tests to measure sFlt-1 and PlGF during the peripartum period (before delivery or within a week of giving birth). Spearman's rank correlation was used to derive correlation coefficients between biomarkers and cardiac indices in the HDP and control populations. RESULTS The HDP group included 61 (64.2%) pre-eclamptic patients and, among them, 42 (68.9%) delivered before 37 weeks' gestation. Twelve women with HDP (12.6%) underwent blood sampling and TTE after delivery, and, as they showed significantly lower levels of angiogenic markers, they were excluded from the analysis. There was a correlation between sFlt-1 and LV mass index (LVMI) (r = 0.246; P = 0.026) and early diastolic mitral inflow velocity (E) and early diastolic mitral annular velocity (e') ratio (r = 0.272; P = 0.014) in the HDP group (n = 83), while in the controls, sFlt-1 showed a correlation with relative wall thickness (r = 0.409; P = 0.043), lateral e' (r = -0.562; P = 0.004) and E/e' ratio (r = 0.417; P = 0.042). PlGF correlated with LVMI (r = -0.238; P = 0.031) in HDP patients and with lateral e' (r = 0.466; P = 0.022) in controls. sFlt-1/PlGF ratio correlated with lateral e' (r = -0.568; P = 0.004) and E/e' ratio (r = 0.428; P = 0.037) in controls and with LVMI (r = 0.252; P = 0.022) and E/e' ratio (r = 0.269; P = 0.014) in HDP. CONCLUSIONS Although the current data are not able to infer causality, they confirm the intimate relationship between the maternal cardiovascular system and angiogenic markers that are used both to diagnose and indicate the severity of HDP. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Giorgione
- Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK
- Fetal Medicine Unit, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of London, London, UK
| | - C Di Fabrizio
- Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - E Giallongo
- Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre, London, UK
| | - A Khalil
- Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK
- Fetal Medicine Unit, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of London, London, UK
| | - J O'Driscoll
- Department of Cardiology, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent, UK
| | - G Whitley
- Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - G Kennedy
- Immunoassay Biomarker Core Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - C E Murdoch
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - B Thilaganathan
- Vascular Biology Research Centre, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK
- Fetal Medicine Unit, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of London, London, UK
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Li S, Wu K, Zhou S, Yin B, Bai X, Zhu B. Predictive value of maternal serum placental growth factor levels for discordant fetal growth in twins: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2024; 24:10. [PMID: 38166739 PMCID: PMC10759688 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-06212-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurate prenatal recognition of discordant fetal growth in twins is critical for deciding suitable management strategies. We explored the predictive value of the level of maternal second-trimester placental growth factor (PLGF) as a novel indicator of discordant fetal growth. METHODS A total of 860 women pregnant with twins were enrolled, including 168 women with monochorionic twins (31 cases of discordant fetal growth and 137 without) and 692 with dichorionic twins (79 cases of discordant fetal growth and 613 without). Maternal second-trimester PLGF concentrations were measured via immunofluorescence. RESULTS Maternal second-trimester PLGF levels were significantly lower in women pregnant with twins who subsequently developed discordant fetal growth than in those who did not (monochorionic twin pregnancy: P < 0.001; dichorionic twin pregnancy: P < 0.001). A 3-4 fold difference in median PLGF concentrations was detected between the two groups with both monochorionic and dichorionic twin pregnancies. Maternal second-trimester PLGF levels were significantly correlated with birth weight differences (monochorionic twin pregnancy: r = - 0.331, P < 0.001; dichorionic twin pregnancy: r = - 0.234, P < 0.001). A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficiency. In monochorionic twin pregnancies, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.751 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.649-0.852), and the cutoff value was 187.5 pg/mL with a sensitivity of 77.4% and specificity of 71.0%. In dichorionic twin pregnancies, the AUC was 0.716 (95% CI; 0.655-0.777), and the cutoff value was 252.5 pg/mL with a sensitivity of 65.1% and specificity of 69.6%. Based on the above cutoff values, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate the odds ratios (OR) for the PLGF levels. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, low PLGF concentrations still significantly increased the risk of discordant fetal growth (monochorionic twin pregnancy: adjusted OR: 7.039, 95% CI: 2.798-17.710, P < 0.001; dichorionic twin pregnancy: adjusted OR: 4.279, 95% CI: 2.572-7.120, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS A low maternal second-trimester PLGF level is considered a remarkable risk factor and potential predictor of discordant fetal growth. This finding provides a complementary screening strategy for the prediction of discordant fetal growth and offers a unique perspective for the subsequent research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 1 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 310006, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jilin Hospital of Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 555 Xiwuma Road, Changchun, 130042, China
| | - Kaiqi Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 1 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Shaomin Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 1 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Binbin Yin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 1 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Xiaoxia Bai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 1 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
