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The Journal of Maternal-fetal &... Dec 2023Histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA) is most often caused by ascending bacterial infection originating from the cervicovaginal tract. (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
Histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA) is most often caused by ascending bacterial infection originating from the cervicovaginal tract.
OBJECTIVES
To investigate whether HCA with a fetal inflammatory response (FIR) has a worse clinical outcome than HCA alone. Further, if FIR or a positive maternal microbiologic culture obtained prior to birth were related to adverse neonatal outcomes in a cohort of extremely preterm (EP) neonates.
METHODS
Prospective observational cohort study recruiting EP singleton pregnancies (gestational age at birth ≤28 weeks) with confirmed HCA. FIR was defined by fetal neutrophils in the chorionic vessels and/or umbilical vessels. Positive culture was defined as growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria in a sample from the cervicovaginal tract prior to birth, or if a cervicovaginal culture was lacking, a culture result from the placenta was used. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the associations between FIR, a positive culture result and adverse outcomes, defined as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), brain pathology assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, retinopathy of prematurity, necrotizing enterocolitis, early-onset neonatal sepsis, and perinatal death. A composite outcome variable included one or more adverse outcomes.
RESULTS
We included 71 cases with HCA, of which 51 (72%) had FIR. Maternal age, rate of clinical chorioamnionitis (CCA), preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes (PPROM), the number of women receiving antenatal steroids and antibiotics, and the rate of positive maternal cultures of potentially pathogenic bacteria were all significantly higher in the HCA with FIR. Neonates in the FIR group had significantly higher levels of blood leukocytes compared to those without. FIR was associated with a longer interval from PPROM to delivery (log-rank test: = .022). Microbiological sampling had been performed in 63 (89%) cases, of which 60 (95%) were cervicovaginal samples. No associations were found between a positive culture and adverse neonatal outcomes, in contrast to FIR, that was significantly associated to BPD and brain pathology.
CONCLUSIONS
In a cohort of EP pregnancies with confirmed HCA, the presence of FIR was associated with advanced maternal age, CCA, PPROM, antenatal steroids and antibiotics, and a positive maternal culture of potentially pathogenic bacteria. However, the presence of FIR, and not a positive culture, was associated with adverse neonatal outcomes.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Female; Infant; Pregnancy; Humans; Chorioamnionitis; Infant, Extremely Premature; Prospective Studies; Premature Birth; Fetal Membranes, Premature Rupture; Gestational Age; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
PubMed: 37031964
DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2023.2196599 -
The Malaysian Journal of Pathology Dec 2023Chorioamnionitis is the inflammation of the placenta and is histologically defined as the presence of neutrophilic infiltration into the chorio-amnion membrane with and...
INTRODUCTION
Chorioamnionitis is the inflammation of the placenta and is histologically defined as the presence of neutrophilic infiltration into the chorio-amnion membrane with and without involvement of the umbilical cord. Currently, the inflammatory mediators involved in the eliciting of inflammatory response is still largely under investigation. CD47 and CD36 are pro-inflammatory molecules that are still under investigation. The aim of this study was to determine the expressions of CD47 and CD36 in the placenta of mothers with chorioamnionitis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study, involving a total of 100 cases that comprised of acute subchorionitis (stage I, n=20), acute chorioamnionitis (stage II, n=20), acute necrotising chorioamnionitis (stage III, n=20) and non-chorioamnionitis placenta as control (n=40). All tissue blocks were retrieved from the archived pathology record over a period of 4 years. CD36 and CD47 immunohistochemistry were performed on all cases and their expression in various cell types on the placenta were analysed.
RESULTS
CD36 was expressed only on the foetal vascular endothelial cells. Interestingly, CD47 showed positive staining on the neutrophils and its expression was significantly different between maternal inflammatory response stage II chorioamnionitis (n=13/20, p<0.001) with stage I and stage III chorioamnionitis.
DISCUSSION
Our study showed CD47 was expressed in the neutrophils and it was associated with poorer perinatal outcomes and it may have a role in the pathogenesis of chorioamnionitis.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Chorioamnionitis; Endothelial Cells; CD47 Antigen; Cross-Sectional Studies; Placenta
PubMed: 38155387
DOI: No ID Found -
PloS One 2015Chorioamnionitis has recently been reported as a risk factor for various neonatal diseases, including cerebral palsy, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and necrotizing... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Chorioamnionitis has recently been reported as a risk factor for various neonatal diseases, including cerebral palsy, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and necrotizing enterocolitis, but its effect on patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is unclear. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of chorioamnionitis on PDA.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed databases using the terms: "intrauterine infection" or "maternal infection" or "antenatal infection" or "chorioamnionitis" or "placenta inflammation" or "placenta pathology" or "neonatal outcome" or "neonatal morbidity" or "PDA or patent ductus arteriosus" or "ductus arteriosus," and "prematurity" or "very low birth weight infant." Studies were included if they were randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, or cohort studies that included information relating to chorioamnionitis and PDA.
