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Gynecological Endocrinology : the... Jun 2023Serum uric acid (SUA) is considered as a risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, current studies showed inconsistent results. This study aimed to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
AIMS
Serum uric acid (SUA) is considered as a risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, current studies showed inconsistent results. This study aimed to explore the relationship between SUA levels and GDM risk.
METHODS
Eligible studies were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases up to November 1, 2022. The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to represent the difference in SUA levels between GDM women and controls. The combined odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI were applied to assess association between SUA levels and GDM risk. Subgroup analyses were conducted on study continents, design, and quality, detection time of SUA, and GDM diagnostic criteria.
RESULTS
Totally 11 studies including five case-control and six cohort studies, in which 80,387 pregnant women with 9815 GDM were included. The overall meta-analysis showed that the mean SUA level in GDM group was significantly higher than in controls (SMD = 0.423, 95%CI = 0.019-0.826, = .040, = 93%). Notably, pregnant women with elevated levels of SUA had a significantly increased risk of GDM (OR = 1.670, 95%CI = 1.184-2.356, = .0035, = 95%). Furthermore, subgroup analysis performed on the detection time of SUA showed a significant difference in the association between SUA and GDM risk within different trimesters (1st trimester: OR = 3.978, 95%CI = 2.177-7.268; 1st to 2nd trimester: OR = 1.340, 95%CI = 1.078-1.667; between subgroups <.01).
CONCLUSIONS
Elevated SUA was positively associated with GDM risk, particularly in the 1st trimester of pregnancy. Further studies with high quality are required to validate the findings of this study.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Diabetes, Gestational; Uric Acid; Pregnancy Trimester, First; Risk Factors; Pregnancy Trimester, Second
PubMed: 37406646
DOI: 10.1080/09513590.2023.2231101 -
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Sep 2023Physiological glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values in each trimester are not well defined. This study aimed to determine trimester-specific reference intervals for HbA1c...
BACKGROUND
Physiological glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values in each trimester are not well defined. This study aimed to determine trimester-specific reference intervals for HbA1c levels in non-diabetic pregnant women in China.
METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, 5,042 Chinese pregnant women from 6 to 41 weeks of gestation were screened. An inclusion of 4,134 non-diabetic women was made to determine the reference intervals, they were divided into three trimesters: trimester 1 (T1), 6 weeks to 13 weeks + 6 days, trimester 2 (T2), 14 weeks to 27 weeks + 6 days, and trimester 3 (T3), 28 weeks to 41 weeks + 6 days. A total of 4,134 women (T1 n = 760, T2 n = 1,953, and T3 n = 1,421) provided blood samples which were analyzed for HbA1c concentrations. HbA1c was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. The median and percentile (2.5th to 97.5th) for the HbA1c reference intervals were calculated for each trimester.
RESULTS
In total, 8,732 HbA1c measurements were taken. Reference intervals for HbA1c expressed as median and percentile (2.5th to 97.5th) for each trimester were: T1: 4.7 (4.0-5.5%), T2: 4.5 (3.9-5.3%), and T3: 4.8 (4.1-5.7%) respectively. The HbA1c levels were significantly lower in the second trimester compared to those in the first trimester (p < 0.0001), and higher in the third trimester compared to the second trimester (p < 0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS
The reference intervals for HbA1c levels were 3.9-5.7% with upper limits of 5.5% in the first trimester, 5.3% in the second trimester, and 5.7% in the third trimester. These findings highlight the importance of considering trimester-specific reference intervals for HbA1c in non-diabetic pregnant women to promote maternal and fetal health.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Cross-Sectional Studies; East Asian People; Glycated Hemoglobin; Pregnancy Trimesters; Reference Values; Diabetes Mellitus
PubMed: 37726666
DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-05980-0 -
Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy 2018The recent demonstration of the effectiveness of low-dose aspirin administered from the first trimester in the prevention of preeclampsia will probably lead to... (Review)
Review
The recent demonstration of the effectiveness of low-dose aspirin administered from the first trimester in the prevention of preeclampsia will probably lead to establishing and radicating the "inverted pyramid" screening model for preeclampsia. Such a multiparametric approach for the screening of preeclampsia in the first trimester, albeit highly sensitive in identifying early-onset disease, is poor at screening the forms of preeclampsia occurring close to term. Late-onset preeclampsia is 3 to 6 times more common than early-onset preeclampsia and currently represents the major determinant of maternal morbidity related to hypertensive disorders of the pregnancy. On this ground, we discuss our idea to construct a second "screening checkpoint" in the third trimester with the aim of reassessing the risk of preeclampsia of those women who screened negative in the first trimester. If implemented, the sequential screening model we propose would convert the "inverted pyramid model" into an "arrow model" for the antenatal care of preeclampsia.