- Traditional Chinese Medicine for Reproductive Health Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, 1 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health, 1 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
| | - Bo Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 1 Xueshi Road, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
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Mazarico E, Meler E, Mendoza M, Herraiz I, Llurba E, De Diego R, Comas M, Boada D, González A, Bonacina E, Armengol-Alsina M, Moline E, Hurtado I, Torre N, Gomez-Roig MD, Galindo A, Figueras F. Mortality and severe neurological morbidity in extremely preterm growth-restricted fetuses. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2023; 62:788-795. [PMID: 37325877 DOI: 10.1002/uog.26290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop a model for the prediction of adverse perinatal outcome in growth-restricted fetuses requiring delivery before 28 weeks in order to provide individualized patient counseling. METHODS This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study of singleton pregnancies with antenatal suspicion of fetal growth restriction requiring delivery before 28 weeks' gestation between January 2010 and January 2020 in six tertiary public hospitals in the Barcelona area, Spain. Separate predictive models for mortality only and mortality or severe neurological morbidity were created using logistic regression from variables available antenatally. For each model, predictive performance was evaluated using receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC)-curve analysis. Predictive models were validated externally in an additional cohort of growth-restricted fetuses from another public tertiary hospital with the same inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS A total of 110 cases were included. The neonatal mortality rate was 37.3% and, among the survivors, the rate of severe neurological morbidity was 21.7%. The following factors were retained in the multivariate analysis as significant predictors of mortality: magnesium sulfate neuroprotection, gestational age at birth, estimated fetal weight, male sex and Doppler stage. This model had a significantly higher area under the ROC curve (AUC) compared with a model including only gestational age at birth (0.810 (95% CI, 0.730-0.889) vs 0.695 (95% CI, 0.594-0.795); P = 0.016). At a 20% false-positive rate, the model showed a sensitivity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of 66%, 80% and 66%, respectively. For the prediction of the composite adverse outcome (mortality or severe neurological morbidity), the model included: gestational age at birth, male sex and Doppler stage. This model had a significantly higher AUC compared with a model including only gestational age at birth (0.810 (95% CI, 0.731-0.892) vs 0.689 (95% CI, 0.588-0.799); P = 0.017). At a 20% false-positive rate, the model showed a sensitivity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of 55%, 63% and 74%, respectively. External validation of both models yielded similar AUCs that did not differ significantly from those obtained in the original sample. CONCLUSIONS Estimated fetal weight, fetal sex and Doppler stage can be combined with gestational age to improve the prediction of death or severe neurological sequelae in growth-restricted fetuses requiring delivery before 28 weeks. This approach may be useful for parental counseling and decision-making. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Mazarico
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Ciències Clíniques, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Maternal and Child Chronic Diseases of Perinatal and Developmental Origin Network (RICORS), RD21/0012/0003, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - E Meler
- Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Seu Maternitat, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Mendoza
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - I Herraiz
- Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Maternal and Child Chronic Diseases of Perinatal and Developmental Origin Network (RICORS), RD21/0012/0024, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - E Llurba
- Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Maternal and Child Chronic Diseases of Perinatal and Developmental Origin Network (RICORS), RD21/0012/0003, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - R De Diego
- Hospital Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - M Comas
- Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (U3PT), Sabadell, Spain
| | - D Boada
- Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Seu Maternitat, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - A González
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Bonacina
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Armengol-Alsina
- Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Moline
- Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Maternal and Child Chronic Diseases of Perinatal and Developmental Origin Network (RICORS), RD21/0012/0003, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - I Hurtado
- Hospital Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - N Torre
- Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (U3PT), Sabadell, Spain
| | - M D Gomez-Roig
- Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Ciències Clíniques, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Maternal and Child Chronic Diseases of Perinatal and Developmental Origin Network (RICORS), RD21/0012/0003, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Galindo
- Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Maternal and Child Chronic Diseases of Perinatal and Developmental Origin Network (RICORS), RD21/0012/0024, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - F Figueras
- Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Seu Maternitat, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain
