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Romanian Journal of Morphology and... 2023The effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during pregnancy remain relatively unknown.
BACKGROUND
The effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during pregnancy remain relatively unknown.
AIM
We present this original paper where we analyzed 60 parturients, at term, 30 without associated infection (C-) and 30 with associated infection (C+), present at birth.
METHODS
We analyzed the blood count and placental microscopic structure through classical and immunohistochemical staining and observed the placental areas affected by the presence of SARS-CoV-2.
RESULTS
SARS-CoV-2 infection was accompanied by a decrease in the number of lymphocytes, the number of platelets and the presence of placental structural changes, identifying extensive areas of amyloid deposits, placental infarcts, vascular thrombosis, syncytial knots, with a decrease in placental vascular density and the presence of infection in the cells located at decidual level, at syncytiotrophoblast level and at the level of the cells of the chorionic plate, still without overcoming this barrier and without causing any fetal infection in the analyzed cases.
CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that the invasion of SARS-CoV-2 in the placenta can produce significant structural changes, with a decrease in placental vascular density that can have significant implications on proper fetal perfusion. Also, the presence of immunoreactivity at the level of decidua, the placental villi, as well as the chorionic plate proves that the virus can overcome the maternal-fetal barrier. However, in the analyzed cases there were no fetal infections at birth, which may show that local placental factors can be a protective filter for the fetus.
Topics: Pregnancy; Infant, Newborn; Female; Humans; Placenta; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Immune System; Placenta Diseases
PubMed: 38184836
DOI: 10.47162/RJME.64.4.12 -
Journal of Translational Medicine Jan 2024Macrophages phenotypic deviation and immune imbalance play vital roles in pregnancy-associated diseases such as spontaneous miscarriage. Trophoblasts regulate phenotypic...
BACKGROUND
Macrophages phenotypic deviation and immune imbalance play vital roles in pregnancy-associated diseases such as spontaneous miscarriage. Trophoblasts regulate phenotypic changes in macrophages, however, their underlying mechanism during pregnancy remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the potential function of trophoblast-derived miRNAs (miR-410-5p) in macrophage polarization during pregnancy.
METHODS
Patient decidual macrophage tissue samples in spontaneous abortion group and normal pregnancy group (those who had induced abortion for non-medical reasons) were collected at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from April to December 2021. Furthermore, placental villi and decidua tissue samples were collected from patients who had experienced a spontaneous miscarriage and normal pregnant women for validation and subsequent experiments at the Shenzhen Zhongshan Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital (formerly Shenzhen Zhongshan Urology Hospital), from March 2021 to September 2022. As an animal model, 36 female mice were randomly divided into six groups as follows: naive-control, lipopolysaccharide-model, agomir-negative control prevention, agomir-410-5p prevention, agomir-negative control treatment, and agomir-410-5p treatment groups. We analyzed the miR-410-5p expression in abortion tissue and plasma samples; and supplemented miR-410-5p to evaluate embryonic absorption in vivo. The main source of miR-410-5p at the maternal-fetal interface was analyzed, and the possible target gene, signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1, of miR-410-5p was predicted. The effect of miR-410-5p and STAT1 regulation on macrophage phenotype, oxidative metabolism, and mitochondrial membrane potential was analyzed in vitro.
RESULTS
MiR-410-5p levels were lower in the spontaneous abortion group compared with the normal pregnancy group, and plasma miR-410-5p levels could predict pregnancy and spontaneous abortion. Prophylactic supplementation of miR-410-5p in pregnant mice reduced lipopolysaccharide-mediated embryonic absorption and downregulated the decidual macrophage pro-inflammatory phenotype. MiR-410-5p were mainly distributed in villi, and trophoblasts secreted exosomes-miR-410-5p at the maternal-fetal interface. After macrophages captured exosomes, the cells shifted to the tolerance phenotype. STAT1 was a potential target gene of miR-410-5p. MiR-410-5p bound to STAT1 mRNA, and inhibited the expression of STAT1 protein. STAT1 can drive macrophages to mature to a pro-inflammatory phenotype. MiR-410-5p competitive silencing of STAT1 can avoid macrophage immune disorders.
CONCLUSION
MiR-410-5p promotes M2 macrophage polarization by inhibiting STAT1, thus ensuring a healthy pregnancy. These findings are of great significance for diagnosing and preventing spontaneous miscarriage, providing a new perspective for further research in this field.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Mice; Animals; Abortion, Spontaneous; Placenta; STAT1 Transcription Factor; Lipopolysaccharides; MicroRNAs; Trophoblasts; Signal Transduction; Macrophages
PubMed: 38178171
DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04831-y -
The Journal of Maternal-fetal &... Dec 2024This study aimed to analyze the effect of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) on the decidualization of stromal cells in early pregnancy and explore the effect of LMWH...
