Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jin Zhang, Wei Hua, Xinyuan Zhao, Fan Yang, Ting Guo, Jianhua Zhang, Xuerong Zheng, Wanqi Liang
Summary: This study confirmed the protective effects of paeoniflorin against preeclampsia-related endothelial damage by upregulating VEGFA to alleviate the injury caused by overexpression of sFlt-1 and sEng.
BIOSCIENCE BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Medical Laboratory Technology
Nikolina Docheva, Gabriel Arenas, Kristin M. Nieman, Joana Lopes-Perdigao, Kiang-Teck J. Yeo, Sarosh Rana
Summary: Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. The disease is characterized by abnormal placentation, angiogenic imbalance, and endothelial dysfunction. Angiogenic factors such as soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 increase before the onset of the disease, while placental growth factor concentrations decrease. Multiple studies have investigated the use of angiogenic factors for predicting preeclampsia and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Acoustics
A. C. M. Kluivers, A. Biesbroek, W. Visser, L. Saleh, H. Russcher, A. H. J. Danser, R. I. Neuman
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the levels of placental growth factor (PlGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), and free PlGF in women with pre-eclampsia (PE) with or without a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonate. The findings suggest that diminished PlGF production is an important cause of low free PlGF levels, particularly in pregnancies with early-onset PE and SGA. The upregulation of sFlt-1 occurs synergistically in women with both PE and SGA.
ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Karen Hettfleisch, Mariana Azevedo Carvalho, Mara Sandra Hoshida, Luciana Duzolina Manfre Pastro, Silvia Regina Dias Medici Saldiva, Sandra Elisabete Vieira, Rossana Pulcineli Vieira Francisco, Paulo Hilario Nascimento Saldiva, Lisandra Stein Bernardes
Summary: This study found that the air pollutant NO2 is positively correlated with the sFlt1/PLGF ratio and negatively correlated with PLGF concentration in pregnant women's blood. This suggests that increased levels of NO2 may lead to an antiangiogenic state, affecting pregnancy outcomes.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Ana G. Nolasco-Leanos, Karla L. Ramirez-Valenzuela, Reyes Carrillo-Juarez, Carlos J. Molina-Perez, Irma Isordia-Salas, Alfredo Leanos-Miranda
Summary: In women with gestational hypertension, imbalance of angiogenic factors is associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes as well as progression to preeclampsia. Circulating concentrations of sEng and the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor ratio can be used as suitable markers to assess the risk of adverse outcomes.
JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Antonella Iannaccone, Beatrix Reisch, Rainer Kimmig, Boerge Schmidt, Laven Mavarani, Marvin Darkwah Oppong, Bartosz Tyczynski, Mark Dzietko, Michael Jahn, Alexandra Gellhaus, Angela Koeninger
Summary: This study evaluated the feasibility of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) compared to standard-of-care treatment in delaying preterm delivery in early-onset preeclampsia (eoPE). The results showed that TPE could prolong the duration of pregnancy and reduce the levels of sFlt-1 and sEng in maternal serum without impairing neonatal outcomes.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Kamran Hessami, Mark Evans, Ahmed A. Nassr, Jimmy Espinoza, Roopali Donepudi, Magdalena Sanz Cortes, Eyal Krispin, Shayan Mostafaei, Michael A. Belfort, Alireza A. Shamshirsaz
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the fetal survival rate and perinatal outcomes of triplet pregnancies after selective reduction to twin pregnancies vs singleton pregnancies. The results showed that reduction to twin pregnancies had a lower fetal survival rate, lower gestational age at birth, higher risk of preterm birth, and lower birthweight compared to reduction to singleton pregnancies. There were no substantial differences in the rates of early pregnancy loss and neonatal death between reduction to twin pregnancies and reduction to singleton pregnancies.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Megan E. Smithmyer, Chileshe M. Mabula-Bwalya, Humphrey Mwape, Gabriel Chipili, Bridget M. Spelke, Margaret P. Kasaro, Kristina De Paris, Bellington Vwalika, Yuri V. Sebastiao, Jeffrey S. A. Stringer, Joan T. Price
Summary: Maternal HIV infection may lead to adverse birth outcomes through an imbalance in angiogenic factors like PlGF and sFLT-1 in the VEGF signaling pathway. Lower concentrations of these biomarkers were associated with adverse birth outcomes, particularly preterm birth and stillbirth, but larger studies are needed for further confirmation of these findings.
