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Teo SM, Segurado R, Mehegan J, Douglass A, Murrin CM, Cronin M, Kelleher CC, McAuliffe FM, Phillips CM. Sociodemographic factor associations with maternal and placental outcomes: A cluster and partial least squares regression analysis. Placenta 2024; 150:62-71. [PMID: 38593637 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2024.04.001] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Maternal social disadvantage adversely affects maternal and offspring health, with limited research on placental outcomes. Therefore, we examined maternal sociodemographic factor associations with placental and birth outcomes in general (Lifeways Cross-Generation Cohort) and at-risk (PEARS Study of mothers with overweight or obesity) populations of pregnant women. METHODS TwoStep cluster analysis profiled Lifeways mothers (n = 250) based on their age, parity, marital status, household income, private healthcare insurance, homeowner status, and education. Differences in placental and birth outcomes (untrimmed placental weight (PW), birthweight (BW) and BW:PW ratio) between clusters were assessed using one-way ANOVA and chi-square tests. Partial least squares regression analysed individual effects of sociodemographic factors on placental and birth outcomes in Lifeways and PEARS mothers (n = 461). RESULTS Clusters were classified as "Married Homeowners" (n = 140, 56 %), "Highest Income" (n = 58, 23.2 %) and "Renters" (n = 52, 20.8 %) in the Lifeways Cohort. Renters were younger, more likely to smoke, have a means-tested medical card and more pro-inflammatory diets compared to other clusters (p < 0.01). Compared to Married Homeowners, renters' offspring had lower BW (-259.26 g, p < 0.01), shorter birth length (-1.31 cm, p < 0.01) and smaller head circumference (-0.59 cm, p = 0.02). PLS regression analyses identified nulliparity as having the greatest negative effect on PW (Lifeways and PEARS) while being a homeowner had the greatest positive effect on PW (Lifeways). CONCLUSION Certain combinations of sociodemographic factors (particularly homeownership) were associated with less favourable lifestyle factors, and with birth, but not placental outcomes. When explored individually, parity contributed to the prediction of placental and birth outcomes in both cohorts of pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shevaun M Teo
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Ricardo Segurado
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - John Mehegan
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Alexander Douglass
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Celine M Murrin
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Martina Cronin
- National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Cecily C Kelleher
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Fionnuala M McAuliffe
- UCD Perinatal Research Centre, School of Medicine, National Maternity Hospital, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Catherine M Phillips
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
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Sharma K, Bhat S, Bhat SM. Causes of stillbirth in ethnically diverse women in a Perth metropolitan hospital: A retrospective study. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol 2024; 64:141-146. [PMID: 37905931 DOI: 10.1111/ajo.13761] [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: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most published reports analysing the differences in causation of stillbirth between different ethnic groups focus on stillbirth risk factors, with a paucity of data comparing actual causes of stillbirth. AIMS To determine whether causes of stillbirth differ between Caucasian and non-Caucasian ethnic groups in an Australian context. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data from all stillbirths occurring at 20 or more completed weeks of gestation between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2020 at a secondary level, outer metropolitan hospital, were analysed in this retrospective case series. Causes of stillbirth as determined by perinatal autopsy and placental histopathology were categorised using the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand Perinatal Death Classification and compared between Caucasian and non-Caucasian groups. RESULTS Ninety-two stillbirths (0.7% of all births) were identified during the study period. A greater proportion of non-Caucasian women had small for gestation age placentas compared to Caucasian women (n = 22/43 (51%) vs n = 12/49 (24%); P = 0.025). A greater proportion of stillbirths were caused by hypoxic peripartum death in non-Caucasian than in Caucasian women (n = 4/43 (9%) vs n = 0/49 (0%); P = 0.044), and a greater prevalence of placental dysfunction was seen in the non-Caucasian cohort compared to Caucasian women (n = 14/43 (33%) vs n = 8/49 (16%); P = 0.057). CONCLUSIONS The differences observed in causes of stillbirth between Caucasian and non-Caucasian women are hypothesis generating and warrant further larger-scale, multi-centred studies using standardised definitions and classification systems to determine whether these differences persist in a more representative sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kriti Sharma
- Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Saiuj Bhat
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Sangeeta Malla Bhat
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Armadale Health Service, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Tai YY, Lee CN, Juan HC, Lin MW, Liao JC, Li HY, Lin SY, Poon LC. Prediction by uterine artery Doppler screening of small-for-gestational-age neonates at 19-24 weeks' gestation. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2024; 63:222-229. [PMID: 37519188 DOI: 10.1002/uog.27444] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates are at increased risk of perinatal mortality and morbidity. We aimed to investigate the performance of uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) at 19-24 weeks' gestation to predict the delivery of a SGA neonate in a Chinese population. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study using data obtained between January 2010 and June 2018. Doppler ultrasonography was performed at 19-24 weeks' gestation. SGA was defined as birth weight below the 10th centile according to the INTERGROWTH-21st fetal growth standards. The performance of UtA-PI to predict the delivery of a SGA neonate was assessed using receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC)-curve analysis. RESULTS We included 6964 singleton pregnancies, of which 748 (11%) delivered a SGA neonate, including 115 (15%) women with preterm delivery. Increased UtA-PI was associated with an elevated risk of SGA, both in neonates delivered at or after 37 weeks' gestation (term SGA) and those delivered before 37 weeks (preterm SGA). The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for UtA-PI were 64.4% (95% CI, 61.5-67.3%) and 75.8% (95% CI, 69.3-82.3%) for term and preterm SGA, respectively. The performance of combined screening by maternal demographic/clinical characteristics and estimated fetal weight in the detection of term and preterm SGA was improved significantly by the addition of UtA-PI, although the increase in AUC was modest (2.4% for term SGA and 4.9% for preterm SGA). CONCLUSIONS This is the first Chinese study to evaluate the role of UtA-PI at 19-24 weeks' gestation in the prediction of the delivery of a neonate with SGA. The addition of UtA-PI to traditional risk factors improved the screening performance for SGA, and this improvement was greater in predicting preterm SGA compared with term SGA. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y-Y Tai