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to analyze the effect of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) on the decidualization of stromal cells in early pregnancy and explore the effect of LMWH on pregnancy outcomes.
METHODS
Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) mouse model (CBA/J × DBA/2) and normal pregnant mouse model (CBA/J × BALB/c) were established. The female mice were checked for a mucus plug twice daily to identify a potential pregnancy. When a mucus plug was found, conception was considered to have occurred 12 h previously. The pregnant mice were divided randomly into a normal pregnancy control group, an RSA model group, and an RSA + LMWH experimental group ( = 10 mice in each group). Halfway through the 12 day of pregnancy, the embryonic loss of the mice was observed; a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expressions of prolactin (PRL) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) in the decidua of the mice. Additionally, the decidual tissues of patients with RSA and those of normal women in early pregnancy who required artificial abortion were collected and divided into an RSA group and a control group. Decidual stromal cells were isolated and cultured to compare cell proliferation between the two groups, and cellular migration and invasion were detected by membrane stromal cells. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclin D1, matrix metalloproteinase- (MMP) 2, and MMP-7 in stromal cells treated with LMWH.
RESULTS
Compared with the RSA group, LMWH significantly reduced the pregnancy loss rate in the RSA mice ( < 0.05). Compared with the RSA group, the LMWH + RSA group had significantly higher expression levels of PRL and IGFBP1 mRNA ( < 0.01). LMWH promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of human decidual stromal cells; compared with the control group, the expression levels of MMP-2, MMP-7, cyclin D1, and PCNA proteins in the decidual stromal cells of the LMWH group increased ( < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The use of LMWH can improve pregnancy outcomes by enhancing the proliferation and migration of stromal cells in early pregnancy and the decidualization of stromal cells.
Topics: Pregnancy; Humans; Female; Animals; Mice; Decidua; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; Matrix Metalloproteinase 7; Cyclin D1; Mice, Inbred CBA; Mice, Inbred DBA; Stromal Cells; Abortion, Habitual; RNA, Messenger
PubMed: 38177060
DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2023.2294701 -
Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of... Feb 2024The fetal membranes are an essential mechanical structure for pregnancy, protecting the developing fetus in an amniotic fluid environment and rupturing before birth. In...
The fetal membranes are an essential mechanical structure for pregnancy, protecting the developing fetus in an amniotic fluid environment and rupturing before birth. In cooperation with the cervix and the uterus, the fetal membranes support the mechanical loads of pregnancy. Structurally, the fetal membranes comprise two main layers: the amnion and the chorion. The mechanical characterization of each layer is crucial to understanding how each layer contributes to the structural performance of the whole membrane. The in-vivo mechanical loading of the fetal membranes and the amount of tissue stress generated in each layer throughout gestation remains poorly understood, as it is difficult to perform direct measurements on pregnant patients. Finite element analysis of pregnancy offers a computational method to explore how anatomical and tissue remodeling factors influence the load-sharing of the uterus, cervix, and fetal membranes. To aid in the formulation of such computational models of pregnancy, this work develops a fiber-based multilayer fetal membrane model that captures its response to previously published bulge inflation loading data. First, material models for the amnion, chorion, and maternal decidua are formulated, informed, and validated by published data. Then, the behavior of the fetal membrane as a layered structure was analyzed, focusing on the respective stress distribution and thickness variation in each layer. The layered computational model captures the overall behavior of the fetal membranes, with the amnion being the mechanically dominant layer. The inclusion of fibers in the amnion material model is an important factor in obtaining reliable fetal membrane behavior according to the experimental dataset. These results highlight the potential of this layered model to be integrated into larger biomechanical models of the gravid uterus and cervix to study the mechanical mechanisms of preterm birth.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Premature Birth; Extraembryonic Membranes; Amnion; Fetus; Mechanical Tests
PubMed: 38160642
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.106344 -
Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing.... 2024Existing proposed pathogenesis for preeclampsia (PE) was only applied for early onset subtype and did not consider pre-pregnancy and competing risks. We aimed to...
BACKGROUND
Existing proposed pathogenesis for preeclampsia (PE) was only applied for early onset subtype and did not consider pre-pregnancy and competing risks. We aimed to decipher PE subtypes by identifying related transcriptome that represents endometrial maturation and histologic chorioamnionitis.
METHODS
We utilized eight arrays of mRNA expression for discovery (n=289), and other eight arrays for validation (n=352). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were overlapped between those of: (1) healthy samples from endometrium, decidua, and placenta, and placenta samples under histologic chorioamnionitis; and (2) placenta samples for each of the subtypes. They were all possible combinations based on four axes: (1) pregnancy-induced hypertension; (2) placental dysfunction-related diseases (e.g., fetal growth restriction [FGR]); (3) onset; and (4) severity.