RESULTS
Among 1,571 studies, a total of 23 studies (17,708 cases) were included in the meta-analysis to analyze the relationship between chorioamnionitis and PDA, except one study that only included PDA requiring surgical ligation. The association between chorioamnionitis and PDA was statistically significant (odds ratio [OR] 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19, 1.72; P < 0.0001). In subgroup analysis, clinical chorioamnionitis was not associated with PDA (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.00, 1.64, 1.790; P = 0.05), whereas histologic chorioamnionitis (OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.10, 2.15; P = 0.01) and chorioamnionitis diagnosed from both clinical and histologic findings (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.07, 2.86; P = 0.03) showed significant associations with PDA. Chorioamnionitis did not increase the risk of PDA requiring surgical ligation (OR 1.23; 95% CI 0.69, 2.17; P = 0.48), and antenatal steroid use reduced the risk of PDA (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.42, 0.90; P = 0.01) after chorioamnionitis.
CONCLUSIONS
The results from this meta-analysis support an association between maternal chorioamnionitis and PDA in offspring.
Topics: Chorioamnionitis; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Prevalence; Prognosis
PubMed: 26375582
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138114 -
Acta Biomaterialia Jan 2015Characterizing the mechanical response of the human amnion is essential to understand and to eventually prevent premature rupture of fetal membranes. In this study, a...
Characterizing the mechanical response of the human amnion is essential to understand and to eventually prevent premature rupture of fetal membranes. In this study, a large set of macroscopic and microscopic mechanical tests have been carried out on fresh unfixed amnion to gain insight into the time-dependent material response and the underlying mechanisms. Creep and relaxation responses of amnion were characterized in macroscopic uniaxial tension, biaxial tension and inflation configurations. For the first time, these experiments were complemented by microstructural information from nonlinear laser scanning microscopy performed during in situ uniaxial relaxation tests. The amnion showed large tension reduction during relaxation and small inelastic strain accumulation in creep. The short-term relaxation response was related to a concomitant in-plane and out-of-plane contraction, and was dependent on the testing configuration. The microscopic investigation revealed a large volume reduction at the beginning, but no change of volume was measured long-term during relaxation. Tension-strain curves normalized with respect to the maximum strain were highly repeatable in all configurations and allowed the quantification of corresponding characteristic parameters. The present data indicate that dissipative behavior of human amnion is related to two mechanisms: (i) volume reduction due to water outflow (up to ∼20 s) and (ii) long-term dissipative behavior without macroscopic deformation and no systematic global reorientation of collagen fibers.
Topics: Amnion; Computer Simulation; Elastic Modulus; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Models, Biological; Stress, Mechanical; Tensile Strength; Viscosity
PubMed: 25240983
DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2014.09.012 -
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences Nov 2007Regenerative medicine is a new field based on the use of stem cells to generate biological substitutes and improve tissue functions, restoring damaged tissue with high... (Review)
Review
Regenerative medicine is a new field based on the use of stem cells to generate biological substitutes and improve tissue functions, restoring damaged tissue with high proliferability and differentiability. It is of interest as a potential alternative to complicated tissue/organ transplantation. Recently, amnion-derived cells have been reported to have multipotent differentiation ability, and these cells have attracted attention as a cell source for cell-transplantation therapy. The amnion possesses considerable advantageous characteristics: the isolated cells can differentiate into all three germ layers; they have low immunogenicity and anti-inflammatory functions; and they do not require the sacrifice of human embryos for their isolation, thus avoiding the current controversies associated with the use of human embryonic stem cells. Moreover, we developed human amniotic cell-sheets using a novel culture surface coated with a noncytotoxic, temperature-responsive elastic protein-based polymer. We also generated a "hyper-dry-amnion", which has already been applied clinically in the ophthalmological field. Compared to cryopreserved fresh amnion, "hyper-dry-amnion" is easy to handle and has started to bring good results to patients. These materials from the amnion are also expected to open a new field in tissue engineering. Thus, amnion, which had been discarded after parturition, has started to be appreciated as an attractive material in the field of regenerative medicine. In this review, the most recent and relevant clinical and experimental data about the use of amniotic membrane and cells derived from it are described.