- Department of Medical Genetics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - C-N Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - H-C Juan
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - M-W Lin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - J-C Liao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - H-Y Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - S-Y Lin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - L C Poon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
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Ashley RL, Trigo EM, Ervin JM. Placental insufficiency and heavier placentas in sheep after suppressing CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling during implantation†. Biol Reprod 2023; 109:982-993. [PMID: 37724932 PMCID: PMC10724462 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad122] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
During implantation, trophoblast cell invasion and differentiation is predominantly important to achieving proper placental formation and embryonic development. The chemokine, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) working through its receptor C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is implicated in implantation and placentation but precise roles of this axis are unclear. Suppressing CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling at the fetal-maternal interface in sheep reduces trophoblast invasion, disrupts uterine remodeling, and diminishes placental vascularization. We hypothesize these negative impacts during implantation will manifest as compromised fetal and placental growth at midgestation. To test, on day 12 postbreeding, osmotic pumps were surgically installed in 30 ewes and delivered intrauterine CXCR4 inhibitor or saline for 7 or 14 days. On day 90, fetal/maternal tissues were collected, measured, weighed, and maternal (caruncle) and fetal (cotyledon) placenta components separated and analyzed. The objectives were to determine if (i) suppressing CXCL12/CXCR4 during implantation results in reduced fetal and placental growth and development and (ii) if varying the amount of time CXCL12/CXCR4 is suppressed impacts fetal/placental development. Fetal weights were similar; however greater placental weight and placentome numbers occurred when CXCL12/CXCR4 was suppressed for 14 days. In caruncles, greater abundance of fibroblast growth factor 2, vascular endothelial growth factor A, vascular endothelial growth factor A receptor 1 (FLT-1), and placental growth factor were observed after suppressing CXCL12/CXCR4. Similar results occurred in cotyledons except less vascular endothelial growth factor in 7 day group and less fibroblast growth factor in 14 day group. Our data underscore the importance of CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling during placentation and provide strong evidence that altering CXCL12-mediated signaling induces enduring placental effects manifesting later in gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan L Ashley
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Elisa M Trigo
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Jacqueline M Ervin
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
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de Graaff E, Bartlett K, Sadler L, Lakhdhir H, Simon-Kumar R, Peiris-John R, Burgess W, Cronin R, McCowan L, Anderson N. Placental pathology findings in perinatal deaths from 28 weeks gestation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Placenta 2023; 138:97-108. [PMID: 37245428 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Women of South Asian ethnicity are overrepresented in adverse pregnancy outcome across high-income countries, including those related to placental dysfunction. It has been hypothesised that placental aging occurs at earlier gestation in South Asian pregnancies. We aimed to identify differences in placental pathology among perinatal deaths ≥28 weeks gestation, between South Asian, Māori and New Zealand (NZ) European women in Aotearoa NZ, with a focus on women of South Asian ethnicity. METHODS Placental pathology reports and clinical data from perinatal deaths between 2008 and 2017 were provided by the NZ Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee, blinded, and analysed by an experienced perinatal pathologist using the Amsterdam Placental Workshop Group Consensus Statement criteria. RESULTS 790 of 1161 placental pathology reports, 346 preterm (28+0 to 36+6 weeks) and 444 term (≥37+0 weeks) deaths, met the inclusion criteria. Among preterm deaths, South Asian women had higher rates of maternal vascular malperfusion compared with Māori (aOR 4.16, 95%CI 1.55-11.15) and NZ European (aOR 2.60, 95%CI 1.10-6.16). Among term deaths, South Asian women had higher rates of abnormal villous morphology compared with Māori (aOR 2.19, 95%CI 1.04-4.62) and NZ European (aOR 2.12, 95%CI 1.14-3.94), mostly due to increased rates of chorangiosis (36.7%, compared to 23.3% and 21.7%, respectively). DISCUSSION Differences in placental pathology by ethnicity were observed among preterm and term perinatal deaths. While we suspect differing underlying causal pathways, these deaths may be associated with maternal diabetic and red blood cell disorders among South Asian women, leading to a hypoxic state in-utero.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esti de Graaff
- The University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Building 507, 22-30 Park Avenue, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
| | - Kate Bartlett
- Auckland District Health Board LabPlus, Auckland City Hospital, Building 31, Gate 4 Grafton Road, Grafton, Auckland, 1148, New Zealand.
| | - Lynn Sadler
- The University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Building 507, 22-30 Park Avenue, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand; Te Toka Tumai Auckland, Te Whatu Ora Health, 2 Park Road, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
| | - Heena Lakhdhir
- Counties Manukau District, Division of Women's Health, Te Whatu Ora - Health, 100 Hospital Road, Ōtāhuhu, Auckland, 2025, New Zealand.
| | - Rachel Simon-Kumar
- The University of Auckland School of Population Health, Building 507, 22-30 Park Avenue, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
| | - Roshini Peiris-John
- The University of Auckland Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Building 507, 22-30 Park Avenue, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
| | - Wendy Burgess
- The University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Building 507, 22-30 Park Avenue, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
| | - Robin Cronin
- The University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Building 507, 22-30 Park Avenue, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand; Counties Manukau District, Division of Women's Health, Te Whatu Ora - Health, 100 Hospital Road, Ōtāhuhu, Auckland, 2025, New Zealand.