BMC PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH
(2021)
Review
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Juilee S. Deshpande, Deepali P. Sundrani, Akriti S. Sahay, Sanjay A. Gupte, Sadhana R. Joshi
Summary: Preeclampsia is a dangerous disorder for pregnant women and neonates that requires specific and reliable biomarkers for early prediction. The imbalance of angiogenic factors contributes to the pathophysiology. Applying a multivariable model from the start of pregnancy throughout gestation is essential for early and specific prediction of preeclampsia.
HYPERTENSION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daria Monogiou Belik, Riccardo Bernasconi, Lifen Xu, Giacomo Della Verde, Vera Lorenz, Vivienne Gruterich, Melania Balzarolo, Michika Mochizuki, Otmar Pfister, Gabriela M. Kuster
Summary: This study aimed to test whether Flt3-targeting TKI treatment aggravates cardiac injury after myocardial infarction (MI). The results showed that quizartinib did not alter cardiac dimensions or function in healthy mice, but significantly enhanced ventricular dilatation and apoptotic cell death in MI mice. In vitro studies further confirmed that quizartinib increased cell death and apoptosis, potentially through a p38-dependent mechanism.
Article
Developmental Biology
Birgitte Mitlid-Mork, Gitta Turowski, Sophie Bowe, Anne Cathrine Staff, Meryam Sugulle
Summary: The majority of post-date placentas exhibit delayed maturation, with increased intervillous fibrin and syncytial knotting associated with elevated levels of PlGF, sFlt-1, and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio. Maternal circulating angiogenic biomarkers could be valuable for assessing post-date pregnancies, reflecting important placental health and function aspects.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Jessica R. Zolton, Lindsey A. Sjaarda, Sunni L. Mumford, Elizabeth A. DeVilbiss, Keewan Kim, Kerry S. Flannagan, Jeannie G. Radoc, Neil J. Perkins, Robert M. Silver, Jean Wactawski-Wende, Micah J. Hill, Alan H. DeCherney, Enrique F. Schisterman
Summary: Circulating VEGF and sFLT-1 did not vary significantly across the menstrual cycle in normal ovulating women, and may not be useful as peripheral biomarkers of endometrial changes during the menstrual cycle. Plasma may be the preferred medium for measuring circulating VEGF in reproductive-age women, regardless of menstrual cycle phase.
OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Wanying Cheng, Lingling Wang, Xin Gao, Guangli Yin, Jujuan Wang, Yongqian Shu, Hongxia Qiu, Limin Duan
Summary: sFLt-1 is a reliable immune biomarker for predicting the inflammatory status and prognosis of secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH).
JOURNAL OF THE CHINESE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Cecilia Berardi, David A. Bluemke, Brian A. Houston, Todd M. Kolb, Joao A. Lima, Theo Pezel, Ryan J. Tedford, Samuel G. Rayner, Richard K. Cheng, Peter J. Leary
Summary: The study revealed that sFlt-1 levels are associated with incident heart failure and cardiovascular mortality. There is also an association between sFlt-1 levels and cardiac mass.
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
A. Peguero, L. Fernandez-Blanco, E. Mazarico, L. Benitez, A. Gonzalez, L. Youssef, F. Crispi, S. Hernandez, F. Figueras
Summary: Longitudinal changes in sFlt-1 levels improve the prediction of complications and interval to delivery in women with early-onset severe pre-eclampsia.
BJOG-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Adelene Y. Tan, Ken Kearney, Courtney Jenkins, S. Ananth Karumanchi, Walter Bee, Paul Kussie
Summary: Placental growth factor (PlGF) has acute vasodilatory effects on human resistance arteries and can decrease blood pressure when administered to male Guinea Pigs, leading to compensatory increase in heart rate.
