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Diagnostics (Basel) 2021 Mar 8;11(3). Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Biomedical Center Martin, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, 036 01 Martin, Slovakia.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are one of the important regulators of cellular functions fundamental for healthy pregnancy processes, including angiogenesis and differentiation of trophoblast cells, and their deregulation could be implicated in the pathogenesis of pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia (PE). The aim of this study was to assess the association of miRNA expression in plasma samples with PE, its onset, and severity. Our study enrolled 59 pregnant women, 27 in the preeclamptic study group and 32 in the control group with physiological pregnancy. Read More

Biol Reprod 2021 Mar 29. Epub 2021 Mar 29.

Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a leading cause of maternal and fetal-neonatal deaths, and its pathogenesis has been linked to the involvement of extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs are a heterogeneous group of cell-originated membranous vesicles including exosomes, microvesicles and apoptotic bodies. EVs transport various bioactive cargos such as lipids, proteins or nucleic acids, and thus mediate cellular communication and contribute to the proper functioning of cells, organs and processes, including normal pregnancy. Read More

J Physiol Pharmacol 2020 Dec 13;71(6). Epub 2021 Mar 13.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland.

Galectin-3 is β-galactoside-binding lectin, used in cardiology as a biomarker of heart failure. Available research suggest galectin-3 may play a role in the development of preeclampsia. Seventy seven women were included in the study: 39 with preeclampsia and 38 with uncomplicated pregnancy. Read More

Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2021 Mar 13. Epub 2021 Mar 13.

Department of Cardiology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Preeclampsia is associated with left ventricular (LV) geometrical and functional changes, which could be related to cardiovascular risk later in life. The purpose of our study was to evaluate evolution of LV dimensions and function in severe preeclamptic women from immediately post-delivery to 1 year postpartum. Twenty-five women with severe preeclampsia and 15 healthy term controls underwent standard and speckle-tracking echocardiography 1 day after delivery and 1 year postpartum. Read More

J Reprod Immunol 2021 Apr 5;144:103286. Epub 2021 Feb 5.

Department of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, Botucatu, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address:

This study evaluated the in vitro modulatory effect of progesterone (PG) and vitamin D (VD) on NLRP1/NLRP3 inflammasomes and TLR4/NF-κB pathway in monocytes from pregnant women with preeclampsia (PE). Monocytes from 20 preeclamptic and 20 normotensive (NT) pregnant women, and THP-1 cells were cultured with/without hyaluronan (HA), PG, or VD to determine gene and protein expression of TLR4 receptor, phosphorylated NF-κB, IκBα, TLR4, MYD88, NF-κB, NLRP1, NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α, and IL-10. Higher endogenous activation of inflammatory genes and higher protein expression of TLR4 and NF-κB was detected in monocytes of PE group and decreased after PG or VD treatment. Read More

Curr Hypertens Rep 2021 02 11;23(2). Epub 2021 Feb 11.

Optics & Imaging Centre, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, College of Health Sciences, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag 7, Congella, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 4013, South Africa.

Purpose Of Review: The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is profound, with distressing consequences on many individuals, especially those with co-morbidities. Pregnant women are one such group of individuals who are at in increased risk of contracting COVID-19, due to their immunocompromised state. In South Africa, HIV infection and pre-eclampsia are the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality, with South Africa being the HIV epicentre of the world. Read More

Arch Gynecol Obstet 2021 Jan 26. Epub 2021 Jan 26.

Department of Cardiology, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland.

Purpose: Impaired angiogenesis is one of the most common findings in preeclamptic placentas. A new angiogenetic role of fractalkine (CX3CL1) is recently recognized apart from inflammatory activity. In this study, a link between CX3CL1 and the development of placental vasculature in preeclampsia was examined. Read More

Hypertens Res 2021 04 20;44(4):386-398. Epub 2021 Jan 20.

Optics and Imaging Centre, Doris Duke Medical Research Institution, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.

This review assesses markers of endothelial dysfunction (ED) associated with the maternal syndrome of preeclampsia (PE). We evaluate the role of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected preeclamptic women. Furthermore, we briefly discuss the potential of lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r), dolutegravir (DTG) and remdesivir (RDV) in drug repurposing and their safety in pregnancy complicated by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol 2021 Jan 16:1-5. Epub 2021 Jan 16.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

gene polymorphism may cause increased blood pressure in preeclampsia in pregnancy; however, the evidence remains controversial. This study investigated the association between AGT M235T and preeclampsia in Thai pregnant women. A case-control study was conducted to compare the distributions of AGT M235T genotypes and alleles between 142 normotensive pregnancies as controls and 61 preeclampsia pregnancies as cases in a tertiary-care university hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Read More

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2021 Jan 17:1-9. Epub 2021 Jan 17.

Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research (SDUAHER), Kolar, India.

Objective: To evaluate the apelin () -1860 T > C (rs56204867) polymorphism and maternal serum apelin 13 levels in preeclampsia and its association with blood pressure.

