Admission uric acid levels and length of expectant management in preterm preeclampsia

Uric acid participating in female reproductive disorders: a review

Uric acid (UA) is the end metabolic product of purine metabolism. Early on, UA was considered to be a metabolite with a certain antioxidant capacity. As research has progressed, other properties of UA have been explored, and its association with many diseases has been found. The association between UA and kidney disease and cardiovascular disease is well established; however, there is still a paucity of reviews on the association between UA and the female reproductive system. An increasing number of epidemiological studies have shown elevated serum UA levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, etc. Additionally, serum UA can be used as a predictor of pregnancy complications and adverse foetal outcomes. An increasing number of animal experiments and clinical studies have revealed possible mechanisms related to the involvement of UA in certain female reproductive disorders: oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, etc. This article reviews the current mainstream mechanisms regarding the pathogenesis of UA and the role of UA in certain specific female reproductive disorders (direct involvement in the development of certain diseases or enhancement of other risk factors) in the hope of contributing to clinical prevention, diagnosis, treatment and improvement in prognosis.

N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide and angiogenic biomarkers in the prognosis of adverse outcomes in women with suspected preeclampsia

BACKGROUND

This study compares the performance of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 to placental growth factor (sFlt-1/PlGF) ratio and the cardiac biomarker N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the prediction of adverse outcomes in women with suspicion of PE.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on women admitted at triage with signs and/or symptoms of PE (n=340). Serum levels of sFlt-1, PlGF and NT-proBNP were determined by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (Roche Diagnostics). The main outcomes were early- or late-onset PE and development of adverse outcome, defined as delivery within the first week since clinical presentation or fetal/early neonatal death.

RESULTS

NT-proBNP concentrations (ng/L) were significantly increased in PE versus non-PE women, both at <34 (169 versus 34) and ≥34weeks of gestation (101 versus 49) (p<0.001). A cut-point of 70 showed sensitivities/specificities of 78/74% for early-, and 70/62% for late-onset PE; slightly lower than those offered by the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio or uric acid. The respective cut-points of 178 and 219 for sFlt-1/PlGF ratio and NT-proBNP, demonstrated similar performance in the prediction of adverse outcome, with sensitivity/specificity of 95/84% and 94/76%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

NT-proBNP and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio can be used to predict the development of an adverse outcome.

Increased expression of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in the cytoplasm of placental syncytiotrophoblast from preeclamptic placentae

BACKGROUND

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder characterised by an inappropriate maternal inflammatory response during pregnancy. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) was originally characterised as a nuclear protein but when released into the extracellular environment following necrotic cell death, it is proinflammatory. HMGB1 is expressed in the syncytiotrophoblast of human placenta. Higher levels of uric acid are reported in preeclampsia. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the expression of HMGB1differed between early onset and late onset preeclampsia or severe and mild preeclampsia and whether its expression correlated with the levels of uric acid.

METHODS

74 preeclamptic placentae and 110 normotensive placentae were included in this study. The levels of uric acid in women with preeclampsia were measured. The expression of HMGB1 in preeclamptic placentae or in first trimester and term placentae that had been treated with uric acid was measured.

RESULTS

HMGB1 was expressed predominantly in the syncytiotrophoblast of the placenta and the expression of HMGB1 in the cytoplasm of the syncytiotrophoblast was significantly increased in both severe preeclampsia and early onset preeclampsia compared to normotensive pregnancies. The circulating levels of uric acid were significantly increased in preeclampsia and correlated with the expression of HMGB1. Increased levels of HMGB1 were significantly correlated with the severity and the time of onset of preeclampsia, but pathologic levels of uric acid did not increase the expression of HMGB1.