| | - Lesley McCowan
- The University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Building 507, 22-30 Park Avenue, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
| | - Ngaire Anderson
- The University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Building 507, 22-30 Park Avenue, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
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Romero R, Jung E, Chaiworapongsa T, Erez O, Gudicha DW, Kim YM, Kim JS, Kim B, Kusanovic JP, Gotsch F, Taran AB, Yoon BH, Hassan SS, Hsu CD, Chaemsaithong P, Gomez-Lopez N, Yeo L, Kim CJ, Tarca AL. Toward a new taxonomy of obstetrical disease: improved performance of maternal blood biomarkers for the great obstetrical syndromes when classified according to placental pathology. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2022; 227:615.e1-615.e25. [PMID: 36180175 PMCID: PMC9525890 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The major challenge for obstetrics is the prediction and prevention of the great obstetrical syndromes. We propose that defining obstetrical diseases by the combination of clinical presentation and disease mechanisms as inferred by placental pathology will aid in the discovery of biomarkers and add specificity to those already known. OBJECTIVE To describe the longitudinal profile of placental growth factor (PlGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), and the PlGF/sFlt-1 ratio throughout gestation, and to determine whether the association between abnormal biomarker profiles and obstetrical syndromes is strengthened by information derived from placental examination, eg, the presence or absence of placental lesions of maternal vascular malperfusion. STUDY DESIGN This retrospective case cohort study was based on a parent cohort of 4006 pregnant women enrolled prospectively. The case cohort of 1499 pregnant women included 1000 randomly selected patients from the parent cohort and all additional patients with obstetrical syndromes from the parent cohort. Pregnant women were classified into six groups: 1) term delivery without pregnancy complications (n=540; control); 2) preterm labor and delivery (n=203); 3) preterm premature rupture of the membranes (n=112); 4) preeclampsia (n=230); 5) small-for-gestational-age neonate (n=334); and 6) other pregnancy complications (n=182). Maternal plasma concentrations of PlGF and sFlt-1 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in 7560 longitudinal samples. Placental pathologists, masked to clinical outcomes, diagnosed the presence or absence of placental lesions of maternal vascular malperfusion. Comparisons between mean biomarker concentrations in cases and controls were performed by utilizing longitudinal generalized additive models. Comparisons were made between controls and each obstetrical syndrome with and without subclassifying cases according to the presence or absence of placental lesions of maternal vascular malperfusion. RESULTS 1) When obstetrical syndromes are classified based on the presence or absence of placental lesions of maternal vascular malperfusion, significant differences in the mean plasma concentrations of PlGF, sFlt-1, and the PlGF/sFlt-1 ratio between cases and controls emerge earlier in gestation; 2) the strength of association between an abnormal PlGF/sFlt-1 ratio and the occurrence of obstetrical syndromes increases when placental lesions of maternal vascular malperfusion are present (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 13.6 vs 6.7 for preeclampsia; aOR, 8.1 vs 4.4 for small-for-gestational-age neonates; aOR, 5.5 vs 2.1 for preterm premature rupture of the membranes; and aOR, 3.3 vs 2.1 for preterm labor (all P<0.05); and 3) the PlGF/sFlt-1 ratio at 28 to 32 weeks of gestation is abnormal in patients who subsequently delivered due to preterm labor with intact membranes and in those with preterm premature rupture of the membranes if both groups have placental lesions of maternal vascular malperfusion. Such association is not significant in patients with these obstetrical syndromes who do not have placental lesions. CONCLUSION Classification of obstetrical syndromes according to the presence or absence of placental lesions of maternal vascular malperfusion allows biomarkers to be informative earlier in gestation and enhances the strength of association between biomarkers and clinical outcomes. We propose that a new taxonomy of obstetrical disorders informed by placental pathology will facilitate the discovery and implementation of biomarkers as well as the prediction and prevention of such disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI; Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, MI.
| | - Eunjung Jung
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Offer Erez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; Faculty of Health Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternity Department "D," Soroka University Medical Center, School of Medicine, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, HaEmek Medical Center, Afula, Israel
| | - Dereje W Gudicha
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Yeon Mee Kim
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; Department of Pathology, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Sun Kim
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; Department of Pathology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bomi Kim
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; Department of Pathology, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Juan Pedro Kusanovic
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; División de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Medicina Materno-Fetal, Unidad de Alto Riesgo Obstétrico, Hospital Sotero Del Rio, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francesca Gotsch
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Andreea B Taran
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Bo Hyun Yoon
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sonia S Hassan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; Office of Women's Health, Integrative Biosciences Center, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI; Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Chaur-Dong Hsu
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arizona, College of Medicine - Tucson, Tucson, AZ
| | - Piya Chaemsaithong
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; Faculty of Medicine, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Lami Yeo
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Chong Jai Kim
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; Department of Pathology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Adi L Tarca
- Perinatology Research Branch, Divisions of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Intramural Research, US Department of Health and Human Services, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, and Detroit, MI; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI; Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University College of Engineering, Detroit, MI
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7
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Influence of Maternal Region of Birth on Placental Pathology of Babies Born Small. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9030388. [PMID: 35327760 PMCID: PMC8947328 DOI: 10.3390/children9030388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Placental pathology is a common antecedent factor in infants born small for gestational age. Maternal region of birth can influence rates of SGA. Aims: To determine the association of maternal region of birth on placental pathology in babies that are born small, comparing a South Asian born population with Australia and New Zealand born women. Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Monash Health, the largest public health service in Victoria. Mother-baby pairs above 34 weeks’ gestation and birth weight less than 10th centile born in 2016 were included. Placental pathology reports and medical records were reviewed. Statistical analyses of placental and selected neonatal outcomes data were performed. Results: Three hundred and eleven small for gestational age babies were included in this study, of which 171 were born to South Asian mothers and 140 to Australian and New Zealand mothers. There were no significant differences in gestational age at birth between the groups (38.7 (1.6) vs. 38.3 (1.7) weeks, p = 0.06). Placental pathology (macroscopic and microscopic) data comparisons showed no significant differences between the two groups (81% major abnormality in both groups). This was despite South Asian small for gestational age babies being less likely to require admission to a special care nursery or neonatal intensive care unit (35 vs. 41%, p = 0.05), or have a major congenital abnormality (2.3 vs. 4.3%, p = 0.04). Conclusion: In this observational study, maternal region of birth did not have an influence on placental pathology of babies born small, despite some differences in neonatal outcomes.