Methods: This case-control study was conducted in department of Biochemistry, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Karnataka, India. A total of 181 subjects were enrolled in the study from department of Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Read More

Endocrinology 2021 Apr;162(4)

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a common gestational complication that involves systemic endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory responses primarily due to placental damage. Recombinant thrombomodulin (rTM), a novel anticoagulant clinically used for disseminated intravascular coagulation, is reported to have a unique anti-inflammatory endothelial repair function by inhibiting proinflammatory mediator high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Despite the severe patient outcomes, there are currently no effective therapeutic options to treat PE. Read More

J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021 Mar;106(4):1091-1100

Vascular Immunology Research Laboratory, The Heart Research Institute, University of Sydney, Newtown, NSW, Australia.

Context: Reduced Na+-K+ pump activity is widely reported in preeclampsia and may be caused by a reversible oxidative modification that is a novel pathological feature of preeclampsia.

Objective: This work aims to determine whether β 1 subunit (GSS-β 1) protein glutathionylation of the Na+-K + pump occurs in preeclampsia.

Methods: The GSS-β1 of the Na+-K+ pump and its subunit expression in human placentas were compared between women with healthy pregnancies and women with preeclampsia. Read More

ACS Omega 2020 Dec 10;5(50):32256-32266. Epub 2020 Dec 10.

Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology/Clinical & Cancer Proteomics, Department of Neurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Room AE 312, Wytemaweg 80, Rotterdam 3015 CN, The Netherlands.

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific multiorgan disorder in which impaired placental functioning and excessive oxidative stress play an important role. We previously showed distinct differences between cerebrospinal fluid proteins in patients with preeclampsia and normotensive pregnant women. An additional group of nonpregnant women was included to study the presence of pregnancy-related proteins in normotensive and preeclamptic pregnancies and whether pregnancy-related proteins were associated with preeclampsia. Read More

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2021 Feb 10;257:64-69. Epub 2020 Dec 10.

Department of Optics and Imaging, Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Electronic address:

Objective: To determine the serum concentration of soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) in HIV associated preeclampsia.

Study Design: The study population (n = 72) consisted of normotensive pregnant (n = 36) and preeclamptic (n = 36) women stratified by HIV status (negative vs. positive). Read More

Pak J Biol Sci 2020 Jan;23(12):1629-1635

Background And Objective: Preeclampsia (PE) is a life threatening disease prevailing in pregnant women in Indonesia. Impaired kidneys and livers function in PE has a high risk during pregnancy. This study aimed to determine the role of nanoherbal haramonting and Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) on kidney and liver safety in preeclampsia rats. Read More

Mol Genet Genomic Med 2021 01 2;9(1):e1564. Epub 2020 Dec 2.

Medical Genetic Department, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.

Background: To assess the relationship between MOV10 rs2932538 polymorphism and susceptibility to preeclampsia (PE) in the Chinese Han population and to investigate whether the placental expression of MOV10 have association with PE.

Methods: We enrolled 1021 pregnant women with PE and 1594 normotensive pregnant women to analyze genotyping of MOV10 rs2932538. Clinical data and related test results of all subjects were collected and analyzed. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol 2020 Nov 26:1-4. Epub 2020 Nov 26.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The study aimed to assess the association of ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms with the susceptibility for preeclampsia in Bangladesh. It was a case-control study involving 220 subjects (100 preeclamptic and 120 normal pregnant women). The ACE (I/D) genotyping was done using the conventional PCR method. Read More

Int J Med Sci 2020 18;17(18):3039-3048. Epub 2020 Oct 18.

Department of Pathology, Biochemistry Division, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia.

Vitamin D (VitD) deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with adverse neonatal outcomes and increased risk of late pregnancy complications. We planned to correlate serum VitD biomarkers; 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-VitD) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-diOH-VitD) levels; and their ratio with the frequency of feto-maternal pregnancy complications. A prospective cross-sectional case-control study was conducted at Aljouf Maternity and Children Hospital, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia, during the period of September 1, 2017 to September 30, 2019. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2020 19;2020:5058260. Epub 2020 Oct 19.

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515 Guangdong, China.

Aim: To explore the involvement of SASH1 in preeclampsia.

Methods: Expression of SASH1 was determined by qPCR, WB, and immunohistochemistry in the placenta of both normal and preeclamptic pregnancies. The SASH1 gene of human HTR-8/SVneo cells was overexpressed by transfection of pEZ-Lv206-SASH1. Read More

Saudi Med J 2020 Nov;41(11):1234-1240

Department of Physiology, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University of Health Sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between a prostasin gene variations and the development of preeclampsia in a Pakistani female population. Methods: This was a case-control study carried out at University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan between May 2018 and 2019. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at rs12597511 locus was examined with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses in 76 preeclamptic and 74 normotensive expecting mothers. Read More

J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod 2021 Feb 28;50(2):101963. Epub 2020 Oct 28.

