Review
Cell Biology
Lauren Lawless, Linglin Xie, Ke Zhang
Summary: Exposure to cadmium during pregnancy has harmful effects on fetal and placental development, as well as maternal health. It also increases the risk of diseases in offspring during infancy, adolescence, and adulthood. The mechanisms behind cadmium-induced teratogenicity and disease development are still largely unknown, but epigenetic changes in DNA, RNA, and protein have been observed. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of these epigenetic alterations induced by prenatal cadmium exposure and their long-term effects.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
Alejandra Villarreal-Martinez, Laura Elia Martinez-de-Villarreal, Minerva Gomez-Flores, Sonia Chavez-Alvarez, Ricardo Cerda-Flores, Jorge Ocampo-Candiani, Consuelo Ruiz-Herrera, Marcelo R. Rodriguez-Rivera, Jesus Zacarias Villarreal-Perez, Jose Gerardo Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Geovana Calvo-Anguiano
Summary: This study evaluated the mitochondrial function and metabolic abnormalities in patients with psoriasis and found that psoriasis patients with or without insulin resistance (IR) have distinct acylcarnitine profiles, which may be associated with alterations in mitochondrial function and increased activity of stearoyl CoA desaturase.
JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY AND VENEREOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Eva Mautner, Christina Stern, Alexander Avian, Maria Deutsch, Wolfgang Schoell, Elfriede Greimel
Summary: Maternal psychological health-related quality of life was significantly worse in the very preterm birth group compared to other groups, but there were no differences in depressive symptoms, anxiety, perceived stress, and general psychological distress among the birth groups; The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale detected 30 to 65% of participants with depression screening values exceeding the cut-off for major depression. Hence, focusing on acute stress, HRQoL parameters, and depression during the early postpartum period may help improve maternal well-being.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Keshni Arthur, Nicola Christofides, Gill Nelson
Summary: The study found variations between school contexts, with high student penetration (97.2%) but lower student and parent exposure (44.3% and 55.5%, respectively). Educators believed the intervention was suitable for both rural and urban schools, different socio-economic groups, and diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. They perceived the intervention as sustainable and recommended its adoption into the school curriculum and scaling up if proven effective.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
A. Jana, K. Banerjee, P. K. Khan
Summary: This study examined the association between maternal obstetric factors and preterm birth (PTB) and estimated the risk of neonatal mortality among PTBs. The results showed that minimal antenatal care, delivery complications, history of previous caesarean delivery, and delivery at private health facilities were significantly associated with an increased risk of PTB. The study also found that the survival probability of preterm babies sharply declined in the first week of life, but then stabilized. The risk of mortality in the first 28 days of life increased 2.5-fold for preterm babies. Optimizing antenatal care was shown to lower the likelihood of PTB and improve their chances of survival.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Frederic Blavier, Kurt Barbe, Gilles Faron, Sebastien Doutreloup, Malik Boukerrou, Florent Fuchs, Leonardo Gucciardo
Summary: The study found significant correlations between outdoor air temperature and the number of daily births, preterm birth rate, and births associated with hypertension. Increasing temperatures lead to higher rates of births and preterm births, with a stronger delayed effect observed on births associated with hypertension, warranting further investigation.
JOURNAL OF MATERNAL-FETAL & NEONATAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Sibel Ejder Tekgunduz, Merve Lazoglu, Mehtap Nailoglu, Serap Ejder Apay, Kadir Serafettin Tekgunduz
Summary: The study evaluates cortisol levels in breast milk of mothers after preterm, term, or post-term birth and examines the association with maternal stress. The results show significantly higher breast milk cortisol levels and maternal stress scores in the preterm birth group compared to the term birth group. Although there is an association between maternal stress and preterm birth and milk cortisol levels, more research is needed to establish a causal link.