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McLaughlin K, Hobson SR, Chandran AR, Agrawal S, Windrim RC, Parks WT, Bowman AW, Sovio U, Smith GC, Kingdom JC. Circulating maternal placental growth factor responses to low-molecular-weight heparin in pregnant patients at risk of placental dysfunction. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2022; 226:S1145-S1156.e1. [PMID: 34461078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2021.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients at high risk of severe preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction have low circulating levels of placental growth factor and features of maternal vascular malperfusion placental pathology at delivery. Multimodal screening and commencement of aspirin prophylaxis at 11 to 13 weeks' gestation markedly reduces the risk of preterm delivery with preeclampsia. However, the additional role of low-molecular-weight heparin and mechanisms of action remain uncertain. Because low-molecular-weight heparin augments the production and release of placental growth factor in vitro by both placental villi and vascular endothelium, it may be effective to suppress the risk of severe preeclampsia in a niche group of high-risk patients with low circulating placental growth factor in the early second trimester. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to define a gestational age-specific reference range for placental growth factor and to test the hypothesis that prophylactic low-molecular-weight heparin administered in the early second trimester may restore deficient circulating placental growth factor levels and thereby prolong pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN Centile curves for circulating placental growth factor levels from 12 to 36 weeks' gestation were derived using quantile regression of combined data from a published cohort of 4207 unselected nulliparous patients in Cambridge, United Kingdom, at 4 sampling time points (12, 20, 28, and 36 weeks' gestation) and the White majority (n=531) of a healthy nulliparous cohort in Toronto, Canada, at 16 weeks' gestation using the same test platform. Within a specialty high-risk clinic in Toronto, a niche group of 7 patients with a circulating placental growth factor at the <10th centile in the early second trimester received daily prophylactic low-molecular-weight heparin (enoxaparin; 40 mg subcutaneously) and were followed up until delivery (group 1). Their baseline characteristics, delivery details, and placental pathologies were compared with 5 similar patients who did not receive low-molecular-weight heparin during the observation period (group 2) and further with 21 patients who delivered with severe preeclampsia (group 3) in the same institution. RESULTS A gestational age-specific reference range for placental growth factor levels at weekly intervals between 12 and 36 weeks was established for White women with singleton pregnancies. Within group 1, 5 of 7 patients demonstrated a sustained increase in circulating placental growth factor levels, whereas placental growth factor levels did not increase in group 2 or group 3 patients who did not receive low-molecular-weight heparin. Group 1 patients receiving low-molecular-weight heparin therapy exhibited a later gestation at delivery, relative to groups 2 and 3 (36 weeks [33-37] vs 23 weeks [22-26] and 28 weeks [27-31], respectively), and consequently had higher birthweights (1.93 kg [1.1-2.7] vs 0.32 kg [0.19-0.39] and 0.73 kg [0.52-1.03], respectively). The incidence of stillbirth was lowest in group 1 (14% [1 of 7]), relative to groups 2 and 3 (80% [4 of 5] and 29% [6 of 21], respectively). Maternal vascular malperfusion was the most common placental pathology found in association with abnormal uterine artery Doppler. CONCLUSION In patients at high risk of a serious adverse pregnancy outcome owing to placental disease, the addition of low-molecular-weight heparin to aspirin prophylaxis in the early second trimester may restore deficient circulating placental growth factor to mediate an improved perinatal outcome. These data support the implementation of a multicenter pilot randomized control trial where patients are recruited primarily based on the assessment of placental function in the early second trimester.
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Fetal monitoring from 39 weeks' gestation to identify South Asian-born women at risk of perinatal compromise: a retrospective cohort study. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23352. [PMID: 34857850 PMCID: PMC8639724 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02836-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate whether earlier “post-term” monitoring of South Asian (SA) pregnancies from 39 weeks’ gestation with amniotic fluid index (AFI) and cardiotocography (CTG) detected suspected fetal compromise. Retrospective cohort study of all SA-born women at an Australian health service with uncomplicated, singleton pregnancies following the introduction of twice-weekly AFI and CTG monitoring from 39 weeks. Monitoring results, and their association with a perinatal compromise composite (including assisted delivery for fetal compromise, stillbirth, and NICU admission) were determined. 771 SA-born women had earlier monitoring, triggering delivery in 82 (10.6%). 31 (4%) had a non-reassuring antepartum CTG (abnormal fetal heart rate or variability, or decelerations) and 21 (2.7%) had an abnormal AFI (≤ 5 cm). Women with abnormal monitoring were 53% (95% CI 1.2–1.9) more likely to experience perinatal compromise and 83% (95% CI 1.2–2.9) more likely to experience intrapartum compromise than women with normal monitoring. Monitoring from 39 weeks identified possible fetal compromise earlier than it otherwise would have been, and triggered intervention in 10% of women. Without robust evidence to guide timing of birth in SA-born women to reduce rates of stillbirth, earlier monitoring provides an alternative to routine induction of labour.