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Li X, He X, Li Z, Chen Y. Biomarker screening in fetal growth restriction based on multiple RNA-seq studies. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol X 2023; 20:100259. [PMID: 37954535 PMCID: PMC10637895 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurox.2023.100259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a severe pathological complication associated with compromised fetal development. The early diagnosis and prediction for FGR are still unclear. Sequencing technologies present a huge opportunity to identify novel biomarkers. However, limitation of individual studies (e.g., long lists of dysregulated genes, small sample size and conflicting results) hinders the selection of the best-matched ones. Study design A multi-step bioinformatics analysis was performed. We separately reanalyzed data from four public RNA-seq studies, followed by a combined analysis of individual results. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified based on DESeq2. Then, function enrichment analyses and protein-protein interaction network (PPI) were conducted to screen for hub genes. The results were further verified by using external microarray data. Results A total of 65 dysregulated genes (50 down and 15 upregulated) were identified in FGR compared to controls. Function enrichment and PPI analysis revealed ten hub genes closely related to FGR. Validation analysis found four downregulated candidate biomarkers (CEACAM6, SCUBE2, DEFA4, and MPO) for FGR. Conclusions The use of omics tools to explore mechanism of pregnancies disorders contributes to improvements in obstetric clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Li
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University. Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100026, China
| | - Xin He
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University. Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100026, China
| | - Zhengpeng Li
- Microbiota Division, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University. Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100026, China
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Beernink RHJ, Scherjon SA, Cremers TIFH, van Asselt ADI. Cost-effectiveness analysis of a first-trimester screening test for preterm preeclampsia in the Netherlands. J Reprod Immunol 2023; 160:104141. [PMID: 37708725 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2023.104141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The risk of preterm preeclampsia (PT PE) can significantly be reduced by starting acetylsalicylic acid ≤ 16 weeks of gestational age. First trimester predictive models based on maternal risk factors to effectively start this therapy lacked sufficient power, but recent studies showed that these models can be improved by including test results of biochemical and/or -physical markers. To investigate whether testing a biochemical marker in the first trimester is cost-effective in the Netherlands, a cost-effectiveness analysis was performed in this study. STUDY DESIGN The outcome of this study was expressed as an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) with as effect prevented PT PE cases. To evaluate the impact of each model parameter and to determine model uncertainties, both univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS When compared to the baseline strategy, the test strategy is estimated to save almost 4 million euros per year on a national scale and at the same time this would prevent an additional 228 PT PE cases. The sensitivity analyses showed that the major drivers of the result are the costs to monitor a high-risk pregnancy and the specificity and that most of the model simulations were in the southeast quadrant: cost saving and more prevented complications. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that a first-trimester test strategy to screen for PT PE in the first trimester is potentially cost-effective in the Dutch healthcare setting. The fact that the specificity is a major driver of the ICER indicates the importance for a (new) screening model to correctly classify low-risk pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rik H J Beernink
- Dept. Analytical Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Research & Development, IQ Products BV., Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Sicco A Scherjon
- Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas I F H Cremers
- Dept. Analytical Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Antoinette D I van Asselt
- Dept. of Health Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center, Groningen, the Netherlands; Dept. of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center, Groningen, the Netherlands
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He L, Wu X, Zhan F, Li X, Wu J. Protective role of metformin in preeclampsia via the regulation of NF-κB/sFlt-1 and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways by activating AMPK. Placenta 2023; 143:91-99. [PMID: 37866322 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy complication that leads to hypertension and proteinuria and causes maternal mortality. Metformin (MET) is an oral hypoglycemic agent that activates AMPK-regulated signaling pathways and inhibits inflammation and oxidative stress responses. This study explored MET's roles and molecular mechanisms in PE. METHODS The protein or mRNA expression of signaling pathways and inflammation-related genes were detected by Western blotting and RT-qPCR and cell viability was analyzed with MTT. In addition, flow cytometry was used to assess apoptosis, and mitochondrial membrane potential was detected using JC-1 staining with flow cytometry. Moreover, LDH Cytotoxicity Assay Kit detected the release of LDH, and ROS, MDA, or SOD kits detected oxidative stress-related factors. RESULTS MET significantly inhibited inflammatory damage and oxidative stress responses in LPS-induced HTR-8/SVneo cells. Besides, MET could activate AMPK and then affect NF-κB/sFlt-1 and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways in LPS-induced HTR-8/SVneo cells. Compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) significantly reversed MET's effects on LPS-stimulated HTR-8/SVneo cells. DISCUSSION MET attenuated inflammatory and oxidative stress of HTR-8/SVneo cells in PE by activating AMPK to regulate NF-κB/sFlt-1 and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways, suggesting that MET was a potential therapeutic drug for PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidan He
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350004, Fujian, China.