Topics: Amnion; Animals; Cell Differentiation; Cell Separation; Cells, Cultured; Hepatocytes; Humans; Myocytes, Cardiac; Pluripotent Stem Cells; Regenerative Medicine; Tissue Engineering
PubMed: 17986813
DOI: 10.1254/jphs.cr0070034 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2013Infection-related preterm birth is a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity; knowledge of bacterial populations invading the amniotic cavity and the routes of... (Review)
Review
Infection-related preterm birth is a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity; knowledge of bacterial populations invading the amniotic cavity and the routes of invasion is required to make progress in the prevention of preterm birth. Significant advances have been made in understanding bacterial communities in the vagina, but much less studied are intra-uterine bacterial populations during pregnancy. A systematic review of data published on the intra-uterine microbiome was performed; molecular information and summaries of species found in healthy individuals and in women with diagnosed infections served to construct a database and to analyse results to date. Thirteen studies fulfilled the review's inclusion criteria. The data of various investigations were collated, organized, and re-analyzed to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of microbial populations in the intra-amniotic space. The most common intra-amniotic bacterial taxa were species that can colonies the vagina in health and disease; there were others associated with the habitats of the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and respiratory tract. The results suggest a central role for the ascending route of infections during pregnancy, and point to a possible secondary contribution via haematogenous invasion of the intra-amniotic space. The complete census of the intra-uterine microbiome awaits completion.
Topics: Bacterial Infections; Chorioamnionitis; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Premature Birth
PubMed: 24137568
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2013.00058 -
Folia Histochemica Et Cytobiologica 2014In vitro studies have shown that amnion-produced growth factors participated in angiogenesis, re-epithelialization, and immunomodulation. The aim of our study was to...
In vitro studies have shown that amnion-produced growth factors participated in angiogenesis, re-epithelialization, and immunomodulation. The aim of our study was to investigate the growth factors and receptors produced by human amnion tissue and amniotic cells. Human amnions (hAM) were isolated, and amnion circles were dissected for in vitro analysis. Some amnion fragments were digested by the use of different methods to obtain two cell fractions, which were analysed for mesenchymal and epithelial cell markers. Amniotic circles and human amniotic cell fractions were cultured in a protein-free medium. Proteins secreted into the culture medium were analysed with a human growth factor antibody array. Conditioned culture media were added to human umbilical vein epithelial cells (HUVECs) to test for stimulation of migration (scratch test) and proliferation (Ki67 expression). Fraction 1 cells expressed both cytokeratin and mesenchymal cell markers which indicated that it was composed of a mixture of human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs) and mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs). Fraction 2 cells mainly expressed cytokeratin and, therefore, were designed as hAECs. Secretion of proteins by the cultured cells increased with time. The hAM cultures secreted EGF-R, IGF, and IGFBP-2,-3 and -6; Cell Fraction 1 secreted NT-4, whereas Cell Fraction 2 secreted G-CSF, M-CSF, and PDGF. Conditioned media of hAM cultures stimulated HUVECs migration. We have showed for the first time that human amnions and amniotic cells secreted IGFBP-6, MCSF-R, PDGF-AB, FGF-6, IGFBP-4, NT-4, and VEGF-R3. We found that Cell Fraction 1, Cell Fraction 2, and the whole amnion secreted different proteins, possibly due to different proportions of amnion-derived cells and different cell-cell interactions. The hAM cell factors remained functional in vitro and induced intensified migration of HUVECs. The growth factors and receptors found in amnion or amniotic cell media might be used for regenerative medicine.
Topics: Amnion; Cell Fractionation; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Culture Media, Conditioned; Endothelial Cells; Humans; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Protein Array Analysis; Receptors, Growth Factor; Umbilical Cord
PubMed: 25308731
DOI: 10.5603/FHC.2014.0019 -
American Journal of Obstetrics and... Dec 2022The assessment and management of patients with threatened midtrimester miscarriage is a clinical challenge because the etiology of this condition is poorly understood.
BACKGROUND
The assessment and management of patients with threatened midtrimester miscarriage is a clinical challenge because the etiology of this condition is poorly understood.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to examine the frequency of intraamniotic infection or inflammation and the effect of antibiotics in patients presenting with regular uterine contractions and intact membranes before 20 weeks of gestation.
