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International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2021As most recently demonstrated by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, congenital and perinatal infections are of significant concern to the pregnant population as compared to the... (Review)
Review
As most recently demonstrated by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, congenital and perinatal infections are of significant concern to the pregnant population as compared to the general population. These outcomes can range from no apparent impact all the way to spontaneous abortion or fetal infection with long term developmental consequences. While some pathogens have developed mechanisms to cross the placenta and directly infect the fetus, other pathogens lead to an upregulation in maternal or placental inflammation that can indirectly cause harm. The placenta is a temporary, yet critical organ that serves multiple important functions during gestation including facilitation of fetal nutrition, oxygenation, and prevention of fetal infection in utero. Here, we review trophoblast cell immunology and the molecular mechanisms utilized to protect the fetus from infection. Lastly, we discuss consequences in the placenta when these protections fail and the histopathologic result following infection.
Topics: Female; Fetus; Humans; Immunity; Placenta; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Trophoblasts; Virus Diseases; Viruses
PubMed: 33805739
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062921 -
Biomolecules Nov 2023Viviparity is made possible by the placenta, a structure acquired relatively recently in the evolutionary history of eutherian mammals. Compared to oviparity, it... (Review)
Review
Viviparity is made possible by the placenta, a structure acquired relatively recently in the evolutionary history of eutherian mammals. Compared to oviparity, it increases the survival rate of the fetus, owing to the eutherian placenta. Questions such as "How was the placenta acquired?" and "Why is there diversity in placental morphology among mammalian species?" remain largely unsolved. Our present understanding of the molecules regulating placental development remains unclear, owing in no small part to the persistent obscurity surrounding the molecular mechanisms underlying placental acquisition. Numerous genes associated with the development of eutherian placental morphology likely evolved to function at the fetal-maternal interface in conjunction with those participating in embryogenesis. Therefore, identifying these genes, how they were acquired, and how they came to be expressed specifically at the fetal-maternal interface will shed light on some crucial molecular mechanisms underlying placental evolution. Exhaustive studies support the hypothesis that endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) could be evolutional driving forces for trophoblast cell fusion and placental structure in mammalian placentas including those of the bovine species. This review focuses on bovine ERVs (BERVs) and their expression and function in the placenta.
Topics: Cattle; Pregnancy; Animals; Female; Placenta; Endogenous Retroviruses; Placentation; Trophoblasts; Mammals; Eutheria
PubMed: 38136553
DOI: 10.3390/biom13121680 -
Biology of Reproduction Jun 2021Since the beginning of the current coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), there has been great concern over a disease that has spread rapidly in several countries worldwide,... (Review)
Review
Since the beginning of the current coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), there has been great concern over a disease that has spread rapidly in several countries worldwide, with the result of several deaths, including deaths of pregnant women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct a literature review on placental changes in infected pregnant women and/or asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 during pregnancy, aiming at the possible vertical transmission. A systematic collection was carried out on the effects of that COVID-19 can cause directly and/or indirectly to pregnancy and the placenta in the following databases: Pubmed, Science Direct, Scielo, Lilacs, and Web of Science. For search, the following descriptors were used: placenta, pregnant woman, COVID-19, maternal-fetal. The results indicate transplacental transmission in some cases reviewed in many reports from this study. The presence of the virus was seen in the amniotic fluid, umbilical cord, and peripheral blood. Finally, pathological studies suggest that there are morphological changes related to infection in the placentas. We can conclude that, based on the researched material, there is little evidence of transplacental vertical viral transmission and its respective morphological changes related to viral infection in the placenta.
Topics: COVID-19; Female; Humans; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Placenta; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 33677519
DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab037 -
American Journal of Clinical Pathology Jun 2020To describe histopathologic findings in the placentas of women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVES
To describe histopathologic findings in the placentas of women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancy.
METHODS
Pregnant women with COVID-19 delivering between March 18, 2020, and May 5, 2020, were identified. Placentas were examined and compared to historical controls and women with placental evaluation for a history of melanoma.
RESULTS
Sixteen placentas from patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were examined (15 with live birth in the third trimester, 1 delivered in the second trimester after intrauterine fetal demise). Compared to controls, third trimester placentas were significantly more likely to show at least one feature of maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM), particularly abnormal or injured maternal vessels, and intervillous thrombi. Rates of acute and chronic inflammation were not increased.The placenta from the patient with intrauterine fetal demise showed villous edema and a retroplacental hematoma.
CONCLUSIONS
Relative to controls, COVID-19 placentas show increased prevalence of decidual arteriopathy and other features of MVM, a pattern of placental injury reflecting abnormalities in oxygenation within the intervillous space associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. Only 1 COVID-19 patient was hypertensive despite the association of MVM with hypertensive disorders and preeclampsia. These changes may reflect a systemic inflammatory or hypercoagulable state influencing placental physiology.