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Shinde GR, Kshirsagar N, Laddad M, Shivade V. Ultrasonographic placental thickness versus fetal outcome: A prospective study in Southern India. CASPIAN JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE 2021; 12:562-567. [PMID: 34820063 PMCID: PMC8590402 DOI: 10.22088/cjim.12.4.562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Background: Variations in placental thickness are associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality. However, only very few studies have been established on the correlation between placental thickness with birth outcomes. This study correlated placental thickness in 2nd and 3rd trimesters with neonatal outcome, maternal weight gain, and body mass index (BMI). Methods: A total of 116 patients aged between 20 to 50 years with singleton pregnancy and regular menstrual history (and sure about their last menstrual period) were included. Placental thickness was measured at 24 and 36 weeks by ultrasound and was divided into three groups: Group A (normal placenta), Group B (thin placenta), and Group C (thick placenta); and correlated with neonatal outcome, maternal weight gain, and BMI. Results: Out of the 116 pregnant women, 55 (47.4%) were primigravida and 61 (52.6%) were multigravida. Six patients (3.6%) delivered pre-term before 36 weeks. In the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, most cases had normal placental thickness (Group A; 93.1% and 92.7%), followed by thin placenta (Group B; 5.2% and 7.3%) and thick placenta (Group C; 1.7% and 0), respectively. Two patients with thin placenta had neonatal death. A significant positive correlation was found between birth weight and placental thickness (at 24 weeks; 0.516r, P<0.00001 and at 36 weeks; 0.669r, P<0.00001) and maternal weight gain and birth weight (0.563r, P<0.00001). Conclusion: Placental thickness on ultrasonography demonstrated well the correlation between birth weight in 2nd and 3rd trimesters and increased incidence of antenatal and postpartum complications resulting from thin placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauri Raghunath Shinde
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be) University, Malkapur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Nitin Kshirsagar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be) University, Malkapur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Manisha Laddad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be) University, Malkapur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Vaishnavi Shivade
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be) University, Malkapur, Maharashtra, India
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Bhat S, Birdus N, Bhat SM. Ethnic variation in causes of stillbirth in high income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2021; 158:270-277. [PMID: 34767262 DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.14023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Inequities in stillbirth rate according to ethnicity persist in high income nations. The objective of the present study is to investigate whether causes of stillbirth differ by ethnicity in high-income nations. METHODS The following databases were searched since their inception to 1 February 2021: Medline, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Global Health. Cohort, cross-sectional, and retrospective studies were included. Causes of stillbirth were aligned to the International Classification of Disease 10 for Perinatal Mortality (ICD10-PM) and pooled estimates were derived by meta-analysis. RESULTS Fifteen reports from three countries (72 555 stillbirths) were included. Seven ethnic groups - "Caucasian" (n = 11 studies), "African" (n = 11 studies), "Hispanic" (n = 7 studies), "Indigenous Australian" (n = 4 studies), "Asian" (n = 2 studies), "South Asian" (n = 2 studies), and "American Indian" (n = 1 study) - were identified. There was an overall paucity of recent, high-quality data for many ethnicities. For those with the greatest amount of data - Caucasian, African, and Hispanic - no major differences in the causes of stillbirth were identified. CONCLUSION There is a paucity of high-quality information on causes of stillbirth for many ethnicities. Improving investigation and standardizing classification of stillbirths is needed to assess whether causes of stillbirth differ across more diverse ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saiuj Bhat
- Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nadya Birdus
- Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
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12
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Gryka-Marton M, Szukiewicz D, Teliga-Czajkowska J, Olesinska M. An Overview of Neonatal Lupus with Anti-Ro Characteristics. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9281. [PMID: 34502221 PMCID: PMC8431034 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) is a syndrome of clinical symptoms observed in neonates born to mothers with antibodies to soluble antigens of the cell nucleus. The main factors contributing to the pathogenesis of this disease are anti-Sjögren Syndrome A (anti-SS-A) antibodies, known as anti-Ro, and anti-Sjögren Syndrome B (anti-SS-B) antibodies, known as anti-La. Recent publications have also shown the significant role of anti-ribonucleoprotein antibodies (anti-RNP). Seropositive mothers may have a diagnosed rheumatic disease or they can be asymptomatic without diagnosis at the time of childbirth. These antibodies, after crossing the placenta, may trigger a cascade of inflammatory reactions. The symptoms of NLE can be divided into reversible symptoms, which concern skin, hematological, and hepatological changes, but 2% of children develop irreversible symptoms, which include disturbances of the cardiac stimulatory and conduction system. Preconceptive care and pharmacological prophylaxis of NLE in the case of mothers from the risk group are important, as well as the monitoring of the clinical condition of the mother and fetus throughout pregnancy and the neonatal period. The aim of this manuscript is to summarize the previous literature and current state of knowledge about neonatal lupus and to discuss the role of anti-Ro in the inflammatory process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Gryka-Marton
- Department of Biophysics, Physiology and Pathophysiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-004 Warsaw, Poland;
- Department of Systemic Connective Tissue Diseases, National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, 02-637 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Dariusz Szukiewicz
- Department of Biophysics, Physiology and Pathophysiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-004 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Justyna Teliga-Czajkowska
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Didactics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 00-315 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Marzena Olesinska
- Department of Systemic Connective Tissue Diseases, National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, 02-637 Warsaw, Poland;