HYPERTENSION IN PREGNANCY
(2022)
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Stefan Verlohren, Shaun P. Brennecke, Alberto Galindo, S. Ananth Karumanchi, Ljiljana B. Mirkovic, Dietmar Schlembach, Holger Stepan, Manu Vatish, Harald Zeisler, Sarosh Rana
Summary: Preeclampsia poses significant morbidity and mortality risks for both mother and baby. The discovery of circulating angiogenic factors in preeclampsia pathogenesis has advanced diagnosis and prognosis, but there is currently no consensus or clear guidance on their practical use in routine clinical practice.
PREGNANCY HYPERTENSION-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WOMENS CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Laura A. Magee, Mark A. Brown, David R. Hall, Sanjay Gupte, Annemarie Hennessy, S. Ananth Karumanchi, Louise C. Kenny, Fergus McCarthy, Jenny Myers, Liona C. Poon, Sarosh Rana, Shigeru Saito, Anne Cathrine Staff, Eleni Tsigas, Peter von Dadelszen
Summary: Uniform departmental management protocols should be maintained for managing hypertensive pregnant women, and regular audits of maternal and fetal outcomes should be conducted. The cause and optimal clinical management of pre-eclampsia and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy remain uncertain, therefore, it is recommended that every hypertensive pregnant woman be given the opportunity to participate in research, clinical trials, and follow-up studies.
PREGNANCY HYPERTENSION-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WOMENS CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Zolt Arany, Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner, S. Ananth Karumanchi
Summary: Cardiovascular complications during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia and peripartum cardiomyopathy, have become a major cause of maternal mortality and have long-term effects on maternal cardiovascular health. However, the causes and mechanisms underlying these complications are not well understood, and treatment options are limited. Preclinical models have played an important role in advancing our understanding of these diseases.
CIRCULATION RESEARCH
(2022)
Editorial Material
Medical Laboratory Technology
Kathryn J. Gray, Martin Hemberg, S. Ananth Karumanchi
CLINICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Sarah M. Davis, Vignesh N. Hariharan, Agnes Lo, Anton A. Turanov, Dimas Echeverria, Jacquelyn Sousa, Nicholas McHugh, Annabelle Biscans, Julia F. Alterman, S. Ananth Karumanchi, Melissa J. Moore, Anastasia Khvorova
Summary: Preeclampsia is a potentially lethal pregnancy complication driven by overexpression of placental soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFLT1). Researchers have found that injecting specific siRNA can reduce placental sFLT1 and improve symptoms. They also discovered that modifying siRNA chemically can enhance its effectiveness and safety, providing a framework for further development of this therapeutic approach.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Mengyao Tang, Anders Berg, Eugene P. Rhee, Andrew S. Allegretti, Sagar Nigwekar, S. Ananth Karumanchi, James P. Lash, Sahir Kalim
Summary: The impact of glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) on renal outcomes in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is modified by carbamylation and anemia.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Lauren C. Houghton, Alejandra Paniagua-Avila
Summary: The field of epidemiology currently focuses on causal inference through quantitative approaches, which limits research questions to those that can be easily quantified. However, the mixed-methods approach provides a solution by incorporating qualitative sociocultural factors and the perspective of the population under study into quantitative research. This article serves as a guide for epidemiologists interested in implementing mixed methods in their observational studies to identify and explain causal relationships. The authors review paradigms guiding quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies, and provide examples of how mixed methods can be applied to complex bio-socio-cultural health outcomes.
Review
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Takahiko Nakagawa, Ana Andres-Hernando, Tomoki G. Kosugi, Laura Sanchez-Lozada, Peter Stenvinkel, Karolina Kublickiene, S. Ananth Karumanchi, Duk-Hee Kang, Hideto Kojima, Bernardo R. Rodriguez-Iturbe, Dean A. Tolan, Miguel J. Lanaspa, Richard Johnson
Summary: Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy caused by abnormal placentation. Fructose, which plays a critical role in fetal growth, is produced in the placenta during early pregnancy to assist fetal survival in a hypoxic environment. Impaired placentation leads to excessive fructose production, which drives various pathological features of preeclampsia. In addition, dietary fructose intake has been identified as an independent risk factor for preeclampsia.