RESULTS
The DEGs of endometrium at late-secretory phase, but none of decidua, significantly overlapped with those of any subtypes with: (1) early onset (p-values ≤0.008); (2) severe hypertension and proteinuria (p-values ≤0.042); or (3) chronic hypertension and/or severe PE with FGR (p-values ≤0.042). Although sharing the same subtypes whose DEGs with which significantly overlap, the gene regulation was mostly counter-expressed in placenta under chorioamnionitis (n=13/18, 72.22%; odds ratio [OR] upper bounds ≤0.21) but co-expressed in late-secretory endometrium (n=3/9, 66.67%; OR lower bounds ≥1.17). Neither the placental DEGs at first-nor second-trimester under normotensive pregnancy significantly overlapped with those under late-onset, severe PE without FGR.
CONCLUSIONS
We identified the transcriptome of endometrial maturation in placental dysfunction that distinguished early- and late-onset PE, and indicated chorioamnionitis as a PE competing risk. This study implied a feasibility to develop and validate the pathogenesis models that include pre-pregnancy and competing risks to decide if it is needed to collect prospective data for PE starting from pre-pregnancy including chorioamnionitis information.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Placenta; Transcriptome; Pre-Eclampsia; Chorioamnionitis; Prospective Studies; Computational Biology; Fetal Growth Retardation; Decidua; Hypertension
PubMed: 38160306
DOI: No ID Found -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2023Infection by species in pregnant animals and humans is associated with an increased risk of abortion, preterm birth, and transmission of the infection to the offspring.... (Review)
Review
Infection by species in pregnant animals and humans is associated with an increased risk of abortion, preterm birth, and transmission of the infection to the offspring. The pathogen has a marked tropism for the placenta and the pregnant uterus and has the ability to invade and replicate within cells of the maternal-fetal unit, including trophoblasts and decidual cells. Placentitis is a common finding in infected pregnant animals. Several proinflammatory factors have been found to be increased in both the placenta of -infected animals and in trophoblasts or decidual cells infected in vitro. As normal pregnancies require an anti-inflammatory placental environment during most of the gestational period, -induced placentitis is thought to be associated with the obstetric complications of brucellosis. A few studies suggest that the blockade of proinflammatory factors may prevent abortion in these cases.
PubMed: 38133333
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12121450 -
The American Journal of Case Reports Dec 2023BACKGROUND In the 18th century, Morgagni described membranous dysmenorrhea as the sudden and complete detachment of the decidua during menstruation. This causes intense...
BACKGROUND In the 18th century, Morgagni described membranous dysmenorrhea as the sudden and complete detachment of the decidua during menstruation. This causes intense and painful contractions of the myometrium, aggravated by the expulsion of tissues produced by the decidualization of the endometrium. It is a rare pathology associated with oral contraceptives, ectopic pregnancies, abortions, and natural cycles, with consequent thickening and endometrial decidualization with molding of the tissue of the uterine cavity of membranous appearance. The definitive diagnosis is made by histopathological examination. CASE REPORT A 43-year-old female patient came for urgent consultation for an acute picture of severe pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the genital area with transvaginal bleeding of 2 h of evolution. She had no significant past medical history. A transvaginal ultrasound was performed and showed an unchanged endometrial cavity. A vaginal examination revealed a foreign body of soft consistency; therefore, a speculum examination was performed, which showed tissue of endometrial origin located in the cervical canal of a reddish spongy texture. The tissue was removed, thus improving the symptomatology, and was sent to the pathological anatomy service for histopathologic diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Membranous dysmenorrhea is a rare gynecologic disorder with only a few documented cases. According to other case reports, our patient's case, at age 43 years, was an atypical presentation. The clinical features and association with this pathology allowed the diagnosis and its confirmation by histopathological examination.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Contraceptives, Oral; Dysmenorrhea; Endometrium; Ultrasonography; Uterus
PubMed: 38111179
DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.941946 -
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Dec 2023The seedlings of some tree species can successfully develop in areas polluted by heavy metals. Research on such species is important in order to explore the possibility...