| | - Xiuyan Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350004, Fujian, China
| | - Feng Zhan
- School of Electronic Information Engineering, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, Shanxi, China; College of Engineering, Fujian Jiangxia University, Fuzhou, 350108, Fujian, China
| | - Xuemei Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350004, Fujian, China
| | - Jianbo Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350004, Fujian, China.
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Giardini V, Grilli L, Terzaghi A, Todyrenchuk L, Zavettieri C, Mazzoni G, Cozzolino S, Casati M, Vergani P, Locatelli A. sFlt-1 Levels as a Predicting Tool in Placental Dysfunction Complications in Multiple Pregnancies. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2917. [PMID: 38001918 PMCID: PMC10669317 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11112917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND several studies have demonstrated that angiogenic markers can improve the clinical management of hypertensive disorders (HDs) and fetal growth restriction (FGR) in singleton pregnancies, but few studies have evaluated the performance of these tests in multiple pregnancies. Our aim was to investigate the role of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) in predicting adverse obstetric outcomes in hospitalized multiple pregnancies with HD (preeclampsia/gestational hypertension/uncontrolled chronic hypertension) and/or FGR in one or more fetuses. METHODS A retrospective analysis of multiple pregnancies with HD/FGR occurring after the 20th gestational week. Pregnant women were divided into two groups: women with high levels of sFlt-1 and those with low levels of sFlt-1. A value of sFlt-1 greater than or equal to 15,802 pg/mL was considered arbitrarily high, as it is equivalent to two times the 90th percentile expected in an uncomplicated full-term singleton pregnancy based on data from a prospective multicenter study (7901 pg/mL). RESULTS The cohort included 39 multiple pregnancies. There were no cases of birth <34 weeks, HELLP syndrome, ICU admission, and urgent cesarean sections for HD/FGR complications reported among women with low levels of sFlt-1. CONCLUSIONS A cut-off value of sFlt-1 ≥ 15,802 pg/mL could represent a valuable tool for predicting adverse obstetric outcomes in multiple pregnancies hospitalized for HD/FGR disorders, regardless of gestational age and chorionicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Giardini
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (L.G.); (A.T.); (C.Z.); (A.L.)
| | - Leonora Grilli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (L.G.); (A.T.); (C.Z.); (A.L.)
| | - Alessandra Terzaghi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (L.G.); (A.T.); (C.Z.); (A.L.)
| | - Lyudmyla Todyrenchuk
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (L.G.); (A.T.); (C.Z.); (A.L.)
| | - Caterina Zavettieri
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (L.G.); (A.T.); (C.Z.); (A.L.)
| | - Giulia Mazzoni
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (L.G.); (A.T.); (C.Z.); (A.L.)
| | - Sabrina Cozzolino
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (L.G.); (A.T.); (C.Z.); (A.L.)
| | - Marco Casati
- Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Patrizia Vergani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (L.G.); (A.T.); (C.Z.); (A.L.)
| | - Anna Locatelli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy; (L.G.); (A.T.); (C.Z.); (A.L.)
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Bisson C, Rajan RS, Rana S. Angiogenic Biomarkers for Preeclampsia in Clinical Setting: A New Era. Hypertension 2023; 80:2029-2032. [PMID: 37729636 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.123.21686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Bisson
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medicine, IL (C.B., S.R.)
| | - Revathi S Rajan
- Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Mirror Health, Bengaluru, India (R.S.R.)
| | - Sarosh Rana
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medicine, IL (C.B., S.R.)