BREASTFEEDING MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Abdifetah Ibrahim Omar, Amina Dahir Mohamed, Mohamed Garad Farah, Ismail Abukar Mahad, Suban Abdullahi Mohamed, Abyan Hassan Dimbil, Nadifo Salad Mohamud, Fowziya Ahmed Abshir, Umayma Abdinasir Abdulkadir
Summary: This study found that adequate prenatal care, use of a partograph, obstetric complications, as well as prior history of premature birth and preeclampsia significantly impact preterm birth rates. Female genital mutilation (FGM) was identified as a previously unknown risk factor for preterm birth that requires further investigation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xin Ming, Ziyi He, Yannan Li, Yaqiong Hu, Yunping Yang, Hongyan Chen, Qin Chen, Huan Yang, Wenzheng Zhou
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between air pollution exposure in the days before delivery and the risk of preterm births. The results indicated significant associations between air pollution and preterm births, with the relative risk decreasing with day lag but the cumulative effect increasing. Pregnant women should be aware of the risk of air pollution and try to avoid high concentration exposure.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biology
Yile Chen, Bing He, Yu Liu, Max T. Aung, Zaira Rosario-Pabon, Carmen M. Velez-Vega, Akram Alshawabkeh, Jose F. Cordero, John D. Meeker, Lana X. Garmire
Summary: This study demonstrates the involvement of lipids, particularly fatty acids, in the pathogenesis of preterm birth.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Chandrashekara Kyathanahalli, Madeline Snedden, Lavisha Singh, Camilla Regalia, Lauren Keenan-Devlin, Ann E. Borders, Emmet Hirsch
Summary: This study examined the prevalence and viral load of TTV and TTMV in plasma and saliva during pregnancy, and their association with preterm birth. The results showed that TTMV in the third trimester plasma was associated with preterm birth, but whether this association is causal remains to be determined.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Danai Mavreli, Mariana Theodora, Margaritis Avgeris, Nikolas Papantoniou, Panagiotis Antsaklis, George Daskalakis, Aggeliki Kolialexi
Summary: This case-control study identified miR-125a as a promising early predictor for spontaneous preterm delivery, providing a useful basis for the development of a non-invasive predictive test to estimate patient-specific risk.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Kazue Ishitsuka, Mayumi Tsuji, Megumi Yamamoto, Rie Tanaka, Reiko Suga, Mami Kuwamura, Toshihide Sakuragi, Masayuki Shimono, Koichi Kusuhara
Summary: Fish paste consumption may increase the risk of preterm birth, while other types of fish consumption is not significantly associated with preterm birth risk. Further studies are required to confirm this association.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Karolina Sobczyk, Tomasz Holecki, Joanna Wozniak-Holecka, Mateusz Grajek
Summary: In addition to low birth weight and intrauterine growth restriction, prematurity is a major problem in modern neonatology. This study found that there is a relationship between early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and the risk of preterm delivery, with overweight and obese women being more likely to have extremely and very preterm births.
Article
Immunology
Ramkumar Menon, Christopher Luke Dixon, Samir Cayne, Enkhtuya Radnaa, Carlos Salomon, Samantha Sheller-Miller
Summary: The study compared the proteomic profiles of cord plasma-derived exosomes in patients with spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) or preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM) to those who delivered at term, showing both similarities and unique markers in exosomes from different conditions. However, the inflammatory condition represented in exosomes from different conditions was found to be non-specific and not indicative of any specific underlying biological functions. The value of cord plasma exosome proteomic cargo as an indicator of underlying physiology or fetal well-being was deemed limited.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Kartikeya Makker, Mingyu Zhang, Guoying Wang, Xiumei Hong, Cuilin Zhang, Xiaobin Wang
Summary: This study aims to investigate the impact of prematurity and other prenatal and perinatal factors on childhood insulin levels. The results showed that preterm infants had higher plasma insulin levels at birth and in early childhood. Factors associated with higher insulin levels in early childhood included insulin levels at birth, race, sex, maternal smoking, maternal perceived stress, in utero drug exposure, maternal pregestational diabetes mellitus, and maternal preconception overweight and obesity.
PEDIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Yassaman Vafai, Edwina Yeung, Anindya Roy, Dian He, Mengying Li, Stefanie N. Hinkle, William A. Grobman, Roger Newman, Jessica L. Gleason, Fasil Tekola-Ayele, Cuilin Zhang, Katherine L. Grantz
Summary: In this study, the association between prenatal supplementation of docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid and fetal growth trajectories was examined. The results show that supplementation of these fatty acids in the first trimester is associated with significant increases in fetal growth, specifically greater estimated fetal abdominal circumference in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jiaxi Yang, Jing Wu, Fasil Tekola-Ayele, Ling-Jun Li, Andrew A. Bremer, Ruijin Lu, Mohammad L. Rahman, Natalie L. Weir, Wei Wei Pang, Zhen Chen, Michael Y. Tsai, Cuilin Zhang
Summary: This prospective study evaluated the association between plasma amino acids (AAs) and phospholipid fatty acids (FAs) with the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in early and midpregnancy. The results showed that certain AAs and FAs were associated with GDM risk. Moreover, the joint associations of AAs and FAs were also significantly related to GDM risk.
Editorial Material
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Steven E. Kahn, Cheryl A. M. Anderson, John B. Buse, Elizabeth Selvin, Sonia Y. Angell, Vanita R. Aroda, Jessica R. Castle, Alice Y. Y. Cheng, Thomas Danne, Justin B. Echouffo-Tcheugui, Jose C. Florez, Meghana D. Gadgil, Amalia Gastaldelli, Jennifer B. Green, Ania M. Jastreboff, Alka M. Kanaya, Namratha R. Kandula, Csaba P. Kovesdy, Neda Laiteerapong, Kristen J. Nadeau, Rodica Pop-Busui, Camille E. Powe, Casey M. Rebholz, Michael R. Rickels, Naveed Sattar, Jonathan E. Shaw, Emily K. Sims, Kristina M. Utzschneider, Adrian Vella, Cuilin Zhang
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sonia M. Grandi, Stefanie N. Hinkle, Sunni L. Mumford, Lindsey A. Sjaarda, Katherine L. Grantz, Pauline Mendola, James L. Mills, Anna Z. Pollack, Edwina Yeung, Cuilin Zhang, Enrique F. Schisterman
Summary: This study examined whether giving birth to male infants increases the risk of maternal mortality. The results showed that women who give birth to male infants do not have an increased risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality, suggesting that giving birth to male infants may not influence the long-term health of women.
PAEDIATRIC AND PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ling-Jun Li, Ximeng Wang, Yap Seng Chong, Jerry Kok Yen Chan, Kok Hian Tan, Johan G. Eriksson, Zhongwei Huang, Mohammad L. Rahman, Liang Cui, Cuilin Zhang
Summary: This study compared the metabolites in the preconception phase between women with GDM and non-GDM controls in Singapore. Distinctive metabolites, including phosphatidylethanolamines, were found to be associated with GDM. These findings provide insights into the etiology of GDM in the preconception phase.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Stefanie N. Hinkle, Enrique F. Schisterman, Danping Liu, Anna Z. Pollack, Edwina H. Yeung, Sunni L. Mumford, Katherine L. Grantz, Yan Qiao, Neil J. Perkins, James L. Mills, Pauline Mendola, Cuilin Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the association between pregnancy complications and total and cause-specific mortality, as well as the differences between Black and White pregnant participants. The results showed that Black pregnant participants had a higher incidence of pregnancy complications, and the associations between different complications and mortality risk differed between Black and White participants.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katherine Grantz, Stefanie Hinkle, Dian He, John Owen, Daniel A. Skupski, Cuilin A. Zhang, Anindya A. Roy
Summary: Customized fetal growth charts assume normality and constant coefficient of variation assumptions, but these assumptions have never been formally tested. By analyzing longitudinal sonographic biometric data, we found that the assumptions of proportionality and normal distribution may be questionable. A heteroscedastic model that captures unstable variance in customization characteristics appears to improve the detection of abnormal growth percentiles.
