Spot urine protein measurements in normotensive pregnancies, pregnancies with isolated proteinuria and preeclampsia

Methylation-based epigenetic studies and gene integration analysis of preeclampsia

Background

Preeclampsia (PE) is a multi-factor and multi-mechanism disease, which may jeopardize the life safety of affected pregnant women and fetuses. Our study aimed to detect the potential molecular indicators of PE that might be helpful for its diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

Methylation assay of PE and normal pregnancies placental biopsies was analyzed using the Illumina Human Methylation-27 Assay. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed using R-DESeq2 software. Subsequently, the relationship between DNA methylation genes and DEGs were evaluated. Furthermore, immunohistochemical (IHC) and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validation analyses were conducted for the hub genes.

Results

These hub genes (including PLXNB1, PMCH, PPARG, GOPC, CD79A, and MME) were found to be differentially methylated genes and DEGs. Further analysis revealed that PPARG, CD79A, and PLXNB1 may be diagnostic gene markers for PE; down-regulation of PPARG expression was closely correlated with the development of PE. The IHC analysis demonstrated that the expression levels of PLXNB1, PMCH, GOPC, CD79A, and MME genes were increased, whereas that of PPARG was decreased in PE tissues. The PCR results showed that PLXNB1, PMCH, GOPC, CD79a, and MME were upregulated, whereas PPARG was downregulated. The results of the 2 experiments were consistent with those of bioinformatics analysis.

Conclusions

The molecular indicators identified in this study could facilitate the development of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for PE.

Acute kidney injury during pregnancy in kidney transplant recipients

Pregnancy-related acute kidney injury (AKI) is a public health problem and remains an important cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The incidence of pregnancy-related AKI has increased in developed countries due to increase in maternal age and higher detection rates. Pregnancy in women with kidney transplants is associated with higher adverse outcomes like preeclampsia, preterm births, and allograft dysfunction, but limited data exist on causes and outcomes of pregnancy-related AKI in the kidney transplant population. Diagnosis of AKI during pregnancy remains challenging in kidney transplant recipients due to lack of diagnostic criteria. Management of pregnancy-related AKI in the kidney transplant population requires a multidisciplinary team consisting of transplant nephrologists, high-risk obstetricians, and neonatologists. In this review, we discuss pregnancy-related acute kidney injury in women with kidney transplants, etiologies, pregnancy outcomes, and management strategies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Physiological Changes and Interactions Between Microbiome and the Host During Pregnancy

In recent years, it has become clear that microbiome play a variety of essential roles in human metabolism, immunity, and overall health and that the composition of these microbiome is influenced by our environment, diet, weight, hormones, and other factors. Indeed, numerous physiological and pathological conditions, including obesity and metabolic syndrome, are associated with changes in our microbiome, referred to as dysbiosis. As a result, it is not surprising that such changes occur during pregnancy, which includes substantial weight gain and significant changes in metabolism and immune defenses. The present review relates physiological changes during pregnancy to alterations in the microbial composition at various sites, including the gut, oral cavity, and vagina. Pregnancy has been linked to such microbial changes, and we believe that, in contrast to certain disease states, these microbial changes are vital for a healthy pregnancy, probably through their influence on the mother’s immunological, endocrinological, and metabolic status.

Proteinuria during pregnancy: definition, pathophysiology, methodology, and clinical significance

