Placental mRNA in maternal plasma as a predictor of ectopic pregnancy

Diagnostic value of a urine test in pregnancy of unknown location

BACKGRO

Pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) is a term used when there is a positive pregnancy test but no sonographic evidence for an intrauterine pregnancy (IUP) or ectopic pregnancy (EP). This term is a classification and not a final diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of the Inexscreen test on the outcome of patients with pregnancies of unknown location.

STUDY DESIGN

In this prospective study, a total of 251 patients with a diagnosis of pregnancy of unknown location at the gynecologic emergency department of the La Conception Hospital, Marseille, France, between June 2015 and February 2019 were included. The Inexscreen (semiquantitative determination of intact human urinary chorionic gonadotropin) test was performed on patients with a diagnosis of pregnancy of unknown location. They participated in the study after information and consent collection. The main outcome measures (sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and the Youden index) of Inexscreen were calculated for the diagnosis of abnormal pregnancy (nonprogressive pregnancy) and ectopic pregnancy.

RESULTS

The sensitivity and specificity of Inexscreen for the diagnosis of abnormal pregnancy in patients with pregnancy of unknown location were 56.3% (95% confidence interval, 47.0%-65.1%) and 62.8% (95% confidence interval, 53.1%-71.5%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of Inexscreen for the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy in patients with pregnancy of unknown location were 81.3% (95% confidence interval, 57.0%-93.4%) and 55.6% (95% confidence interval, 48.6%-62.3%), respectively. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value of Inexscreen for ectopic pregnancy were 12.9% (95% confidence interval, 7.7%-20.8%) and 97.4% (95% confidence interval, 92.5%-99.1%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Inexscreen is a rapid, non-operator-dependent, noninvasive, and inexpensive test that allows the selection of patients at high risk of ectopic pregnancy in case of pregnancy of unknown location. This test allows an adapted follow-up according to the technical platform available in a gynecologic emergency service.

Extracellular vesicle RNAs reflect placenta dysfunction and are a biomarker source for preterm labour

Preterm birth (PTB) can lead to lifelong complications and challenges. Identifying and monitoring molecular signals in easily accessible biological samples that can diagnose or predict the risk of preterm labour (PTL) in pregnant women will reduce or prevent PTBs. A number of studies identified putative biomarkers for PTL including protein, miRNA and hormones from various body fluids. However, biomarkers identified from these studies usually lack consistency and reproducibility. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in circulation have gained significant interest in recent years as these vesicles may be involved in cell‐cell communication. We have used an improved small RNA library construction protocol and a newly developed size exclusion chromatography (SEC)‐based EV purification method to gain a comprehensive view of circulating RNA in plasma and its distribution by analysing RNAs in whole plasma and EV‐associated and EV‐depleted plasma. We identified a number of miRNAs in EVs that can be used as biomarkers for PTL, and these miRNAs may reflect the pathological changes of the placenta during the development of PTL. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report a comprehensive picture of circulating RNA, including RNA in whole plasma, EV and EV‐depleted plasma, in PTL and reveal the usefulness of EV‐associated RNAs in disease diagnosis.

Cell-Free RNA Is a Reliable Fetoplacental Marker in Noninvasive Fetal Sex Determination

BACKGROUND

Noninvasive genetic tests that use cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) are used increasingly in prenatal care. A low amount of cffDNA can have detrimental effects on the reliability of these tests. A marker to confirm the presence of fetal nucleic acids is therefore required that is universally applicable and easy to incorporate.

METHODS

We developed a novel multiplex, single-tube, noninvasive fetal sex determination assay by combining amplification of AMELY cffDNA with one-step reverse transcription (RT)-PCR of trophoblast-derived cell-free RNA (cfRNA), which functions as a sex-independent fetoplacental marker. We tested plasma samples from 75 pregnant women in duplicate in a blinded fashion. The fetus was considered to be male in the case of a positive result for AMELY and cfRNA amplification in both RT-PCRs. The fetus was considered to be female in the case of negative AMELY and positive cfRNA result in both RT-PCRs. In other cases, the test was repeated. We compared the results with invasive prenatal testing and pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS

The AMELY cffDNA amplification and cfRNA result was unambiguous and identical in duplicate in 71 of 75 plasma samples (95%). Four samples (5%) required an extra replicate because of an absent fetoplacental marker. Thereafter, fetal sex was correctly determined in all 75 plasma samples.

CONCLUSIONS

Amplification of trophoblast-derived cfRNA is a reliable marker for the confirmation of the presence of fetoplacentally derived nucleic acids in noninvasive fetal sex determination.

Incidence, diagnosis and management of tubal and nontubal ectopic pregnancies: a review

BACKGROUND

Ectopic pregnancy is a potentially life-threatening condition occurring in 1-2 % of all pregnancies. The most common ectopic implantation site is the fallopian tube, though 10 % of ectopic pregnancies implant in the cervix, ovary, myometrium, interstitial portion of the fallopian tube, abdominal cavity or within a cesarean section scar.

FINDINGS

Diagnosis involves a combination of clinical symptoms, serology, and ultrasound. Medical management is a safe and effective option in most clinically stable patients. Patients who have failed medical management, are ineligible, or present with ruptured ectopic pregnancy or heterotopic pregnancy are most often managed with excision by laparoscopy or, less commonly, laparotomy. Management of nontubal ectopic pregnancies may involve medical or surgical treatment, or a combination, as dictated by ectopic pregnancy location and the patient's clinical stability. Following tubal ectopic pregnancy, the rate of subsequent intrauterine pregnancy is high and independent of treatment modality.

CONCLUSION

This review describes the incidence, risk factors, diagnosis, and management of tubal and non-tubal ectopic and heterotopic pregnancies, and reviews the existing data regarding recurrence and future fertility.

Noninvasive nucleic acid-based approaches to monitor placental health and predict pregnancy-related complications

During pregnancy, the placenta releases a variety of nucleic acids (including deoxyribonucleic acid, messenger ribonucleic acid, or microribonucleic acids) either as a result of cell turnover or as an active messaging system between the placenta and cells in the maternal body. The profile of released nucleic acids changes with the gestational age and has been associated with maternal and fetal parameters. It also can directly reflect pathological changes in the placenta. Nucleic acids may therefore provide a rich source of novel biomarkers for the prediction of pregnancy complications. However, their utility in the clinical setting depends, first, on overcoming some technical considerations in their quantification, and, second, on developing a better understanding of the factors that influence their function and abundance.

MicroRNA and implantation

We provide a review of microRNA (miRNA) related to human implantation which shows the potential diagnostic role of miRNAs in impaired endometrial receptivity, altered embryo development, implantation failure after assisted reproduction technology, and in ectopic pregnancy and pregnancies of unknown location. MicroRNAs may be emerging diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic tools for understanding implantation disorders. However, further research is needed before miRNAs can be used in clinical practice for identifying and treating implantation failure.

Biomarkers for ectopic pregnancy and pregnancy of unknown location

Early pregnancy failure is the most common complication of pregnancy, and 1% to 2% of all pregnancies will be ectopic. As one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality, diagnosing ectopic pregnancy and determining the fate of a pregnancy of unknown location are of great clinical concern. Several serum and plasma biomarkers for ectopic pregnancy have been investigated independently and in combination. The following is a review of the state of biomarker discovery and development for ectopic pregnancy and pregnancy of unknown location.