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Desoye G, Carter AM. Fetoplacental oxygen homeostasis in pregnancies with maternal diabetes mellitus and obesity. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2022; 18:593-607. [PMID: 35902735 DOI: 10.1038/s41574-022-00717-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Despite improvements in clinical management, pregnancies complicated by pre-existing diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes mellitus or obesity carry substantial risks for parent and offspring. Some of the endocrine and metabolic changes in parent and fetus in diabetes mellitus and obesity lead to fetal oxygen deficit, mostly due to insulin-induced accelerated fetal metabolism. The human fetus deals with reduced oxygenation through a wide range of adaptive responses that act at various levels in the placenta as well as the fetus. These responses ensure adequate oxygen delivery to the fetus, increase the oxygen transport capacity of fetal blood and redistribute oxygen-rich blood to vital organs such as the brain and heart. The liver has a central role in adapting to reduced oxygenation by increasing its oxygen extraction and stimulating erythropoietin synthesis to increase haematocrit. The type of adaptive response depends on the onset and duration of hypoxia and the severity of the metabolic disturbance. In pregnancies characterized by diabetes mellitus or obesity, these adaptive systems come under additional strain owing to the increased maternal supply of glucose and resultant fetal hyperinsulinaemia, both of which stimulate oxidative metabolism. In the rare situation that the adaptive responses are overwhelmed, stillbirth can ensue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gernot Desoye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
- Center for Pregnant Women with Diabetes, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Anthony M Carter
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Jones AD, Shi Z, Lambrecht NJ, Jiang Y, Wang J, Burmeister M, Li M, Lozoff B. Maternal Overweight and Obesity during Pregnancy Are Associated with Neonatal, but Not Maternal, Hepcidin Concentrations. J Nutr 2021; 151:2296-2304. [PMID: 33979838 PMCID: PMC8349130 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxab133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Overweight or obesity among pregnant women may compromise maternal and neonatal iron status by upregulating hepcidin. OBJECTIVES This study determined the association of 1) maternal and neonatal iron status with maternal and neonatal hepcidin concentrations, and 2) maternal prepregnancy weight status with maternal and neonatal hepcidin concentrations. METHODS We examined hematologic data from 405 pregnant women and their infants from the placebo treatment group of a pregnancy iron supplementation trial in rural China. We measured hepcidin, serum ferritin (SF), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in maternal blood samples at mid-pregnancy and in cord blood at delivery. We used regression analysis to examine the association of maternal prepregnancy overweight or obese status with maternal hepcidin concentration in mid-pregnancy and cord hepcidin concentrations. We also used path analysis to examine mediation of the association of maternal prepregnancy overweight or obese status with maternal iron status by maternal hepcidin, as well as with neonatal hepcidin by neonatal iron status. RESULTS Maternal iron status was positively correlated with maternal hepcidin at mid-pregnancy (SF: r = 0.63, P < 0.001; sTfR: r = -0.37, P < 0.001). Neonatal iron status was also positively correlated with cord hepcidin (SF: r = 0.61, P < 0.001; sTfR: r = -0.39, P < 0.001). In multiple linear regression models, maternal prepregnancy overweight or obese status was not associated with maternal hepcidin at mid-pregnancy but was associated with lower cord hepcidin (coefficient = -0.21, P = 0.004). Using path analysis, we observed a significant indirect effect of maternal prepregnancy overweight or obese status on cord hepcidin, mediated by neonatal iron status. CONCLUSIONS In both pregnant women and neonates, hepcidin was responsive to iron status. Maternal prepregnancy overweight status, with or without including obese women, was associated with lower cord blood hepcidin, likely driven by lower iron status among the neonates of these mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Jones
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zhen Shi
- Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nathalie J Lambrecht
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yaping Jiang
- Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jingmin Wang
- Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Margit Burmeister
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ming Li
- Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Betsy Lozoff
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Frazer DM, Anderson GJ. Ironing Out the Effects of Overweight and Obesity on Hepcidin Production during Pregnancy. J Nutr 2021; 151:2087-2088. [PMID: 34159377 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxab200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David M Frazer
- Molecular Nutrition Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, The Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point, Queensland, Australia
| | - Gregory J Anderson