Department of Perinatology, Kocaeli University Hospital, Kocaeli, Turkey. Electronic address:

Objective: This study aimed to detect Bromodomain Containing Protein 4 (BRD4) concentrations in the serum of early-onset preeclamptic patients and compare them with the healthy control group.

Material And Methods: This prospective case-control study was performed from June 2019 to December 2019. Of the 80 pregnant patients included in the study, we enrolled 40 patients with early-onset preeclampsia as the study group, and 40 normotensive healthy gestational age- and gravidity-matched patients with normal blood pressure without proteinuria as the control group. Read More

Turk J Pediatr 2020 ;62(5):812-819

Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.

Background: The aim of the current study was to demonstrate the neonatal outcomes of infants born to mothers with early-onset preeclampsia (EP) and late-onset preeclampsia (LP), and compare the neonatal outcomes before and after 34 weeks of gestation in EP group.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we evaluated preeclamptic mother and child pairs who were followedup at Hacettepe University Hospital between the years 2010 and 2017. The pregnant women were classified as having EP if diagnosed before 34 weeks of gestation (n=91) and LP if diagnosed after 34 weeks of gestation (n=34). Read More

J Hypertens 2021 Mar;39(3):563-572

Hypertension Unit, Division of Internal Medicine.

Background: Preeclampsia has been associated with features of secondary hyperparathyroidism. In this study, we examine the relationships of calcium metabolism with blood pressure (BP) in preeclamptic women and in a control group of normal (NORM) pregnancies in the postpartum.

Methods: Sixty-three consecutive preeclamptic women (age 35 ± 6 years) were studied 4 weeks after delivery. Read More

Genes (Basel) 2020 Sep 29;11(10). Epub 2020 Sep 29.

Magee-Womens Research Institute, Department of Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences, Epidemiology and Clinical and Translational Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.

Preeclampsia is a multi-systemic syndrome that presents in approximately 5% of pregnancies worldwide and is associated with a range of subsequent postpartum and postnatal outcomes, including fetal growth restriction. As the placenta plays a critical role in the development of preeclampsia, surveying genomic features of the placenta, including expression of imprinted genes, may reveal molecular markers that can further refine subtypes to aid targeted disease management. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive survey of placental imprinted gene expression across early and late onset preeclampsia cases and preterm and term normotensive controls. Read More

Biochem Pharmacol 2020 12 25;182:114247. Epub 2020 Sep 25.

Vascular Surgery Research Laboratories, Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address:

Preeclampsia (PE) is a complication of pregnancy characterized by hypertension (HTN-Preg), and often proteinuria. If not managed promptly, PE could lead to eclampsia and seizures. PE could also lead to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and prematurity at birth. Read More

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2020 Sep 1:1-5. Epub 2020 Sep 1.

Department of Medical Biochemistry İzmir, Dokuz Eylül University Medical School, İzmir, Turkey.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels of mild, severe preeclamptic pregnants and normotensive pregnant women to determine whether there is a correlation between preeclampsia and their serum levels.

Methods: This prospective case-control study included 48 preeclamptic and 39 healthy normotensive pregnants. The control group was composed of body mass index and age matched pregnant women. Read More

J Perinat Med 2020 Aug 31;49(1):60-66. Epub 2020 Aug 31.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul Cerrahpasa University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Objectives: To evaluate the serum levels of the serine proteinase inhibitor kallistatin in women with preeclampsia (PE).

Methods: The clinical and laboratory parameters of 55 consecutive women with early-onset PE (EOPE) and 55 consecutive women with late-onset PE (LOPE) were compared with 110 consecutive gestational age (GA)-matched (±1 week) pregnant women with an uncomplicated pregnancy and an appropriate for gestational age fetus.

Results: Mean serum kallistatin was significantly lower in women with PE compared to the GA-matched-controls (27. Read More

Pregnancy Hypertens 2020 Oct 22;22:47-53. Epub 2020 Jul 22.

Department of Obstetrics, University Medical Center of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus Medical Center, University Medical Center of Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Objective: Preeclampsia, a multi-system hypertensive disorder, is associated with perturbations in the maternal cardiovascular system during early pregnancy. The corpus luteal hormone relaxin, a potent vasodilator, may contribute to physiological circulatory changes especially in early gestation when circulating levels are highest. This study investigated whether first trimester circulating relaxin may be a suitable biomarker for the early prediction of preeclampsia. Read More

J Pediatr 2021 01 23;228:58-65.e3. Epub 2020 Jul 23.

Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Objectives: To investigate the cardiovascular features and endothelium in neonates born to mothers with preeclampsia.

Study Design: In this combined observational cohort and case-control study, neonates born to mothers with normotension and mothers with preeclampsia were recruited at a neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary medical center. Cardiovascular measurements by echocardiography and the clinical measures upon admission were analyzed. Read More