Qualitative and quantitative measurement of urine protein excretion is one of the most common tests performed during pregnancy. For more than 100 years, proteinuria was necessary for the diagnosis of preeclampsia, but recent guidelines recommend that proteinuria is sufficient but not necessary for the diagnosis. Still, in clinical practice, most patients with gestational hypertension will be diagnosed as having preeclampsia based on the presence of proteinuria. Although the reference standard for measuring urinary protein excretion is a 24-hour urine collection, spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio is a reasonable "rule-out" test for proteinuria. Urine dipstick screening for proteinuria does not provide any clinical benefit and should not be used to diagnose proteinuria. The classic cutoff cited to define proteinuria during pregnancy is a value of >300 mg/24 hours or a urine protein-to-creatinine ratio of at least 0.3. Using this cutoff, the rate of isolated proteinuria in pregnancy may reach 8%, whereas preeclampsia occurs among 3% to 8% of pregnancies. Although this threshold is widely accepted, its origin is not based on evidence on adverse pregnancy outcomes but rather on expert opinion and results of small studies. After reviewing the available data, the most important factor that influences maternal and neonatal outcome is the severity of blood pressures and presence of end organ damage, rather than the excess protein excretion. Because the management of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia without severe features is almost identical in frequency of surveillance and timing of delivery, the separation into 2 disorders is unnecessary. If the management of women with gestational hypertension with a positive assessment of proteinuria will not change, we believe that urine assessment for proteinuria is unnecessary in women who develop new-onset blood pressure at or after 20 weeks' gestation. Furthermore, we do not recommend repeated measurement of proteinuria for women with preeclampsia, the amount of proteinuria does not seem to be related to poor maternal and neonatal outcomes, and monitoring proteinuria may lead to unindicated preterm deliveries and related neonatal complications. Our current diagnosis of preeclampsia in women with chronic kidney disease may be based on a change in protein excretion, a baseline protein excretion evaluation is critical in certain conditions such as chronic hypertension, diabetes, and autoimmune or other renal disorders. The current definition of superimposed preeclampsia possesses a diagnostic dilemma, and it is unclear whether a change in the baseline proteinuria reflects another systemic disease such as preeclampsia or whether women with chronic disease such as chronic hypertension or diabetes will experience a different "normal" pattern of protein excretion during pregnancy. Finally, limited data are available regarding angiogenic and other biomarkers in women with chronic kidney disease as a potential aid in distinguishing the worsening of baseline chronic kidney disease and chronic hypertension from superimposed preeclampsia.

Pregnancy in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Women with end-stage kidney disease commonly have difficulty conceiving through spontaneous pregnancy, and many suffer from infertility. Kidney transplantation restores the impairment in fertility and increases the possibility of pregnancy. In addition, the number of female kidney transplant recipients of reproductive age has been increasing. Thus, preconception counseling, contraceptive management, and family planning are of great importance in the routine care of this population. Pregnancy in kidney transplant recipients is complicated by underlying maternal comorbidities, kidney allograft function, the effect of pregnancy on the transplanted kidney, and the effect of the maternal health on the fetus, in addition to immunosuppressive medications and their potential teratogenesis. Given the potential maternal and fetal risks, and possible complications during pregnancy, pretransplant and prepregnancy counseling for women of reproductive age are crucial, including delivery of information regarding contraception and timing for pregnancy, fertility and pregnancy rates, the risk of immunosuppression on the fetus, the risk of kidney allograft, and other maternal complications. In this article, we discuss aspects related to pregnancy among kidney transplant recipients and their management.

Levels of serum Hoxb3 and sFlt-1 in pre-eclamptic patients and their effects on pregnancy outcomes

AIM

We aimed to explore a new approach and theoretical basis for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of pre-eclampsia.

METHODS

In total, 103 pre-eclamptic patients (study group: SG) and 100 healthy pregnant women (control group: CG) were enrolled. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression level of serum Hoxb3. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the content of serum sFlt-1. Pregnancy outcomes in the two groups were recorded, and the correlations of the levels of Hoxb3 and sFlt-1 with the pregnancy outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

The relative expression of serum Hoxb3 mRNA in the CG was significantly higher than that in the SG, whereas the content of serum sFlt-1 in the CG was significantly lower than that in the SG. Compared with the CG, the SG had a significantly lower number of spontaneous deliveries, higher number of cesarean deliveries and significantly higher number of uneventful perinatal births. The incidences of intrauterine growth restriction, intrauterine distress, premature infants and neonatal deaths in perinatal infants in the SG were significantly higher than those in the CG. According to the analysis of receiver operating characteristic curves, the areas under the curves of Hoxb3, sFlt-1 and their combined detection for diagnosing pre-eclampsia were 0.799, 0.856 and 0.930, respectively. The areas under the curves for predicting poor perinatal outcomes were 0.724, 0.828 and 0.871, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Hoxb3 and sFlt-1 have certain reference significance for the risk evaluation of pre-eclampsia and the adverse pregnancy outcomes of pre-eclampsia women.