Topics: Female; Humans; Models, Cardiovascular; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, First; Pregnancy Trimester, Third; Prenatal Care; Risk Factors
PubMed: 30001543
DOI: 10.1159/000490047 -
Maternal & Child Nutrition Oct 2021Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common medical disorder that begins during pregnancy. The present work aimed to investigate the relationship of maternal or... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common medical disorder that begins during pregnancy. The present work aimed to investigate the relationship of maternal or foetal circulatory zinc levels with GDM. Related studies were retrieved against the PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus databases till July 2020. The overall effects were expressed as standard mean difference (SMD). Furthermore, the random effects model was used to assess the summarised risk ratios (SRRs) to determine the relationship between zinc and the risk of GDM. A total of 15 articles involving were retrieved for meta-analysis; in the meantime, 4955 subjects including 1549 GDM cases were enrolled for quantitative analysis. Compared with normal control, GDM cases had decreased circulating zinc level on the whole, but the difference was not statistically significant (SMD = -0.40, 95%CI: -0.80 to -0.00, P = 0.05). Interestingly, upon subgroup analysis stratified by serum zinc content but not plasma zinc concentration, there was significant difference in zinc content between GDM cases and normal controls (SMD = -0.56; 95%CI: -1.07 to -0.04, P = 0.03). Meanwhile, subgroup analysis also revealed similar tendency among the Asians and during the 2nd trimester, but not among the Caucasians or during the 1st or 3rd trimester. Data extracted from four studies that compared pregnant women with GDM in the high level of zinc and GDM in the low level of zinc yielded an SRR of 0.929 (95%CI: 0.905-0.954). According to existing evidence, the serum zinc content decreases among GDM cases compared with subjects with no abnormality in glucose tolerance, in particular among the Asians and during the second trimester. Nonetheless, more well designed prospective study should be carried out for understanding the dynamic relationship of zinc level with the incidence of GDM.
Topics: Diabetes, Gestational; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Pregnancy Trimester, Third; Prospective Studies; Zinc
PubMed: 34350703
DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13239 -
PloS One 2018To explore noninvasively the complex interactions of the maternal hemodynamic system throughout pregnancy and the resulting after-effect six weeks postpartum.
OBJECTIVE
To explore noninvasively the complex interactions of the maternal hemodynamic system throughout pregnancy and the resulting after-effect six weeks postpartum.
METHODS
Eighteen women were tested beginning at the 12th week of gestation at six time-points throughout pregnancy and six weeks postpartum. Heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure, pulse transit time (PTT), respiration, and baroreceptor sensitivity were analyzed in resting conditions. Additionally, hemoglobin, asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginine and Endothelin (ET-1) were obtained.
RESULTS
Heart rate and sympathovagal balance favoring sympathetic drive increased, the vagal tone and the baroreflex sensitivity decreased during pregnancy. Relative sympathetic drive (sympathovagal balance) reached a maximum at 6 weeks postpartum whereas the other variables did not differ compared to first trimester levels. Postpartum diastolic blood pressure was higher compared to first and second trimester. Pulse transit time and endothelial markers showed no difference throughout gestation. However, opposing variables PTT and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) were both higher six weeks postpartum.
CONCLUSIONS
The sympathetic up regulation throughout pregnancy goes hand in hand with a decreased baroreflex sensitivity. In the postpartum period, the autonomic nervous system, biochemical endothelial reactions and PTT show significant and opposing changes compared to pregnancy findings, indicating the complex aftermath of the increase of blood volume, the changes in perfusion strategies and blood pressure regulation that occur in pregnancy.
