Placental Elasticity as a New Non-invasive Predictive Marker of Pre-eclampsia

Point shear wave elastography is an ultrasonography technique used to evaluate tissue elasticity. We examined whether placental elasticity is useful for predicting the onset of pre-eclampsia. Two hundred twenty-one participants were divided into two groups: one group at low risk (n?=?185) and the other at high risk (n?=?36) for pre-eclampsia. The two groups were compared with respect to shear wave velocity (SWV) of the placenta. Use of SWV as a predictor of pre-eclampsia was also investigated by creating a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The ROC curve was used to set a cutoff SWV value for predicting pre-eclampsia. The SWV of the high-risk group was significantly higher than that of the low-risk group (p < 0.001). Thirteen participants developed pre-eclampsia after SWV measurements, and the SWVs of these participants were significantly higher than those of participants in who pre-eclampsia did not develop. The cutoff value and area under the ROC curve were 1.188 m/s and 0.9118, respectively. Placental elasticity was significantly increased even before the onset of pre-eclampsia onset and, thus, may be a parameter used to predict the onset of pre-eclampsia.     

产后溶血性尿毒症综合征6例临床分析

目的：探讨产后溶血性尿毒症综合征（PHUS）的临床特征,为该病的早期诊断、及时治疗和改善预后提供依据。方法选择2008年1月至2012年12月南京医科大学附属苏州医院收治的6例PHUS患者的病历资料为研究对象,孕龄≥33孕周。采用回顾性分析法分析其临床症状、体征、溶血性尿毒症相关指标、超声检查及外周血涂片等检查结果（本研究遵循的程序符合南京医科大学附属苏州医院人体试验委员会制定的伦理学标准,得到该委员会批准）。结果本研究6例患者均为妊娠合并重度先兆子痫,经解痉、降压治疗并促胎肺成熟后,行剖宫产术分娩,并获活产新生儿者。6例患者均于剖宫产术后1~2d无诱因出现进行性少尿及无尿,合并溶血性贫血、血小板减少和肾功能急剧下降等,经过连续肾脏替代治疗（CRRT）联合血浆置换为主的综合治疗后病情稳定,好转出院。对其随访1年,其中3例（50.0%）患者失访,1例（16.7%）患者发展为慢性肾功能不全。结论先兆子痫是PHUS的重要诱因之一,应加强先兆子痫孕妇产后的肾功能监测,早期诊断PHUS,及时进行专科治疗,这对降低产妇死亡率和保障母亲健康具有重要意义。     

环状RNA与妊娠期特有疾病

环状RNA(CircRNA)是一类特殊的、具有共价闭合环状结构的内源非编码 RNA,在疾病中具有重要的生物学功能。多项研究表明,环状RNA(CircRNAs)与妊娠期特有疾病的发生发展密切相关,可作为疾病诊断或判断预后的预测生物标记物。本文对环状RNA(CircRNAs)在妊娠期特有疾病中的子痫前期及妊娠期糖尿病的发生机制中的研究现状和最新进展进行综述。     

Association of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism with the pre-eclampsia risk in Hakka pregnant women in Southern China

Abstract

The aim of this study is to clarify the possible association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and pre-eclampsia in Hakka pregnant women in southern China. Pre-eclampsia and normal pregnant women were consecutively collected and MTHFR C677T genotypes were determined by the DNA sequencing method. One hundred and thirteen pre-eclampsia patients were CC homozygote (113 of 191, 59.2%), 68 of 191 (35.6%) were CT heterozygote, and 10 of 191 (5.2%) were TT homozygote, with the frequency of the T allele equal to 0.77. This is in comparison with the normal control group where 106 of 202 (52.5%) were CC homozygote, 83 of 202 (41.1%) were CT heterozygote, and 13 of 202 (6.4%) were TT homozygote, with the frequency of the T allele equal to 0.27. No statistically significant differences were observed in genotype or allele frequencies between the pre-eclampsia and normal control for the C677T polymorphism of MTHFR gene (p?>?.05). The findings of this study suggest that polymorphisms of MTHFR C677T genes were not associated with pre-eclampsia in Hakka pregnant women from southern China, but additional studies are necessary to explore the mechanisms involving it.     