STUDY DESIGN
This retrospective study comprised patients who met the following criteria: (1) singleton gestation, (2) gestational age before 20 weeks, (3) the presence of regular uterine contractions confirmed by a tocodynamometer (8 or more contractions in 60 minutes), (4) intact amniotic membranes, and (5) transabdominal amniocentesis performed for the evaluation of the microbiologic and inflammatory status of the amniotic cavity. Samples of amniotic fluid were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and genital mycoplasmas, and polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect Ureaplasma species. Amniotic fluid was tested for white blood cell counts and matrix metalloproteinase-8 concentrations to diagnose intraamniotic inflammation. Patients with intraamniotic inflammation, or intraamniotic infection, were treated with antibiotics (a combination of ceftriaxone, clarithromycin, and metronidazole). Treatment success was defined as the resolution of intraamniotic infection/inflammation at the follow-up amniocentesis or delivery after 34 weeks of gestation.
RESULTS
1) Intraamniotic inflammation was present in 88% (15/17) of patients, whereas infection was detectable in only 2 cases; 2) objective evidence of resolution of intraamniotic inflammation after antibiotic treatment was demonstrated in 100% (4/4) of patients who underwent a follow-up amniocentesis; 3) 30% (5/15) of women receiving antibiotics delivered after 34 weeks of gestation (3 of the 5 patients had a negative follow-up amniocentesis, and 2 of the women were without a follow-up amniocentesis); 4) the overall treatment success of antibiotics was 40% (6/15; 4 cases of objective evidence of resolution of intra-amniotic inflammation and 5 cases of delivery after 34 weeks of gestation).
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of intraamniotic inflammation in patients who presented with a threatened midtrimester miscarriage was 88% (15/17), and, in most cases, microorganisms could not be detected. Antibiotic treatment, administered to patients with intraamniotic inflammation, was associated with either objective resolution of intraamniotic inflammation or delivery after 34 weeks of gestation in 40% (6/15) of the cases.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Abortion, Spontaneous; Abortion, Threatened; Amniocentesis; Amniotic Fluid; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chorioamnionitis; Inflammation; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35843271
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.07.007 -
Pediatrics Jun 2017Chorioamnionitis (CA) has often been linked etiologically to cerebral palsy (CP). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
CONTEXT
Chorioamnionitis (CA) has often been linked etiologically to cerebral palsy (CP).
OBJECTIVES
To differentiate association from risk of CA in the development of CP.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and bibliographies of original studies were searched by using the keywords (chorioamnionitis) AND ((cerebral palsy) OR brain).
STUDY SELECTION
Included studies had to have: (1) controls, (2) criteria for diagnoses, and (3) neurologic follow-up. Studies were categorized based on: (1) finding incidence of CP in a CA population, or risk of CP; and (2) incidence of CA in CP or association with CP.
DATA EXTRACTION
Two reviewers independently verified study inclusion and extracted data.
RESULTS
Seventeen studies (125 256 CA patients and 5 994 722 controls) reported CP in CA. There was significantly increased CP inpreterm histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA; risk ratio [RR] = 1.34, < .01), but not in clinical CA (CCA). Twenty-two studies (2513 CP patients and 8135 controls) reported CA in CP. There was increased CCA (RR = 1.43, < .01), but no increase in HCA in preterm CP. Increased HCA was found (RR = 4.26, < .05), as well as CCA in term/near-term CP (RR = 3.06, < .01).
CONCLUSIONS
The evidence for a causal or associative role of CA in CP is weak. Preterm HCA may be a risk factor for CP, whereas CCA is not. An association with term and preterm CP was found for CCA, but only with term CP for HCA.
Topics: Cerebral Palsy; Chorioamnionitis; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Premature Birth; Risk Factors
PubMed: 28814548
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-3781 -
Pediatric Research Jan 2020Histologic chorioamnionitis is an inflammatory disorder of the placenta that commonly precedes preterm delivery. Preterm birth related to chorioamnionitis and fetal... (Review)
Review
Histologic chorioamnionitis is an inflammatory disorder of the placenta that commonly precedes preterm delivery. Preterm birth related to chorioamnionitis and fetal inflammation has been associated with a risk for serious inflammatory complications in infancy. In addition, preterm infants exposed to chorioamnionitis may be more susceptible to infection in the neonatal intensive care unit and possibly later in life. A significant body of work has established an association between chorioamnionitis and inflammatory processes. However, the potential consequences of this inflammation on postnatal immunity are less understood. In this review, we will discuss current knowledge regarding the effects of fetal exposure to inflammation on postnatal immune responses.
Topics: Adaptive Immunity; Age Factors; Animals; Chorioamnionitis; Female; Humans; Immune System; Immunity, Innate; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Inflammation Mediators; Pregnancy; Premature Birth; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors
PubMed: 31537013
DOI: 10.1038/s41390-019-0582-6