Anatomical and physiological alterations of pregnancy

The extensive metabolic demands of pregnancy require specific physiological and anatomical changes. These changes affect almost all organ systems, including the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, and hematologic system. The placenta adds another layer of complexity. These changes make it challenging for clinicians to understand presenting signs and symptoms, or to interpret laboratory and radiological tests. Furthermore, these physiological alterations can affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs. Drug safety in lactation is only supported by limited evidence. In addition, the teratogenic effects of medications are often extrapolated from animals, which further adds uncertainties. Unfortunately, pregnant women are only rarely included in clinical drug trials, while doses, regimens, and side effects are often extrapolated from studies conducted in non-pregnant populations. In this comprehensive review, we present the changes occurring in each system with its effects on the pharmacokinetic variables. Understanding these physiological changes throughout normal pregnancy helps clinicians to optimize the health of pregnant women and their fetuses. Furthermore, the information on pregnancy-related physiology is also critical to guide study design in this vulnerable 'orphan' population, and provides a framework to explore pregnancy-related pathophysiology such as pre-eclampsia.

Changes in proteinuria and diagnosing preeclampsia in CKD pregnancy

The diagnosis of preeclampsia superimposed on underlying kidney disease is complicated by physiological changes in renal function, blood pressure and proteinuria during pregnancy. Previous studies have demonstrated a significant increase in proteinuria during pregnancy in women with diabetic nephropathy in the absence of superimposed preeclampsia. There is a paucity of studies addressing changes in proteinuria during pregnancy in other conditions causing chronic kidney disease. A retrospective audit of changes in urine protein:creatinine ratios in 68 pregnancies to women with preconception proteinuria was performed, to determine whether changes in proteinuria may be useful in diagnosing preeclampsia. A 100% or greater increase in proteinuria from baseline increase was regarded as a significant change. In 51 pregnancies (75%) the peak urine protein:creatinine ratio did not rise significantly from values at the start of pregnancy. Where a greater than doubling of urine protein:creatinine ratio was seen, 12 of 17 pregnancies (70%) were judged clinically to have superimposed preeclampsia A significant increase in proteinuria also occurred in 3 women with lupus nephritis, and 2 with diabetic nephropathy, in the absence of preeclampsia. Larger studies of women with chronic kidney disease would be important to determine whether changes in proteinuria during pregnancy may be of diagnostic value for superimposed preeclampsia.

Pregnancy in Chronic Kidney Disease: Need for Higher Awareness. A Pragmatic Review Focused on What Could Be Improved in the Different CKD Stages and Phases

Pregnancy is possible in all phases of chronic kidney disease (CKD), but its management may be difficult and the outcomes are not the same as in the overall population. The prevalence of CKD in pregnancy is estimated at about 3%, as high as that of pre-eclampsia (PE), a better-acknowledged risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. When CKD is known, pregnancy should be considered as high risk and followed accordingly; furthermore, since CKD is often asymptomatic, pregnant women should be screened for the presence of CKD, allowing better management of pregnancy, and timely treatment after pregnancy. The differential diagnosis between CKD and PE is sometimes difficult, but making it may be important for pregnancy management. Pregnancy is possible, even if at high risk for complications, including preterm delivery and intrauterine growth restriction, superimposed PE, and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Results in all phases are strictly dependent upon the socio-sanitary system and the availability of renal and obstetric care and, especially for preterm children, of intensive care units. Women on dialysis should be aware of the possibility of conceiving and having a successful pregnancy, and intensive dialysis (up to daily, long-hours dialysis) is the clinical choice allowing the best results. Such a choice may, however, need adaptation where access to dialysis is limited or distances are prohibitive. After kidney transplantation, pregnancies should be followed up with great attention, to minimize the risks for mother, child, and for the graft. A research agenda supporting international comparisons is highly needed to ameliorate or provide knowledge on specific kidney diseases and to develop context-adapted treatment strategies to improve pregnancy outcomes in CKD women.