Topics: Adult; Arginine; Baroreflex; Blood Pressure; Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; Endothelin-1; Endothelium; Female; Heart Rate; Hemodynamics; Hemoglobins; Humans; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimesters; Pressoreceptors; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 29782509
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197748 -
PloS One 2023Maternal thyroid alterations have been widely associated with the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study aims to 1) test the first and the second...
Maternal thyroid alterations have been widely associated with the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study aims to 1) test the first and the second trimester full maternal thyroid profile on the prediction of GDM, both alone and combined with non-thyroid data; and 2) make that prediction independent of the diagnostic criteria, by evaluating the effectiveness of the different maternal variables on the prediction of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) post load glycemia. Pregnant women were recruited in Concepción, Chile. GDM diagnosis was performed at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy by an OGTT (n = 54 for normal glucose tolerance, n = 12 for GDM). 75 maternal thyroid and non-thyroid parameters were recorded in the first and the second trimester of pregnancy. Various combinations of variables were assessed for GDM and post load glycemia prediction through different classification and regression machine learning techniques. The best predictive models were simplified by variable selection. Every model was subjected to leave-one-out cross-validation. Our results indicate that thyroid markers are useful for the prediction of GDM and post load glycemia, especially at the second trimester of pregnancy. Thus, they could be used as an alternative screening tool for GDM, independently of the diagnostic criteria used. The final classification models predict GDM with cross-validation areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.867 (p<0.001) and 0.920 (p<0.001) in the first and the second trimester of pregnancy, respectively. The final regression models predict post load glycemia with cross-validation Spearman r correlation coefficients of 0.259 (p = 0.036) and 0.457 (p<0.001) in the first and the second trimester of pregnancy, respectively. This investigation constitutes the first attempt to test the performance of the whole maternal thyroid profile on GDM and OGTT post load glycemia prediction. Future external validation studies are needed to confirm these findings in larger cohorts and different populations.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Diabetes, Gestational; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Glucose Tolerance Test; Pregnancy Trimester, First; ROC Curve; Blood Glucose
PubMed: 36638142
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280513 -
EBioMedicine Dec 2021White blood cells (WBC) are commonly measured to investigate suspected infection and inflammation in pregnant women, but the pregnancy-specific reference interval is...
BACKGROUND
White blood cells (WBC) are commonly measured to investigate suspected infection and inflammation in pregnant women, but the pregnancy-specific reference interval is variably reported, increasing diagnostic uncertainty in this high-risk population. It is essential that clinicians can interpret WBC results in the context of normal pregnant physiology, given the huge global burden of infection on maternal mortality.
METHODS
We performed a longitudinal, repeated measures population study of 24,318 pregnant women in Oxford, UK, to map the trajectory of WBC between 8-40 weeks of gestation. We defined 95% reference intervals (RI) for total WBC, neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, basophils, and monocytes for the antenatal and postnatal periods.
FINDINGS
WBC were measured 80,637 times over five years. The upper reference limit for total WBC was elevated by 36% in pregnancy (RI 5.7-15.0×10/L), driven by a 55% increase in neutrophils (3.7-11.6×10/L) and 38% increase in monocytes (0.3-1.1×10/L), which remained stable between 8-40 weeks. Lymphocytes were reduced by 36% (1.0-2.9×10/L), while eosinophils and basophils were unchanged. Total WBC was elevated significantly further from the first day after birth (similar regardless of the mode of delivery), which resolved to pre-delivery levels by an average of seven days, and to pre-pregnancy levels by day 21.
INTERPRETATION
There are marked changes in WBC in pregnancy, with substantial differences between cell subtypes. WBC are measured frequently in pregnant women in obstetric and non-obstetric settings, and results should be interpreted using a pregnancy-specific RI until delivery, and between days 7-21 after childbirth.
FUNDING
None.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Leukocytes; Longitudinal Studies; Maternal Age; Postnatal Care; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, First; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Pregnancy Trimester, Third; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 34826802
DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103715 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2022The gut mycobiota has never been studied either during pregnancy or in patients with gestational diabetes (GDM). This study aimed to analyze the fecal mycobiota of GDM...