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Mészáros B, Kukor Z, Valent S. Recent Advances in the Prevention and Screening of Preeclampsia. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6020. [PMID: 37762960 PMCID: PMC10532380 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12186020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Throughout the history of medicine, preeclampsia has remained an enigmatic field of obstetrics. In 2023, despite its prevalence and impact, preeclampsia's exact cause and effective treatment remain elusive; the current options are limited to delivery. The purpose of this review is to summarize the knowledge of the possible novel prophylactic therapies and screening methods for preeclampsia, thereby providing valuable insights for healthcare professionals and researchers. Aspirin and LMWH have already been widely used; meanwhile, calcium, vitamin D, and pravastatin show promise, and endothelin receptor antagonists are being explored. Stress reduction, dietary changes, and lifestyle modifications are also being investigated. Another interesting and fast-growing area is AI- and software-based screening methods. It is also key to find novel biomarkers, which, in some cases, are not only able to predict the development of the disease, but some of them hold promise to be a potential therapeutic target. We conclude that, while a definitive cure for preeclampsia may not be eligible in the near future, it is likely that the assessment and enhancement of preventive methods will lead to the prevention of many cases. However, it is also important to highlight that more additional research is needed in the future to clarify the exact pathophysiology of preeclampsia and to thus identify potential therapeutic targets for more improved treatment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balázs Mészáros
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Semmelweis University, 1082 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Kukor
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Semmelweis University, 1082 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sándor Valent
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Semmelweis University, 1082 Budapest, Hungary
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Yin C, Wang J, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Zhao W, Shen Y, Liu S, Liu S. Death receptor 3 is involved in preeclampsia through regulating placental trophoblast cell physiology by inactivating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Immun Inflamm Dis 2023; 11:e995. [PMID: 37773709 PMCID: PMC10523955 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy related disease that affects about 5% of pregnancies. Death receptor 3 (DR3) expression is significantly elevated in both placental tissue and plasma of PE patients. However, whether DR3 was involved in trophoblasts in pathogenesis of PE are not well elucidated. OBJECTIVE Our research was designed to illustrate the biological roles of DR3 in placental trophoblasts, as well as explain its relevant mechanisms. METHODS HTR-8/SVneo cells viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed using MTT, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. Levels of DR3, PI3K, and AKT in HTR-8/SVneo cells were analyzed via reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. Western blot analysis was utilized to assess DR3, p-PI3K, p-AKT, PI3K, and AKT protein expression. RESULTS Upregulation of DR3 obviously inhibited HTR-8/SVneo cells viability, migration, and invasion, as well as promoted HTR-8/SVneo cells apoptosis, as opposed to the control-plasmid group. We also found that DR3-plasmid enhanced cleaved-caspase3 expression, reduced p-PI3K and p-AKT protein expression, and p-PI3K/PI3K or p-AKT/AKT ratio in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Importantly, IGF-1, a PI3K/AKT signaling pathway agonist, partially reversed the effects of DR3-plasmid on the cell viability, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and PI3K/AKT signal pathway in HTR-8/SVneo cells. CONCLUSION DR3 was involved in PE through regulating placental trophoblast cell physiology via PI3K/AKT pathway, which might be a promising therapeutic target for PE therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Yin
- Obstetrics DepartmentThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical UniversityQiqiharChina
| | - Jiahui Wang
- Obstetrics DepartmentThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical UniversityQiqiharChina
| | - Yu Zhang
- Obstetrics DepartmentThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical UniversityQiqiharChina
| | - Xinping Zhang
- Obstetrics DepartmentThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical UniversityQiqiharChina