- Iron Metabolism Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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Delaney KM, Guillet R, Pressman EK, Ganz T, Nemeth E, O'Brien KO. Umbilical Cord Erythroferrone Is Inversely Associated with Hepcidin, but Does Not Capture the Most Variability in Iron Status of Neonates Born to Teens Carrying Singletons and Women Carrying Multiples. J Nutr 2021; 151:2590-2600. [PMID: 34236433 PMCID: PMC8417932 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxab156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The developing fetus requires adequate iron and produces its own hormones to regulate this process. Erythroferrone (ERFE) is a recently identified iron regulatory hormone, and normative data on ERFE concentrations and relations between iron status and other iron regulatory hormones at birth are needed. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to characterize cord ERFE concentrations at birth and assess interrelations between ERFE, iron regulatory hormones, and iron status biomarkers in 2 cohorts of newborns at higher risk of neonatal anemia. METHODS Umbilical cord ERFE concentrations were measured in extant serum samples collected from neonates born to women carrying multiples (age: 21-43 y; n = 127) or teens (age: 14-19 y; n = 164). Relations between cord blood ERFE and other markers of iron status or erythropoiesis in cord blood were assessed by linear regression and mediation analysis. RESULTS Cord ERFE was detectable in all newborns delivered between 30 and 42 weeks of gestation, and mean concentration at birth was 0.73 ng/mL (95% CI: 0.63, 0.85 ng/mL). Cord ERFE was on average 0.25 ng/mL lower in newborns of black as opposed to white ancestry (P = 0.04). Cord ERFE was significantly associated with transferrin receptor (β: 1.17, P < 0.001), ferritin (β: -0.27, P < 0.01), and hemoglobin (Hb) (β: 0.04, P < 0.05). However, cord hepcidin and the hepcidin:erythropoietin (EPO) ratio captured the most variance in newborn iron and hematologic status (>25% of variance explained). CONCLUSIONS Neonates born to teens and women carrying multiples were able to produce ERFE in response to neonatal cord iron status and erythropoietic demand. ERFE, however, did not capture significant variance in newborn iron or Hb concentrations. In these newborns, cord hepcidin and the hepcidin:EPO ratio explained the most variance in iron status indicators at birth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ronnie Guillet
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester
School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Eva K Pressman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester School of
Medicine, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Tomas Ganz
- Center for Iron Disorders, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of
California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeta Nemeth
- Center for Iron Disorders, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of
California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Wawer AA, Hodyl NA, Fairweather-Tait S, Froessler B. Are Pregnant Women Who Are Living with Overweight or Obesity at Greater Risk of Developing Iron Deficiency/Anaemia? Nutrients 2021; 13:1572. [PMID: 34067098 PMCID: PMC8151407 DOI: 10.3390/nu13051572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Low-grade inflammation is often present in people living with obesity. Inflammation can impact iron uptake and metabolism through elevation of hepcidin levels. Obesity is a major public health issue globally, with pregnant women often affected by the condition. Maternal obesity is associated with increased pregnancy risks including iron deficiency (ID) and iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA)-conditions already highly prevalent in pregnant women and their newborns. This comprehensive review assesses whether the inflammatory state induced by obesity could contribute to an increased incidence of ID/IDA in pregnant women and their children. We discuss the challenges in accurate measurement of iron status in the presence of inflammation, and available iron repletion strategies and their effectiveness in pregnant women living with obesity. We suggest that pre-pregnancy obesity and overweight/obese pregnancies carry a greater risk of ID/IDA for the mother during pregnancy and postpartum period, as well as for the baby. We propose iron status and weight gain during pregnancy should be monitored more closely in women who are living with overweight or obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A. Wawer
- Department of Anaesthesia, Lyell McEwin Hospital, Elizabeth Vale, SA 5112, Australia;
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;
| | - Nicolette A. Hodyl
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;
| | - Susan Fairweather-Tait
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK;
| | - Bernd Froessler
- Department of Anaesthesia, Lyell McEwin Hospital, Elizabeth Vale, SA 5112, Australia;
- Discipline of Acute Care Medicine, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
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Iron stores at birth in a full-term normal birth weight birth cohort with a low level of inflammation. Biosci Rep 2021; 40:227066. [PMID: 33245095 PMCID: PMC7736622 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20202853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron stores at birth are essential to meet iron needs during the first 4-6 months of life. The present study aimed to investigate iron stores in normal birth weight, healthy, term neonates. Umbilical cord blood samples were collected from apparently normal singleton vaginal deliveries (n=854). Subjects were screened and excluded if C-reactive protein (CRP) > 5 mg/l or α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) > 1 g/l, preterm (<37 complete weeks), term < 2500g or term > 4000g. In total, 762 samples were included in the study. Serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), hepcidin, and erythropoietin (EPO) were measured in umbilical cord blood samples; total body iron (TBI) (mg/kg) was calculated using sTfR and ferritin concentrations. A total of 19.8% newborns were iron deficient (ferritin 35 μg/l) and an additional 46.6% had insufficient iron stores (ferritin < 76 μg/l). There was a positive association between serum ferritin and sTfR, hepcidin, and EPO. Gestational age was positively associated with ferritin, sTfR, EPO, and hepcidin. In conclusion, we demonstrate a high prevalence of insufficient iron stores in a Chinese birth cohort. The value of cord sTfR and TBI in the assessment of iron status in the newborn is questionable, and reference ranges need to be established.