The seedlings of some tree species can successfully develop in areas polluted by heavy metals. Research on such species is important in order to explore the possibility of introducing tree species for the permanent biological stabilization and reclamation of post-flotation tailings, especially after the final recycling of trace metals, but where concentrations remain much higher than in natural soils. To better understand the adaptation and reaction of Betula pendula Roth., Pinus sylvestris L., and Larix decidua Mill. seedlings to heavy metals pollution caused by tailings waste highly contaminated by trace elements: 1) the relationships between the concentration of heavy metals in the soil substrate, the efficiency of heavy metal ions accumulation in plant organs, and the biometric parameters of the seedlings; and 2) the threshold content of heavy metals in the roots above which the plant physiological response is triggered was determined. We assume that there are certain limit concentrations of heavy metals in the soil and fine roots, which depend on the tree species and beyond which the plant responds strongly to stressThe obtained results showed that Betula is a suitable species for the phytostabilization of post-flotation tailings due to its rapid growth rate and production of root biomass. The accumulation of metals in Betula roots was found to be much greater than in Pinus and Larix. Despite the high concentrations of heavy metals in the prepared substrates, there was only a slight transfer of these elements to the aboveground parts of the plant. At high soil concentrations, the heavy metals adversely affected the cellular and physiological processes of plants. In plants growing in such conditions, the activity of the antioxidant system depended both on the species and organ of the plant, as well as on the type and metal concentration.
Topics: Trace Elements; Pinus sylvestris; Larix; Environmental Monitoring; Metals, Heavy; Betula; Soil; Soil Pollutants
PubMed: 38110766
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-12134-4 -
Heliyon Dec 2023NK cells infiltrating Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) may express residency markers such as Integrin Subunit Alpha 1 (CD49a) that have been associated with nurturing...
NK cells infiltrating Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) may express residency markers such as Integrin Subunit Alpha 1 (CD49a) that have been associated with nurturing functions in the decidua, and characterized by the production of angiogenic factors as well as loss of cytotoxicity. CIBERSORT, a computational analysis method for quantifying cell fractions from bulk tissue gene expression profiles, was used to estimate the infiltrating immune cell composition of the tumor microenvironment from gene expression profiles of a large cohort of 225 HCCs in the public GEO database. Decidual-like CD49a+ NK cells, in addition to another 22 immune cell populations, were characterized and thoroughly investigated so that HCC cell heterogeneity in a large cohort of 225 HCCs from the public GEO database could be studied. An inverse correlation of the expression of CD49a+ NK-cells and CD8 T-cells suggested a negative association with clinical outcomes. This result was confirmed in a further validation cohort of 100 HCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC). Cox regression analysis did not identify CD49a+ cells as a variable independently associated with survival. However, a more abundant infiltrate of this subset was present in patients at a more advanced pathological and clinical HCC stage. In conclusion, we found that NK cells, with a decidual-like gene expression profile, are enriched in HCC, and their abundance increases not only in tumor size but also at advanced stages of the disease suggesting that these cells play a role in tumor growth. For this reason, these NK cells may represent a possible new target for immunotherapeutic approaches in HCC.
PubMed: 38107324
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22680 -
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology 2023Folliculitis is a painful infection and inflammation of the hair follicles, mostly caused by bacterial, fungal, or, more rarely, viral infections. Turpentine derivatives... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
INTRODUCTION
Folliculitis is a painful infection and inflammation of the hair follicles, mostly caused by bacterial, fungal, or, more rarely, viral infections. Turpentine derivatives have been used traditionally to treat various skin infections and could thus also be effective in treating folliculitis. We carried out an open, prospective, randomized, placebo- and comparator-controlled multicenter trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an ointment containing pine turpentine oil, larch turpentine, and eucalyptus oil in the treatment of acute folliculitis.
METHODS
Seventy outpatients with acute folliculitis were treated with the turpentine ointment, a comparator (povidone iodine solution), or a placebo (Vaseline) for 7 days. Photographs of the affected skin areas were taken by the physicians at four visits and by the patients on a daily basis. Photographs were evaluated by blinded observers. Primary efficacy endpoint was the change in total hair follicle lesion counts. Secondary endpoints included the evolution of the lesion counts in the course of the study, responder rate (improvement of follicle lesions by at least one count), and the patient's global assessment. Safety endpoints were the tolerability of the treatments and adverse event recording.
RESULTS
A decrease of follicle lesions counts was detected for both active treatments but not for placebo, but the differences among groups were not statistically significant. As for the secondary endpoints, the ointment showed statistically significant superiority over placebo for the evolution of the lesions during the course of the study (p = 0.017), the responder rate (p = 0.032), and the subjective efficacy assessment by patients (p = 0.029). All treatments were equally well tolerated, with a similar number of treatment-emergent adverse events.
CONCLUSION
The turpentine ointment is an effective and safe option for the treatment of folliculitis.
Topics: Humans; Turpentine; Ointments; Prospective Studies; Folliculitis; Skin; Treatment Outcome; Double-Blind Method
PubMed: 38104550
DOI: 10.1159/000535711