Topics: Adult; Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Case-Control Studies; Coronavirus Infections; Female; Humans; Pandemics; Placenta; Pneumonia, Viral; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Pregnancy Trimester, Third; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 32441303
DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqaa089 -
American Journal of Obstetrics and... Mar 2021The placenta plays an important role in the modulation of pregnancy immunity; however, there is no consensus regarding the existence of a placental microbiome in healthy...
BACKGROUND
The placenta plays an important role in the modulation of pregnancy immunity; however, there is no consensus regarding the existence of a placental microbiome in healthy full-term pregnancies.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to investigate the existence and origin of a placental microbiome.
STUDY DESIGN
A cross-sectional study comparing samples (3 layers of placental tissue, amniotic fluid, vernix caseosa, and saliva, vaginal, and rectal samples) from 2 groups of full-term births: 50 women not in labor with elective cesarean deliveries and 26 with vaginal deliveries. The comparisons were performed using polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA sequencing techniques and bacterial culture experiments.
RESULTS
There were no significant differences regarding background characteristics between women who delivered by elective cesarean and those who delivered vaginally. Quantitative measurements of bacterial content in all 3 placental layers (quantitative polymerase chain reaction of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene) did not show any significant difference among any of the sample types and the negative controls. Here, 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing of the maternal side of the placenta could not differentiate between bacteria in the placental tissue and contamination of the laboratory reagents with bacterial DNA. Probe-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction for bacterial taxa suspected to be present in the placenta could not detect any statistically significant difference between the 2 groups. In bacterial cultures, substantially more bacteria were observed in the placenta layers from vaginal deliveries than those from cesarean deliveries. In addition, 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing of bacterial colonies revealed that most of the bacteria that grew on the plates were genera typically found in human skin; moreover, it revealed that placentas delivered vaginally contained a high prevalence of common vaginal bacteria. Bacterial growth inhibition experiments indicated that placental tissue may facilitate the inhibition of bacterial growth.
CONCLUSION
We found no evidence to support the existence of a placental microbiome in our study of 76 term pregnancies, which used polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing techniques and bacterial culture experiments. Incidental findings of bacterial species could be due to contamination or to low-grade bacterial presence in some locations; such bacteria do not represent a placental microbiome per se.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Microbiota; Middle Aged; Placenta; Pregnancy; Term Birth; Young Adult
PubMed: 32871131
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2020.08.103 -
Cells Feb 2023Preeclampsia is a common pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder. Often presenting as preexisting or new-onset hypertension complicated by proteinuria and/or end-organ... (Review)
Review
Preeclampsia is a common pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder. Often presenting as preexisting or new-onset hypertension complicated by proteinuria and/or end-organ dysfunction, preeclampsia significantly correlates with maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptor proteins that regulate gene expression. In order to investigate the role of PPARs in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia, we conducted a literature review using the MEDLINE and LIVIVO databases. The search terms "peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor", "PPAR", and "preeclampsia" were employed and we were able to identify 35 relevant studies published between 2002 and 2022. Different study groups reached contradictory conclusions in terms of PPAR expression in preeclamptic placentae. Interestingly, PPARγ agonists alone, or in combination with well-established pharmaceutical agents, were determined to represent novel, potent anti-preeclamptic treatment alternatives. In conclusion, PPARs seem to play a significant role in preeclampsia.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors; Peroxisome Proliferators; Pre-Eclampsia; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; Placenta
PubMed: 36831316
DOI: 10.3390/cells12040647 -
IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics,... Dec 2023The placenta, a highly vascularized interface between the mother and fetus, undergoes dramatic anatomical and functional changes during pregnancy. These changes occur... (Review)
Review
The placenta, a highly vascularized interface between the mother and fetus, undergoes dramatic anatomical and functional changes during pregnancy. These changes occur both during healthy development and adverse pathologies of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia (PE). Abnormal placental development can lead to life-long health impacts on both the mother and child. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging, extensively developed for preclinical imaging applications in oncology and cardiovascular disease, uses optical energy to generate acoustic waves through thermoelastic expansion of light-absorbing chromophores within tissue. Recently, PA imaging has been used to study preclinical placental anatomy and function. If clinical translation of PA imaging of the placenta is achieved, the impact on maternal-fetal health could be expansive. This perspective highlights the recent progress in PA imaging for placental monitoring and discusses the progress needed for human clinical translation.
Topics: Child; Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Placenta; Photoacoustic Techniques; Pre-Eclampsia; Fetus; Spectrum Analysis
PubMed: 37030823
DOI: 10.1109/TUFFC.2023.3263361 -
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology... Oct 2023Cathepsin C (Cat C) is involved in the inflammatory-immune system and can be degraded by cathepsin D (Cat D). Preeclampsia (PE) and the inflammation-immunity...