HYPERTENSION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Sahir Kalim, Sophia Zhao, Mengyao Tang, Eugene P. Rhee, Andrew S. Allegretti, Sagar Nigwekar, S. Ananth Karumanchi, James P. Lash, Anders H. Berg
Summary: Protein carbamylation, driven by elevated blood urea levels, is associated with adverse outcomes in ESKD. However, its relationship to clinical outcomes in earlier stages of CKD is not well understood.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gena Guidry, Nicklaus A. Sparrow, Hyyat S. Marshall, Roberta De Souza Santos, Suman P. Bharath, Michael M. Gezalian, Margareta D. Pisarska, Jean-Philippe Vit, Scott A. Kelly, S. Ananth Karumanchi, Shouri Lahiri
Summary: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can lead to delirium-like states, and postmenopausal females are more susceptible to delirium following UTIs. It has been found that 17 beta-estradiol can reduce neuronal injury and improve delirium-like behaviors caused by UTIs, possibly by suppressing the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6).
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Lauren C. Houghton, Alejandra Paniagua-Avila, Simin Hua, Mary Beth Terry, Jasmine A. McDonald, Kathleene T. Ulanday, Linda van Horn, Mercedes R. Carnethon, Carmen R. Isasi
Summary: Hispanic-Latino children in the U.S. reach puberty earlier than non-Hispanic white children, but there has been no comparison of pubertal timing between immigrant generations. This study found that first-generation Hispanic-Latino girls had earlier thelarche, later menarche, and longer pubertal tempo compared to second and third generations.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Lauren A. Biwer, Qing Lu, Jaime Ibarrola, Alec Stepanian, Joshua J. Man, Brigett V. Carvajal, Nicholas D. Camarda, Zsuzsanna Zsengeller, Geraldine Skurnik, Ellen W. Seely, S. Ananth Karumanchi, Iris Z. Jaffe
Summary: Preeclampsia is associated with hypertension and end organ damage, and women exposed to preeclampsia have an increased risk of hypertension after pregnancy. This study found that exposure to sFlt1 during pregnancy leads to enhanced responsiveness of smooth muscle cell mineralocorticoid receptors (SMC-MR) to hypertensive stimuli, contributing to postpartum hypertension. These findings suggest that targeting SMC-MR could be a potential intervention to mitigate cardiovascular risk in women after preeclampsia.
CIRCULATION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rowena B. D. Kosher, Lauren C. Houghton, Inga T. Winkler
Summary: The experiences of trans and nonbinary individuals with menstruation are affected by gendered menstrual discourse. This research conducted a cyber-ethnography of YouTube videos created by trans and nonbinary menstruators, as well as the accompanying comments, to understand their linguistic strategies in navigating menstruation. Three linguistic strategies were identified: avoiding feminizing language, reframing language through masculinization, and challenging transnormativity. These strategies revealed feelings of dysphoria, attempts to reclaim menstruation within the trans and nonbinary experience, and responses to hegemonic masculinity and transnormativity. The videos provide insight into a marginalized community's unique engagement with menstruation and offer strategies for destigmatization and inclusion.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Eynav Accortt, James Mirocha, Dongsheng Zhang, Sarah J. Kilpatrick, Towia Libermann, S. Ananth Karumanchi
Summary: This study aimed to determine if a panel of novel third-trimester plasma protein biomarkers in pregnant women can be used to identify those who have a high predisposed risk for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. The results showed that participants with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders had a unique and distinct plasma protein signature that regulated a variety of neuronal signaling and proinflammatory pathways. Further validation studies with larger sample sizes are needed to determine the potential use of these molecules for early detection of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders when combined with traditional risk factors.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2023)