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Long J, Zhang M, Wang G, Hong X, Ji Y, Bustamante-Helfrich B, Wang X, Mueller NT. Association of Placental Pathology With Childhood Blood Pressure Among Children Born Preterm. Am J Hypertens 2021; 34:1154-1162. [PMID: 34424290 PMCID: PMC9526806 DOI: 10.1093/ajh/hpab097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The in utero pathologies underlying the link between preterm birth and offspring high blood pressure (BP) are still unknown. We investigated the prospective associations of placental histopathological findings with childhood BP among children born preterm. METHODS Our study sample included 546 mother-child pairs with preterm birth (before 37 weeks gestation) enrolled from 1999 to 2013 at the Boston Medical Center. Early preterm birth was defined as gestational age between 23 and 34 weeks. We histologically classified maternal placental pathology using the latest recommended categories: no placental complications, histologic chorioamnionitis, maternal vascular malperfusion, and other placental complications. We calculated age-, sex-, and height-specific systolic BP (SBP) percentiles for children using the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Practice Guideline. We used linear regression models with generalized estimating equations to examine the associations. RESULTS The mean (standard deviation (SD)) postnatal follow-up of the study children was 9.29 (4.1) years. After adjusting for potential confounders, histologic chorioamnionitis was associated with a 5.42 percentile higher childhood SBP (95% confidence interval: 0.32, 10.52) compared with no placental pathologic findings. This association was stronger among early preterm children. Maternal vascular malperfusion was associated with a 8.44 percentile higher childhood SBP among early preterm children (95% confidence interval: 1.54, 15.34) but the association was attenuated (6.25, 95% confidence interval: -0.76, 13.26) after additional adjustment for child standardized birthweight, a potential mediator of the association. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that among children born preterm, especially those born early preterm, both placental histologic chorioamnionitis and vascular malperfusion may help to differentiate a child's risk of high BP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingmiao Long
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mingyu Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Guoying Wang
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xiumei Hong
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yuelong Ji
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Blandine Bustamante-Helfrich
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Clinical and Applied Science Education (Pathology), University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Xiaobin Wang
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Noel T Mueller
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Correspondence: Noel T. Mueller ()
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Sun X, Shen J, Wang L. Insights into the role of placenta thickness as a predictive marker of perinatal outcome. J Int Med Res 2021; 49:300060521990969. [PMID: 33583234 PMCID: PMC7890726 DOI: 10.1177/0300060521990969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The placenta is a transitory organ indispensable for normal fetal maturation and growth. Recognition of abnormal placental variants is important in clinical practice, and a broader understanding of the significance of placental variants would help clinicians better manage affected pregnancies. Increased thickness of the placenta is reported to be a nonspecific finding but it is associated with many maternal and fetal abnormalities, including preeclampsia and abnormal fetal growth. In this review, we address the questions regarding the characteristics of placenta thickness and the relationship between thickened placenta and poor pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Liquan Wang
- Liquan Wang, Department of Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, No. 88, Jiefang Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310000, People’s Republic of China.
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Berbets AM, Davydenko IS, Barbe AM, Konkov DH, Albota OM, Yuzko OM. Melatonin 1A and 1B Receptors' Expression Decreases in the Placenta of Women with Fetal Growth Restriction. Reprod Sci 2020; 28:197-206. [PMID: 32804352 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-020-00285-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Melatonin and its metabolites prevent oxidative stress and apoptosis, and it is actively produced by the placenta during pregnancy. Melatonin 1A and 1B receptors are present in human villous trophoblastic cells. We aimed to investigate the expression of melatonin 1A and 1B receptors in human placental tissue in the case of placental insufficiency manifested as the intrauterine growth restriction syndrome of the fetus (IUGR). Thirty-two pregnant women aged 18-36 with placental insufficiency manifested at the term 36 weeks of gestation as the IUGR syndrome (the estimated fetal weight less than the 3rd percentile) were included in the experimental group; all their babies had the diagnosis confirmed at birth, which occurred after 37 weeks of gestation. The control group consisted of 30 women with uncomplicated pregnancy of the same term. Pieces of the placental tissue were obtained after deliveries, and melatonin 1A and 1B receptors were immunoassayed; the richness of melatonin receptors in the placental tissue was estimated on the basis of immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of receptors, calculated in the IHC image score. The optical density of melatonin 1A receptors in the placentas obtained from women whose pregnancies were complicated with IUGR was significantly lower than that in the placentas from uncomplicated pregnancies: generally in the trophoblast, it was 0.095 ± 0.0009 IHC image score (in the control group, 0.194 ± 0.0015, p < 0.0001); in the apical parts of the syncytiotrophoblast, 0.108 ± 0.0016 IHC image score (in the control group, 0.221 ± 0.0013, p < 0.0001); and in the stromal cells of placental villi, 0.112 ± 0.0013 IHC image score (in the control group, 0.156 ± 0.0011, p < 0.0001). The optical density of melatonin 1B receptors in placentas obtained from women whose pregnancies were complicated with IUGR was also lower than that in the placentas from uncomplicated pregnancies: generally in the trophoblast, it was 0.165 ± 0.0019 IHC image score (in the control group, 0.231 ± 0.0013, p < 0.0001), and in the apical parts of the syncytiotrophoblast, 0.188 ± 0.0028 IHC image score (in the control group, 0.252 ± 0.0009, p < 0.0001). There was no difference found in the optical density of melatonin 1B receptors in the stromal cells of placental villi between the two groups: in the experimental group, 0.109 ± 0.006 IHC image score, and in the control group, 0.114 ± 0.0011 (p = 0.65). Melatonin receptors 1A and 1B are significantly less expressed in the placental tissue in the case that pregnancy is complicated with placental insufficiency, manifested as the intrauterine growth restriction syndrome of the fetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrii M Berbets
- Higher State Educational Establishment of Ukraine "Bukovinian State Medical University", Chernivtsi, Ukraine.