Pre-eclampsia but not pregnancy-induced hypertension is a risk factor for diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetic women

Aims/hypothesis Our aim was to study whether pre-eclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension are predictors of diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetic women. Materials and methods A total of 203 type 1 diabetic women, who were pregnant between 1988 and 1996 and followed at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Helsinki, were re-assessed after an average of 11 years within the nationwide, multi-centre Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study. Diabetic nephropathy was defined as microalbuminuria, macroalbuminuria or end-stage renal disease. Results Patients with prior pre-eclampsia had diabetic nephropathy more often than patients with a normotensive pregnancy (diabetic nephropathy vs normal albumin excretion rate: 41.9% vs 8.9%; p<0.001), whereas patients with a history of pregnancy-induced hypertension did not (10.3% vs 8.9%; p=0.81). CHD was more prevalent in patients with a history of pre-eclampsia than in patients with a normotensive pregnancy (12.2% vs. 2.2%; p=0.03). Pre-eclampsia (odds ratio [OR] 7.7, 95% CI 1.6-36.1; p=0.01) and HbA_1c (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.8; p<0.05) were associated with incident diabetic nephropathy even when adjusted for follow-up time, BMI, smoking, diabetes duration and age. Conclusions/interpretation These data suggest that a history of pre-eclamptic pregnancy but not pregnancy-induced hypertension is associated with an elevated risk of diabetic nephropathy. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible to authorised users.     

Anti-angiogenic factors and pre-eclampsia in type 1 diabetic women

Aims/hypothesis  Elevated anti-angiogenic factors such as soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1), a soluble form of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor, and endoglin, a co-receptor for TGFβ1, confer high risk of pre-eclampsia in healthy pregnant women. In this multicentre prospective study, we determined levels of these and related factors in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, a condition associated with a fourfold increase in pre-eclampsia. Methods  Maternal serum sFlt1, endoglin, placental growth factor (PlGF) and pigment epithelial derived factor were measured in 151 type 1 diabetic and 24 healthy non-diabetic women at each trimester and at term. Results  Approximately 22% of the diabetic women developed pre-eclampsia, primarily after their third trimester visit. In women with pre-eclampsia (diabetic pre-eclampsia, n = 26) vs those without hypertensive complications (diabetic normotensive, n = 95), significant changes in angiogenic factors were observed, predominantly in the early third trimester and prior to clinical manifestation of pre-eclampsia. Serum sFlt1 levels were increased approximately twofold in type 1 diabetic pre-eclampsia vs type 1 diabetic normotensive women at the third trimester visit (p < 0.05) and the normal rise of PlGF during pregnancy was blunted (p < 0.05). Among type 1 diabetic women, third trimester sFlt1 and PlGF were inversely related (r² = 42%, p < 0.0001). Endoglin levels were increased significantly in the diabetic group as a whole vs the non-diabetic group (p < 0.0001). Conclusions/interpretation  Higher sFlt1 levels, a blunted PlGF rise and an elevated sFlt1/PlGF ratio are predictive of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes. Elevated endoglin levels in women with type 1 diabetes may confer a predisposition to pre-eclampsia and may contribute to the high incidence of pre-eclampsia in this patient group.     

内皮型一氧化氮合酶运输介导物在子痫前期患者胎盘组织中的定位及定量研究

目的探讨内皮型一氧化氮合酶运输介导物(endothelial n itric oxide synthase traffic inducer,NOSTR IN)在子痫前期(pre-ec lampsia,PE)患者胎盘血管内皮细胞中表达的变化及其在子痫前期发病过程中的作用。方法HE染色后镜下观察胎盘组织及血管的病理变化,免疫组织化学方法及W estern b lot检测子痫前期患者胎盘组织中NOSTR IN的表达。结果HE染色显示子痫前期患者胎盘绒毛血管变细,数目减少,血管合体膜增厚,纤维素样坏死明显多于正常妊娠;免疫组织化学显示正常妊娠和子痫前期患者胎盘血管内皮细胞中都有NOSTR IN的表达,但子痫前期患者胎盘血管内皮细胞胞浆染色较正常妊娠明显增强;W estern b lot显示子痫前期患者胎盘组织中NOSTR IN的表达显著高于正常妊娠(P<0.01)。结论胎盘组织中NOSTR IN表达增加可能是子痫前期发病机制的重要环节之一。     

子痫前期患者血肾功能测定及临床意义

目的探讨妊娠高血压病子痫前期患者血肾功能指标变化及其与围产儿结局的关系。方法回顾性分析166例子痫前期患者的肾功能指标及围产儿的结局,与同期100例正常分娩者比较,并在轻、重度两组子痫前期患者之间进行了比较。结果子痫前期组新生儿体重显著低于正常妊娠组(p<0.001),窒息发生率、围产儿死亡率明显高于正常妊娠组(p=0.013,p=0.033)。妊高征患者UA、Gr显著高于正常组(p=0.001,p=0.009),其中以UA增高最为敏感,且与围产儿预后关系密切。结论肾功能尤其是血尿酸的变化可以估计子痫前期患者病情发展变化,与围产儿结局密切相关。