| | - Wei Zhao
- Gynecology DepartmentThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical UniversityQiqiharChina
| | - Yanxiang Shen
- Cardiovascular Internal Medicine DepartmentThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical UniversityQiqiharChina
| | - Shi Liu
- Central LaboratoryThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical UniversityQiqiharChina
| | - Su Liu
- Obstetrics DepartmentThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical UniversityQiqiharChina
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Kazatsker MM, Sharabi-Nov A, Meiri H, Sammour R, Sammar M. Augmented Placental Protein 13 in Placental-Associated Extracellular Vesicles in Term and Preterm Preeclampsia Is Further Elevated by Corticosteroids. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12051. [PMID: 37569423 PMCID: PMC10419231 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Placental protein 13 (PP13) is a regulatory protein involved in remodeling the vascular system of the pregnancy and extending the immune tolerance of the mother to the growing fetus. PP13 is localized on the surface of the syncytiotrophoblast. An ex vivo placental model shows that the PP13 is released via placental-associated extracellular vesicles (PEVs) to the maternal uterine vein. This exploratory study aimed to determine PEV-associated PP13 in the maternal circulation as compared to the known soluble fraction since each has a specific communication pathway. Patients admitted to Bnai Zion Medical Center for delivery were recruited, and included 19 preeclampsia (PE) patients (7 preterm PE gestational age < 37 weeks' gestation), 16 preterm delivery (PTD, delivery at GA < 37 weeks' gestation), and 15 matched term delivery controls. Treatment by corticosteroids (Celestone), which is often given to patients with suspected preterm PE and PTD, was recorded. The PEV proteome was purified from the patients' plasma by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) to separate the soluble and PEV-associated PP13. The total level of PP13 (soluble and PEV-associated) was determined using mild detergent that depleted the PEV proteome. PP13 fractions were determined by ELISA with PP13 specific antibodies. ELISA with alkaline phosphatase (PLAP)- and cluster differentiation 63 (CD63)-specific antibodies served to verify the placental origin of the PEVs. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. The patients' medical, pregnancy, and delivery records in all groups were similar except, as expected, that a larger number of PE and PTD patients had smaller babies who were delivered earlier, and the PE patients had hypertension and proteinuria. The SEC analysis detected the presence of PP13 in the cargo of the PEVs and on their surface, in addition to the known soluble fraction. The median soluble PP13 was not significantly different across the PE, PTD, and term delivery control groups. However, after depleting the PEV of their proteome, the total PP13 (soluble and PEV-associated) was augmented in the cases of preterm PE, reaching 2153 pg/mL [IQR 1866-2838] but not in cases of PTD reaching 1576 pg/mL [1011-2014] or term delivery groups reaching 964 pg/mL [875-1636]), p < 0.01. On the surface of the circulating PEV from PTD patients, there was a decrease in PP13. Corticosteroid treatment was accompanied by a massive depletion of PP13 from the PEV, especially in preterm PE patients. This exploratory study is, thus, the first to determine PEV-associated PP13 in maternal circulation, providing a quantitative determination of the soluble and the PEV-associated fractions, and it shows that the latter is the larger. We found an increase in the amount of PP13 carried via the PEV-associated pathway in PE and PTD patients compared to term delivery cases, which was further augmented when the patients were treated with corticosteroids, especially in preterm PE. The signal conveyed by this novel communication pathway warrants further research to investigate these two differential pathways for the liberation of PP13.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Marks Kazatsker
- Maternal and Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bnai-Zion University Medical Center, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (M.M.K.); (R.S.)
| | - Adi Sharabi-Nov
- Department of Statistics, Tel Hai Academic College, Tel Hai 122103, Israel;
- Department of Statistics, Ziv Medical Center, Safed 131000, Israel
| | - Hamutal Meiri
- Hy-Laboratories Ltd., Rehovot 7670606, Israel;
- TeleMarpe Ltd., 21 Beit El St., Tel Aviv 6908742, Israel
| | - Rami Sammour
- Maternal and Fetal Medicine Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bnai-Zion University Medical Center, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (M.M.K.); (R.S.)