CONCLUSION

Our data provides a better understanding of the function of HMGB1, a danger molecule in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

Serum uric acid may not be involved in the development of preeclampsia

Higher serum levels of uric acid are associated with preeclampsia and may signal an early change in preeclampsia. However there is less evidence suggesting there is a meaningful association between uric acid and the development of preeclampsia. A total of 877 women with preeclampsia at presentation and 580 normotensive pregnancies were retrospectively recruited from January 2009 to May 2014. In addition, 5556 pregnant women were also prospectively recruited from September 2012 to December 2013. Retrospective serum levels of uric acid were obtained from women with preeclampsia at the time of presentation (n=877), and serum levels of uric acid in the first, second and third trimester were prospectively collected in women who later developed preeclampsia (n=78), as well as those who did not (n=5478). The serum levels of uric acid were significantly increased in women with preeclampsia at presentation from retrospective samples and this increase correlated with the time of onset and the severity of preeclampsia. However, in prospective samples, serum levels of uric acid were not increased in the first and second trimesters in women who later developed preeclampsia compared with those who did not. The serum level of uric acid in the first and second trimesters in women who developed preeclampsia was not different. Our results demonstrate that the serum levels of uric acid were only increased after the presentation of clinical symptoms of preeclampsia. Therefore, it is likely that uric acid is not involved in the development of preeclampsia and cannot be an early prediction biomarker of this disease.

An analysis of expectant management in women with early-onset preeclampsia in China

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both women and fetus. Although women with early severe preeclampsia are generally considered to require expedious delivery, expectant management may benefit for pregnancy prolongation. We performed a retrospective analysis of expectant management in early-onset preeclampsia, with or without fetal grow restriction (FGR) over a 6-year period, to investigate whether these women benefit from expectant management. Data including clinical parameters and liver and renal function from 186 nulliparous women with early-onset preeclampsia were analysed. In women with early-onset preeclampsia, 76.8% were delivered after 48 h and the median pregnancy prolongation was 8 days, whereas 23.2% were delivered within 48 h. There was no difference in maternal parameters, liver or renal functions between women in these two groups, regardless of the severity of preeclampsia. However, the stillbirth number was higher in preeclamptic women delivered after 48 h compared with those delivered within 48 h. Our study demonstrates that the decision for immediate delivery or expectant management was not associated with clinical parameter or laboratory biomarker of liver and renal function. However, the risk of stillbirth should still be taken into consideration when making the decision for immediate delivery or expectant management in the clinic.

Placental growth factor for the prediction of adverse outcomes in patients with suspected preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction

Background

The circulating concentration of PlGF is reported to be lower in patients experiencing preeclampsia and patients delivering a small for gestational age (SGA) neonate. To evaluate the predictive value of circulating PlGF for preeclampsia and adverse outcome in patients with suspected preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

Methodology/Principal Findings

A double blind prospective study. We enrolled 96 women for suspected preeclampsia or IUGR, and measured plasma levels of PlGF (Triage®) at enrolment. We defined adverse outcome as severe preeclampsia, SGA neonate (<10^th centile) or elective delivery for maternal or fetal complication. Severe adverse outcome was studied among patients included <34 weeks gestation (WG) and defined as eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, very SGA (<3^rd centile) or elective delivery <34 WG. The mean logtransformed PlGF level was lower for women who experienced preeclampsia (2.9 vs 3.7, p = 0.02), and was markedly lower for patients who experienced adverse outcome (2.9 vs 4.3, p<0.001). The odds of presenting an adverse outcome were higher for the lowest tertile of PlGF compared to the higher (OR = 13 , 95% CI [3–50]). For severe adverse outcome, odds were respectively for the lowest and intermediate tertile as compared with the higher tertile : OR = 216, 95% CI [18–2571]; and OR = 17, 95% CI [3–94]. When included <34 WG, patients with a PlGF level <12 pg/ml experienced a severe adverse outcome in 96% of cases (24/25), and only 1 of 20 patients with a PlGF level >5^th centile experienced a severe adverse outcome within 15 days (5%).

Conclusions/Significance

Among women with suspected preeclampsia or IUGR, PlGF helps identify women who will experience an adverse outcome and those who will not within a time period of 15 days.