BACKGROUND
Cathepsin C (Cat C) is involved in the inflammatory-immune system and can be degraded by cathepsin D (Cat D). Preeclampsia (PE) and the inflammation-immunity relationship is currently a hot research topic, but there are still few studies. The aim was to investigate the expression and significance of Cat C and D in the serum of nonpregnant women, patients in various stages of pregnancy and patients with PE, and in the placenta of patients with normal pregnancy and PE.
METHODS
Sixty young healthy nonpregnant women were selected: 180 normal pregnant women, including 60 each in the first, second, and third trimesters, and 100 women with PE, including 39 women with severe preeclampsia. The levels of Cat C and D in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression levels of Cat C and D in placentas were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC).
RESULTS
The serum of Cat C in the first trimester was significantly lower than that in the nonpregnant group (P < 0.001), whereas Cat D was significantly higher than that in the nonpregnant group (P < 0.01). The levels of Cat C and D in the second trimester and third trimester were significantly higher than those in the first trimester (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in Cat C and D between the second trimester and third trimester. The levels of Cat C in the serum and placentas of patients with PE were significantly higher than those in the third trimester (P < 0.001) and positively correlated with the severity of PE (P < 0.001), whereas the levels of Cat D in the serum and placentas of patients with PE were significantly lower than those in the third trimester (P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the severity of PE (P < 0.001). Age, primigravida proportion, and body mass index were significantly higher in the PE group than in the control group (P < 0.05), which were high-risk factors for PE.
CONCLUSIONS
Cat C and D are associated with the maintenance of normal pregnancy. In patients with preeclampsia, a significant increase in Cat C and a significant decrease in Cat D levels may lead to the occurrence and development of preeclampsia.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Cathepsin C; Cathepsin D; Placenta; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy Trimester, First
PubMed: 37794357
DOI: 10.1186/s12958-023-01138-x -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2021The human placenta is a transient organ essential for pregnancy maintenance, fetal development and growth. It has several functions, including that of a selective... (Review)
Review
The human placenta is a transient organ essential for pregnancy maintenance, fetal development and growth. It has several functions, including that of a selective barrier against pathogens and xenobiotics from maternal blood. However, some pollutants can accumulate in the placenta or pass through with possible repercussions on pregnancy outcomes. Cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO NPs), also termed nanoceria, are an emerging pollutant whose impact on pregnancy is starting to be defined. CeO NPs are already used in different fields for industrial and commercial applications and have even been proposed for some biomedical applications. Since 2010, nanoceria have been subject to priority monitoring by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in order to assess their toxicity. This review aims to summarize the current methods and models used for toxicology studies on the placental barrier, from the basic ones to the very latest, as well as to overview the most recent knowledge of the impact of CeO NPs on human health, and more specifically during the sensitive window of pregnancy. Further research is needed to highlight the relationship between environmental exposure to CeO and placental dysfunction with its implications for pregnancy outcome.
Topics: Animals; Cerium; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Humans; Metal Nanoparticles; Models, Animal; Placenta; Pregnancy; Trophoblasts
PubMed: 34830142
DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212266 -
American Heart Journal Mar 2022Female heart disease has for a long time been an underrecognized problem in the field of cardiology. With an ever-growing number of these patients getting pregnant,... (Review)
Review
Female heart disease has for a long time been an underrecognized problem in the field of cardiology. With an ever-growing number of these patients getting pregnant, cardiac dysfunction during pregnancy is an increasingly large medical problem. Previous work has shown that maternal heart disease may have an adverse effect on pregnancy outcome in both mother and child. The placenta forms the connection and it is postulated that cardiac dysfunction negatively affects the placenta, and consequently, neonatal outcome. Given the paucity of data in this field, more research on the influence of cardiac (mal)function on placental (mal)function is needed. The present review describes placental function in women with various types of cardiac dysfunction, thereby aiming to provide more insight into possible underlying mechanisms of placental malfunction. Organ dysfunction in patients with heart failure is for an important part based on reduced perfusion and venous congestion. This has been shown in other organs such as kidneys, liver and brain. In pregnant women with cardiac dysfunction, placental dysfunction may follow similar patterns. Moreover, other factors, such as pre-existing hypertension and chronic hypoxia may lead to further impairment of placental function, through abnormal vascular remodeling of the uterine spiral arteries. The pathophysiology of placental dysfunction in pregnant women with cardiac dysfunction may thus be multifactorial. It is therefore important to monitor closely cardiac and placental function in such high-risk pregnancies. Gaining a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms may have important clinical implications in terms of pregnancy counseling, monitoring and outcome.
Topics: Female; Heart Diseases; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Lung; Placenta; Pregnancy; Uterine Artery; Vascular Remodeling
PubMed: 34902313
DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2021.11.020