| | - Igor S Davydenko
- Higher State Educational Establishment of Ukraine "Bukovinian State Medical University", Chernivtsi, Ukraine
| | - Adrian M Barbe
- Higher State Educational Establishment of Ukraine "Bukovinian State Medical University", Chernivtsi, Ukraine
| | - Dmytro H Konkov
- National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia, Ukraine
| | - Olena M Albota
- Higher State Educational Establishment of Ukraine "Bukovinian State Medical University", Chernivtsi, Ukraine
| | - Oleksandr M Yuzko
- Higher State Educational Establishment of Ukraine "Bukovinian State Medical University", Chernivtsi, Ukraine
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Chaemsaithong P, Sahota D, Pooh RK, Zheng M, Ma R, Chaiyasit N, Koide K, Shaw SW, Seshadri S, Choolani M, Panchalee T, Yapan P, Sim WS, Sekizawa A, Hu Y, Shiozaki A, Saito S, Leung TY, Poon LC. First-trimester pre-eclampsia biomarker profiles in Asian population: multicenter cohort study. ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2020; 56:206-214. [PMID: 31671479 DOI: 10.1002/uog.21905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To (i) evaluate the applicability of the European-derived biomarker multiples of the median (MoM) formulae for risk assessment of preterm pre-eclampsia (PE) in seven Asian populations, spanning the east, southeast and south regions of the continent, (ii) perform quality-assurance (QA) assessment of the biomarker measurements and (iii) establish criteria for prospective ongoing QA assessment of biomarker measurements. METHODS This was a prospective, non-intervention, multicenter study in 4023 singleton pregnancies, at 11 to 13 + 6 weeks' gestation, in 11 recruiting centers in China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. Women were screened for preterm PE between December 2016 and June 2018 and gave written informed consent to participate in the study. Maternal and pregnancy characteristics were recorded and mean arterial pressure (MAP), mean uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) and maternal serum placental growth factor (PlGF) were measured in accordance with The Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) standardized measurement protocols. MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF were transformed into MoMs using the published FMF formulae, derived from a largely Caucasian population in Europe, which adjust for gestational age and covariates that affect directly the biomarker levels. Variations in biomarker MoM values and their dispersion (SD) and cumulative sum tests over time were evaluated in order to identify systematic deviations in biomarker measurements from the expected distributions. RESULTS In the total screened population, the median (95% CI) MoM values of MAP, UtA-PI and PlGF were 0.961 (0.956-0.965), 1.018 (0.996-1.030) and 0.891 (0.861-0.909), respectively. Women in this largely Asian cohort had approximately 4% and 11% lower MAP and PlGF MoM levels, respectively, compared with those expected from normal median formulae, based on a largely Caucasian population, whilst UtA-PI MoM values were similar. UtA-PI and PlGF MoMs were beyond the 0.4 to 2.5 MoM range (truncation limits) in 16 (0.4%) and 256 (6.4%) pregnancies, respectively. QA assessment tools indicated that women in all centers had consistently lower MAP MoM values than expected, but were within 10% of the expected value. UtA-PI MoM values were within 10% of the expected value at all sites except one. Most PlGF MoM values were systematically 10% lower than the expected value, except for those derived from a South Asian population, which were 37% higher. CONCLUSIONS Owing to the anthropometric differences in Asian compared with Caucasian women, significant differences in biomarker MoM values for PE screening, particularly MAP and PlGF MoMs, were noted in Asian populations compared with the expected values based on European-derived formulae. If reliable and consistent patient-specific risks for preterm PE are to be reported, adjustment for additional factors or development of Asian-specific formulae for the calculation of biomarker MoMs is required. We have also demonstrated the importance and need for regular quality assessment of biomarker values. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Chaemsaithong
- Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - D Sahota
- Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - R K Pooh
- CRIFM Clinical Research Institute of Fetal Medicine PMC, Osaka, Japan
| | - M Zheng
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - R Ma
- First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - N Chaiyasit
- King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - K Koide
- Showa University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - S W Shaw
- Taipei Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | | | | | - P Yapan
- Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - W S Sim
- KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
| | | | - Y Hu
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - A Shiozaki
- University of Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - S Saito
- University of Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - T Y Leung
- Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - L C Poon
- Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
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Christians JK, Huicochea Munoz MF. Pregnancy complications recur independently of maternal vascular malperfusion lesions. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228664. [PMID: 32027702 PMCID: PMC7004354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spontaneous abortions, intrauterine growth restriction, and preeclampsia are thought to be caused by defective placentation and are associated with increased risk of adverse outcomes in subsequent pregnancies. However, it is not known whether the recurrence of adverse outcomes is associated with the recurrence of placental pathology. We hypothesized that recurrent maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM) underlies the recurrence of adverse outcomes. METHODS Using data from the National Collaborative Perinatal Project, we assessed the recurrence of pregnancy complications and MVM lesions (N = 3865), associations between a history of spontaneous abortions and MVM lesions or adverse outcomes in subsequent pregnancies (N = 8312), and whether the recurrence of pregnancy complications occurred independently of the presence of MVM lesions. RESULTS The odds of an MVM lesion were higher for a woman who had had an MVM lesion in a previous pregnancy (aOR = 1.6; 95% CI 1.3-1.9), although this was marginally non-significant after adjusting for covariates such as gestational age, race and BMI. The odds of preeclampsia, a small-for-gestational-age infant, premature delivery and early pregnancy loss were 2.7-5.0 times higher if there had been that same adverse outcome in a previous pregnancy. A history of spontaneous abortions was associated with higher risk of a small-for-gestational-age baby (aOR = 2.4; 95% CI 1.7-3.4) and prematurity (aOR = 5.1; 95% CI 2.3-11.5 for extremely preterm), but not preeclampsia. The recurrence of adverse outcomes was significant when restricting analyses to women without MVM lesions. Similarly, associations between adverse outcomes and previous spontaneous abortions were significant when statistically controlling for the presence of MVM lesions, or excluding pregnancies with MVM lesions. CONCLUSIONS Women with adverse outcomes in one pregnancy are at higher risk of complications in subsequent pregnancies. However, there is significant recurrence of adverse outcomes even in the absence of MVM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian K. Christians