| | - Marei Sammar
- Prof. Ephraim Katzir Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Braude Academic College of Engineering, 51 Snunit St., Karmiel 2161002, Israel
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Püschl IC, de Wolff MG, Broberg L, Macklon N, Hegaard HK. Pregnant women's attitudes to and experiences with a smartphone-based self-test for prediction of pre-eclampsia: a qualitative descriptive study. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e065575. [PMID: 37221028 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To explore attitudes to and experiences using a smartphone-based self-test for prediction of pre-eclampsia among pregnant women. DESIGN A qualitative, descriptive study. SETTING An obstetrical care unit at a university hospital in Denmark. PARTICIPANTS Twenty women who had participated in the Salurate trial, a clinical trial testing the efficacy of a smartphone-based self-test for prediction of pre-eclampsia, were purposefully chosen for the study, using maximum variation sampling. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Data were collected by semistructured, individual, face-to-face interviews conducted from 4 October 2018 to 8 November 2018. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed by means of thematic analysis. RESULTS Qualitative thematic analysis resulted in the identification of three main themes: Raising awareness, self-testing has the potential to be an integrated part of pregnancy and trusting in technology. Two subthemes were identified under each main theme. CONCLUSIONS The smartphone-based self-test for prediction of pre-eclampsia has potential to be integrated into antenatal care, and women found it feasible to use. However, testing affected the participating women psychologically, leading to feelings of worry as well as safety. Therefore, if self-testing is implemented, it is important to take actions to handle adverse psychological side effects, including increasing knowledge on pre-eclampsia and having healthcare professionals ongoingly address the psychological state of women throughout pregnancy. In addition, it is essential to emphasise the importance of subjective bodily sensations during pregnancy, including fetal movements. Further studies on the experience of being labelled low risk versus high risk for pre-eclampsia are warranted since this was not investigated in this trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Catharina Püschl
- Department of Gyneacology and Obstetrics, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Kobenhavn, Denmark
| | - Mie Gaarskjaer de Wolff
- The Research Unit for Women's, Children's and Families' Health, Juliane Marie Centre, Kobenhavn, Denmark
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Lotte Broberg
- Department of Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Kobenhavn, Denmark
- Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Frederiksberg University Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Nick Macklon
- London Womens Clinic, London, UK
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics and ReproHealth Consortium, Zealand University Hospital Koge, Koge, Denmark
| | - Hanne Kristine Hegaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Kobenhavn, Denmark
- Department of Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Kobenhavn, Denmark
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Hong J, Kumar S. Circulating biomarkers associated with placental dysfunction and their utility for predicting fetal growth restriction. Clin Sci (Lond) 2023; 137:579-595. [PMID: 37075762 PMCID: PMC10116344 DOI: 10.1042/cs20220300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) leading to low birth weight (LBW) is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Normal placental development involves a series of highly regulated processes involving a multitude of hormones, transcription factors, and cell lineages. Failure to achieve this leads to placental dysfunction and related placental diseases such as pre-clampsia and FGR. Early recognition of at-risk pregnancies is important because careful maternal and fetal surveillance can potentially prevent adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes by judicious pregnancy surveillance and careful timing of birth. Given the association between a variety of circulating maternal biomarkers, adverse pregnancy, and perinatal outcomes, screening tests based on these biomarkers, incorporating maternal characteristics, fetal biophysical or circulatory variables have been developed. However, their clinical utility has yet to be proven. Of the current biomarkers, placental growth factor and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 appear to have the most promise for placental dysfunction and predictive utility for FGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesrine Hong
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Level 3, Aubigny Place, Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia
| | - Sailesh Kumar
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Level 3, Aubigny Place, Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia
- School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia
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Barrio E, Quirós A, Lerma-Puertas D, Labarta JI, Gascón-Catalán A. Identification of miRNAs Involved in Foetal Growth Restriction Due to Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11195808. [PMID: 36233676 PMCID: PMC9571148 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11195808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Smoking during pregnancy is associated with reduced foetal growth, amongst other effects. Epigenetic modification in the foetus and placenta during embryonic development as a result of changes in the function of miRNAs is one of the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for this. This dysregulation may be due to environmental changes or toxins such as tobacco. OBJECTIVE To study the impact of smoking during pregnancy and its role in intrauterine growth restriction via hypermethylated miRNAs. MATERIALS AND METHODS The differences in methylation patterns for miRNAs in umbilical cord blood from low-birth-weight newborns of smoking mothers were compared with those from normal-weight newborns using MedIP-seq (StarArray). RESULTS Seven hypermethylated miRNAs were identified in the epigenetic study of cord blood from low-birth-weight newborns of smoking mothers in our sample. The miRNAs found to be hypermethylated were: MIR7-1, MIR3918, MIR1244-1, MIR4721, MIR25, MIR93, MIR3656. CONCLUSION Intrauterine exposure to tobacco induces hypermethylation-mediated miRNA silencing in low-birth-weight newborns by modifying the expression of factors involved in vascular development, growth, and adaptation to hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Barrio
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- Correspondence: (E.B.); (A.G.-C.)
| | - Alba Quirós
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Diego Lerma-Puertas
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- Servicio de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - José I. Labarta
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- Unidad de Endocrinología, Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana Gascón-Catalán
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- Correspondence: (E.B.); (A.G.-C.)
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