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Jiaxi Yang, Yiqing Song, Audrey J. Gaskins, Ling-Jun Li, Zhongwei Huang, Johan G. Eriksson, Frank B. Hu, Yap Seng Chong, Cuilin Zhang
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis indicates that adherence to the Mediterranean diet has positive effects on female reproductive health, particularly in reducing the risks of gestational diabetes mellitus and preterm birth. Additionally, following the Mediterranean diet may be associated with improved fertility and gestational weight management.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Julia M. P. Bittner, Stephen E. Gilman, Cuilin Zhang, Zhen Chen, Bobby K. Cheon
Summary: This study found that early-life poverty and relative socioeconomic status are independently associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but not with preeclampsia/eclampsia (PE) or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP).
ANNALS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ling-Jun Li, Ruochen Du, Jerry Kok Yen Chan, Kok Hian Tan, Tien Yin Wong, Johan G. Eriksson, Lin Lin Su, Yap Seng Chong, Zhongwei Huang, Cuilin Zhang
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the association between maternal preconception retinal arteriolar caliber and fetal growth. Retinal imaging was performed on 369 women with a singleton live birth and detailed information was collected. The study found that maternal preconception retinal arteriolar narrowing was associated with reduced fetal abdominal circumference and femur length. These findings suggest that preconception retinal arteriolar narrowing may indicate restricted fetal growth.
BJOG-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shuang Zhou, Tiantian Li, Na Han, Kai Zhang, Yi Zhang, Qin Li, Yuelong Ji, Jue Liu, Hui Wang, Jianlin Hu, Ting Liu, Hein Raat, Haijun Wang
Summary: This study examined the effects of prenatal exposure to PM2.5 on childhood growth, specifically on BMI Z-scores in the first three years. The results showed that prenatal exposure to PM2.5 and its constituents were associated with higher BMI Z-scores in children. The study highlights the importance of developing public health policies to control harmful PM2.5 constituents for the promotion of child health.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Ling-Jun Li, Ruochen Du, Marion Ouidir, Ruijin Lu, Zhen Chen, Natalie L. Weir, Michael Y. Tsai, Paul S. Albert, Cuilin Zhang
Summary: Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) during pregnancy have an impact on metabolic programming and fetal growth. In this study, plasma phospholipid SFAs were measured in early pregnancy and fetal growth was monitored. It was found that even-chain and very long even-chain SFAs were negatively associated, while odd-chain SFAs were positively associated with fetal weight and size. Pentadecanoic acid (15:0) in the highest tertile showed a greater fetal weight and size compared to the lowest tertile. These findings suggest the potential use of an alternative high-fat diet rich in odd-chain SFAs for optimal fetal growth.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Yi-Xin Wang, Makiko Mitsunami, JoAnn E. Manson, Audrey J. Gaskins, Janet W. Rich-Edwards, Liang Wang, Cuilin Zhang, Jorge E. Chavarro
Summary: This cohort study suggests that a history of gestational diabetes is associated with a small but elevated risk of subsequent mortality over 30 years. The findings emphasize the importance of considering gestational diabetes as a critical factor in later-life mortality risk.
JAMA INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Wen Zhou, Petra Simic, Iris Y. Zhou, Peter Caravan, Xavier Vela Parada, Donghai Wen, Onica L. Washington, Maria Shvedova, Kerry A. Pierce, Clary B. Clish, Michael Mannstadt, Tatsuya Kobayashi, Marc N. Wein, Harald Juppner, Eugene P. Rhee
Summary: The mechanism of phosphate level detection in mammals involves glycolysis and synthesis of glycerol-3-phosphate (G-3-P) in the kidney, which then triggers the production of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) in the bone. This kidney-bone feedback loop controls phosphate homeostasis. The cytosolic enzyme Gpd1 and the sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter Npt2a play essential roles in the regulation of G-3-P and FGF23 production.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2023)