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Women’s Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- * E-mail:
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C4d Deposition in Fetal Vessels of the Placenta in Neonatal Lupus Syndrome. Case Rep Obstet Gynecol 2019; 2019:5863476. [PMID: 31019821 PMCID: PMC6452554 DOI: 10.1155/2019/5863476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neonatal lupus syndrome (NLS) is a rare, passively acquired autoimmune syndrome caused by maternal autoantibodies. We describe a case of a newborn with NLS and the accompanying placental findings. A female neonate was born by emergency cesarean delivery due to non-reassuring fetal status at 35 weeks and 3 days. This neonate had congenital erythematous and scar lesions on the face, back, and upper and lower extremities. Maternal and fetal anti-SSA and SSB antibodies were elevated and this baby was diagnosed as NLS. Histologically, the chorionic villi demonstrated capillary shrinkage. An immunohistochemical study revealed complement deposition (C4d) in the capillaries of the villi and umbilical vessels. Our findings suggest that maternal autoantibodies affect the inflammatory response of the fetus through the placenta and that C4d deposition may be useful for diagnosing NLS.
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Keshavarz E, Motevasselian M, Amirnazeri B, Bahramzadeh S, Mohammadkhani H, Mehrjardi Z, Razzaz M, Bakhtiyari M. Gestational age-specific reference values of placental thickness in normal pregnant women. Women Health 2019; 59:718-729. [PMID: 30786837 DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2018.1553816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the reference values of the placental thickness in 400 normal pregnant women during weeks 16-41 of gestation who were referred to the Mahdiyeh hospital during January 2014-February 2015. The placental thickness at the junction of the umbilical artery was measured using ultrasonography. Multivariable linear regression was used to model the mean placental thickness and assess associations with measured covariates, including gestational age (GA). Centiles for placental thickness distribution were estimated according to the modulus exponential-normal model. The mean and standard deviation of the age of the participants was 31.4 ± 5.7 years. The Pearson correlation coefficient indicated a very strong positive linear correlation between GA and placental thickness (p <.001; r = 0.93). A nonlinear increase of placental thickness with estimated fetal weights was observed. GA-specific placental thicknesses for the 2.5th, 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 95th, and 97.5th percentiles of placental thickness were calculated. By making use of the provided nomogram in this study, neonatal outcomes associated with the placental thickness, such as Hemoglobin Bart's disease, can be diagnosed early to improve maternal and newborn health.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Keshavarz
- a Department of Radiology , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - M Motevasselian
- b Department of Gynecology & Obstetric , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - B Amirnazeri
- b Department of Gynecology & Obstetric , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - S Bahramzadeh
- b Department of Gynecology & Obstetric , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - H Mohammadkhani
- b Department of Gynecology & Obstetric , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Z Mehrjardi
- b Department of Gynecology & Obstetric , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - M Razzaz
- c Department of Radiology , Kerman University of Medical Sciences , Kerman , Iran
| | - M Bakhtiyari
- d Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center , Alborz University of Medical Sciences , Karaj , Iran.,e Department of Community Medicine , Alborz University of Medical Sciences , Karaj , Iran
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Christians JK, Grynspan D. Placental villous hypermaturation is associated with improved neonatal outcomes. Placenta 2019; 76:1-5. [PMID: 30803708 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2019.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Accelerated placental maturation is considered a sign of maternal vascular malperfusion, and is often interpreted as an adaptive, compensatory response by the placenta. We tested this interpretation by comparing outcomes in pregnancies with and without accelerated maturation. METHODS Using data from the National Collaborative Perinatal Project, we categorized preterm placentas (24-34 weeks, inclusive; 2525 births) by whether they showed placental villous hypermaturation (PVH), i.e., had the appearance of a placenta of 37 weeks or over upon microscopic examination. We assessed whether PVH was associated with maternal race, maternal BMI, fetal sex, type of preterm birth, preeclampsia, signs of infection or inflammation or placental abruption. We also assessed whether placentas showing PVH were associated with improved outcomes in terms of survival, Apgar score, or oxygen use. RESULTS PVH was more common in preeclamptic pregnancies and less common in pregnancies complicated by placental abruption or showing signs of placental infection or inflammation. Adjusting for potentially confounding factors, PVH was associated with reduced odds of fetal death, death between birth and 120 days of age, low Apgar scores and oxygen use. PVH was also associated with higher birthweights for gestational age. When correcting for the effect of birthweight, the association between PVH and reduced fetal and neonatal death remained significant. DISCUSSION Accelerated placental maturation, as manifested by PVH, is associated with improved outcomes. Our work therefore supports the hypothesis that accelerated maturation is a compensatory response by the placenta to improve its transport capacity in specific pregnancy complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian K Christians
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.
| | - David Grynspan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
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