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Delaney KM, Guillet R, Pressman EK, Caulfield LE, Zavaleta N, Abrams SA, O'Brien KO. Iron absorption during pregnancy is underestimated when iron utilization by the placenta and fetus is ignored. Am J Clin Nutr 2020; 112:576-585. [PMID: 32614379 PMCID: PMC7458780 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal iron absorption during pregnancy can be evaluated using RBC incorporation of orally administered stable iron isotope. This approach underestimates true maternal absorption of iron as it does not account for absorbed iron that is transferred to the fetus or retained within the placenta. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to re-evaluate maternal iron absorption after factoring in these losses and identify factors associated with iron partitioning between the maternal, neonatal, and placental compartments. METHODS This study utilized data from stable iron isotope studies carried out in 68 women during the third trimester of pregnancy. Iron status indicators and stable iron isotopic enrichment were measured in maternal blood, umbilical cord blood, and placental tissue when available. Factors associated with iron isotope partitioning between the maternal, neonatal, and placental compartments were identified. RESULTS On average, true maternal absorption of iron increased by 10% (from 19% to 21%) after accounting for absorbed iron present in the newborn (P < 0.001), and further increased by 7%, (from 39% to 42%, P < 0.001) after accounting for iron retained within the placenta. On average, 2% of recovered tracer was present in the placenta and 6% was found in the newborn. Net transfer of iron to the neonate was higher in women with lower total body iron (standardized β = -0.48, P < 0.01) and lower maternal hepcidin (standardized β = -0.66, P < 0.01). In women carrying multiple fetuses, neonatal hepcidin explained a significant amount of observed variance in net placental transfer of absorbed iron (R = 0.95, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Maternal RBC iron incorporation of an orally ingested tracer underestimated true maternal iron absorption. The degree of underestimation was greatest in women with low body iron. Maternal hepcidin was inversely associated with maternal RBC iron utilization, whereas neonatal hepcidin explained variance in net transfer of iron to the neonatal compartment.These trials were registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01019096 and NCT01582802.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ronnie Guillet
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Eva K Pressman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Laura E Caulfield
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Steven A Abrams
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
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Campbell RK, Tamayo-Ortiz M, Cantoral A, Schnaas L, Osorio-Valencia E, Wright RJ, Téllez-Rojo MM, Wright RO. Maternal Prenatal Psychosocial Stress and Prepregnancy BMI Associations with Fetal Iron Status. Curr Dev Nutr 2020; 4:nzaa018. [PMID: 32099952 PMCID: PMC7026381 DOI: 10.1093/cdn/nzaa018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Iron accrued in utero is critical for fetal and infant neurocognitive development. Psychosocial stress and obesity can each suppress fetal iron accrual. Their combined effects and differences by fetal sex are not known. In an observational pregnancy cohort study in Mexico City, we investigated associations of maternal prenatal life stressors, psychological dysfunction, and prepregnancy BMI with fetal iron status at delivery. OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that greater maternal prenatal psychosocial stress and prepregnancy overweight and obesity are associated with lower cord blood ferritin and hemoglobin (Hb), with stronger associations in boys than girls. METHODS Psychosocial stress in multiple domains of life stress (negative life events, perceived stress, exposure to violence) and psychological dysfunction symptoms (depression, generalized anxiety, and pregnancy-specific anxiety) were assessed with validated questionnaires during pregnancy. Prepregnancy BMI was predicted with a validated equation and categorized as normal/overweight/obese. Cord blood ferritin and Hb associations with prenatal psychosocial stress and BMI were modeled in multivariable linear regressions adjusted for maternal age, socioeconomic status, child sex, and prenatal iron supplementation. Interactions with child sex and 3-way stress-overweight/obesity-sex interactions were tested with product terms and likelihood ratio tests. RESULTS In 493 dyads, median (IQR) cord blood ferritin and Hb concentrations were 185 µg/L (126-263 g/dL) and 16 g/dL (14.7-17.1 g/dL), respectively. Ferritin was lower in infants of mothers with higher prenatal perceived stress (-23%; 95% CI: -35%, -9%), violence exposure (-28%; 95% CI: -42%, -12%), anxiety symptoms (-16%; 95% CI: -27%, -4%), and obesity (-17%; 95% CI: -31%, 0.2%). Interaction models suggested sex differences and synergism between maternal stress and overweight/obesity. No associations were observed between stress or BMI and Hb. CONCLUSIONS Multiple prenatal psychosocial stressors and excess prepregnancy BMI were each inversely associated with fetal iron status at birth. Pregnancies and infants at elevated risk of impaired fetal iron accrual may be identifiable according to observed synergism between maternal stress and obesity and differential associations with fetal iron status by infant sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca K Campbell
- Department of Pediatrics, Kravis Children's Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marcela Tamayo-Ortiz
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
- National Council for Science and Technology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Cantoral
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
- National Council for Science and Technology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Lourdes Schnaas
- Division of Research in Community Interventions, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Erika Osorio-Valencia
- Division of Research in Community Interventions, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Kravis Children's Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martha M Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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