The gut mycobiota has never been studied either during pregnancy or in patients with gestational diabetes (GDM). This study aimed to analyze the fecal mycobiota of GDM patients during the second (T2) and third (T3) trimester of pregnancy and to compare it with the mycobiota of pregnant normoglycemic women (controls). Forty-one GDM patients and 121 normoglycemic women were studied. GDM mycobiota was composed almost exclusively by the Ascomycota phylum; Basidiomicota accounted for 43% of the relative frequency of the controls. Kluyveromyces (p < 0.001), Metschnikowia (p < 0.001), and Pichia (p < 0.001) showed a significantly higher frequency in GDM patients, while Saccharomyces (p = 0.019), were more prevalent in controls. From T2 to T3, a reduction in fungal alpha diversity was found in GDM patients, with an increase of the relative frequency of Candida, and the reduction of some pro-inflammatory taxa. Many associations between fungi and foods and nutrients were detected. Finally, several fungi and bacteria showed competition or co-occurrence. Patients with GDM showed a predominance of fungal taxa with potential inflammatory effects when compared to normoglycemic pregnant women, with a marked shift in their mycobiota during pregnancy, and complex bacteria-fungi interactions.
Topics: Bacteria; Diabetes, Gestational; Feces; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimesters; Pregnant Women
PubMed: 35654937
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13438-0 -
Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology Jun 2022SlowflowHD is a new ultrasound Doppler imaging technology that allows visualization of flow within small blood vessels. In this mode, a proprietary algorithm...
SlowflowHD is a new ultrasound Doppler imaging technology that allows visualization of flow within small blood vessels. In this mode, a proprietary algorithm differentiates between low-speed flow and signals attributed to tissue motion so that microvessel vasculature can be examined. Our objectives were to describe the low-velocity Doppler mode principles, to assess the bone thermal index (TIb) safety parameter in obstetric ultrasound scans and to evaluate adherence to professional guidelines. To achieve the latter goals, we retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected ultrasound images and video clips from pregnancy ultrasound scans at >10 wk of gestation over 4 mo. We used a custom-built optical character recognition-based software to automatically identify all images and video clips using this technology and extract the TIb. Overall, a total of 185 ultrasound scans performed by three fetal medicine physicians were included, of which 60, 54 and 71 scans were first-, second- and third-trimester scans, respectively. The mean (highest recorded) TIb values were 0.32 (0.70), 0.23 (0.70) and 0.32 (0.60) in the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively. Thermal index values were within recommended values set by the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and British Medical Ultrasound Society in all scans.
Topics: Female; Humans; Obstetrics; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, Third; Retrospective Studies; Ultrasonography, Doppler; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; United States
PubMed: 35300877
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2022.02.012 -
Journal of Clinical Pharmacology May 2016This study sought to assess the pharmacokinetic (PK) changes of caffeine and its CYP1A2 metabolites across the 3 trimesters of pregnancy. A prospective, multicenter PK... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
This study sought to assess the pharmacokinetic (PK) changes of caffeine and its CYP1A2 metabolites across the 3 trimesters of pregnancy. A prospective, multicenter PK study was conducted among 59 pregnant women (93.2% white) who were studied once during a trimester. One beverage with 30-95 mg caffeine was consumed, and a blood/urine sample was collected within 1 hour postingestion. Concentrations of caffeine and its primary metabolites were quantified from serum and urine by LC-MS/MS. There was a significant increase in dose-normalized caffeine serum and urine concentrations between the first and third trimesters (P < .05 and P < .01, respectively). Normalized theophylline concentrations also increased significantly in the third trimester in serum (P < .001) and in urine (P < .05). The caffeine urine/serum concentration ratio also increased in the last trimester (P < .05). No significant difference was found in normalized paraxanthine or theobromine concentrations. This study identified decreased caffeine metabolism and an increase in the active metabolite theophylline concentrations during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, revealing evidence of the large role that pregnancy plays in influencing caffeine metabolism.
Topics: Adult; Caffeine; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimesters; Theobromine; Theophylline; Young Adult
PubMed: 26358647
DOI: 10.1002/jcph.632