Amniotic Fluid Of Pregnant Women Research Articles

Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Infection at Delivery Increases IL-6 Concentration in Umbilical Cord Blood.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women may induce inflammation within the amniotic cavity and/or an increase in proinflammatory cytokines in fetal circulation. The aim was to investigate levels of IL-6 in maternal blood, umbilical cord blood, and amniotic fluid in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 at delivery. A single-center prospective observational case-control study of pregnant women diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection at delivery was conducted. A total of 48 infected and 42 healthy women had IL-6 concentrations measured in their blood, amniotic fluid, and umbilical cord blood. The concentrations of IL-6 in maternal blood and amniotic fluid were similar in the study and control groups, while umbilical cord blood concentrations were significantly higher in SARS-CoV-2-positive women. The umbilical cord blood IL-6 concentration was related to composite neonatal morbidity. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women at delivery increases umbilical cord blood IL-6 concentration. The correlation between maternal and umbilical blood concentrations indicates a possibility of passage of IL-6 through the placenta. Perinatal alterations resulting from maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection at delivery carry a risk of impacting the health of infants even in asymptomatic course of infection.

Anti-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 IgG Is Present in the Amniotic Fluid of both Infected and Vaccinated Women at Second Trimester of Pregnancy: A Cohort Study

Introduction: Pregnant women are protected from the complications of COVID-19 infection, thanks to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination. The benefit of this vaccination to prevent morbidity and mortality in the fetus has not yet been completely elucidated. Our aim was to test the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the amniotic fluid during the second trimester of pregnancy and then to compare them to the antibody levels in maternal serum to evaluate their correlation and to improve amniotic fluid immunological characteristics knowledge. Methods: This cohort study took place at the Policlinico G. Martino of Messina from September 2021 to February 2022; 22 pregnant women had amniocentesis: we analyzed serum and amniotic fluid samples of women who contracted the SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccinated against the same virus within 1 year, and women never infected or vaccinated against it. Amniotic fluids and peripheral blood were collected to evaluate IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and spike S1 protein antibodies. Results: Patients vaccinated had higher S1 receptor-binding domain antibody levels both in amniotic fluid (p < 0.006; mean 68.70; standard deviation [SD] 85.46) and maternal blood (p < 0.005; mean 1,989.86; SD 3,777.15) than unvaccinated women. Anti-nucleocapsid antibodies were present in women who developed COVID infection both in amniotic fluid and maternal blood but not in unvaccinated women. There was a high correlation between the concentrations of anti-spike antibody levels in serum and amniotic fluid of vaccinated women (p < 0.001; R = 1.0) and of anti-nucleocapsid antibody levels in serum and amniotic fluid of women who developed COVID infection (p < 0.001; R = 0.93). Conclusion: Recent studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 vaccination during pregnancy is safe. Moreover, we can assume that there is an early transplacental antibody transfer after anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunization to protect the fetus, and there is also a high correlation between levels of anti-nucleocapsid antibodies in blood and amniotic fluid of pregnant women previously infected.

Amniotic fluid metabolomics identifies impairment of glycerophospholipid and amino acid metabolism during congenital Zika syndrome development.

Our main goal is to identify the alterations in the amniotic fluid (AF) metabolome in Zika virus (ZIKV)-infected patients and their relation to congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) progression. We applied an untargeted metabolomics strategy to analyze seven AF of pregnant women: healthy women and ZIKV-infected women bearing non-microcephalic and microcephalic fetuses. Infected patients were characterized by glycerophospholipid metabolism impairment, which is accentuated in microcephalic phenotypes. Glycerophospholipid decreased concentration in AF can be a consequence of intracellular transport of lipids to the placental or fetal tissues under development. The increased intracellular concentration of lipids can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration caused by lipid droplet accumulation. Furthermore, the dysregulation of amino acid metabolism was a molecular fingerprint of microcephalic phenotypes, specifically serine, and proline metabolisms. Both amino acid deficiencies were related to neurodegenerative disorders, intrauterine growth retardation, and placental abnormalities. This study enhances our understanding of the development of CZS pathology and sheds light on dysregulated pathways that could be relevant for future studies.

Comprehensive characterization of maternal, fetal, and neonatal microbiomes supports prenatal colonization of the gastrointestinal tract

In this study, we aimed to comprehensively characterize the microbiomes of various samples from pregnant women and their neonates, and to explore the similarities and associations between mother-neonate pairs, sample collection sites, and obstetrical factors. We collected samples from vaginal discharge and amniotic fluid in pregnant women and umbilical cord blood, gastric liquid, and meconium from neonates. We identified 19,597,239 bacterial sequences from 641 samples of 141 pregnant women and 178 neonates. By applying rigorous filtering criteria to remove contaminants, we found evidence of microbial colonization in traditionally considered sterile intrauterine environments and the fetal gastrointestinal track. The microbiome distribution was strongly grouped by sample collection site, rather than the mother-neonate pairs. The distinct bacterial composition in meconium, the first stool passed by newborns, supports that microbial colonization occurs during normal pregnancy. The microbiome in neonatal gastric liquid was similar, but not identical, to that in maternal amnionic fluid, as expected since fetuses swallow amnionic fluid in utero and their urine returns to the fluid under normal physiological conditions. Establishing a microbiome library from various samples formed only during pregnancy is crucial for understanding human development and identifying microbiome modifications in obstetrical complications.

Sensitive Fluorescence Analysis of Pregnancy Plasma Associated Protein A in Amniotic Fluid Based on the Plasma Superstructure Enhanced Carbon Polymer Dots

Early detection of serum pregnancy plasma associated protein A can provide guidance for diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-related diseases. However, the current immune-based analysis methods are complicated, time-consuming, low sensitivity and other problems. Therefore, based on the advantages of simple, rapid and sensitive nano-biosensor, we designed a highly sensitive fluorescent biosensor for monitoring PAPP-A in amniotic fluid of pregnant women. The signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity are further improved based on the principle of plasma enhanced fluorescence. The specific design scheme is to synthesise wavelength matching plasma superstructure Ag@Au and fluorescence based carbon polymer dots, and modify them with monoclonal antibody IgG and specific antibody, respectively. Sandwich plasma enhanced fluorescence structure is formed under the action of the target for PAPP-A specific sensitive detection. The linear response in the range of 1–50 μg/mL and the detection limit of 0.02 μg/mL were achieved. The sensor has also been successfully used for the accurate analysis of PAPP-A in amniotic fluid samples, which has certain practical application value.

Proteomics of ZIKV infected amniotic fluids of microcephalic fetuses reveals extracellular matrix and immune system dysregulation.

During pregnancy, the vertical transmission of the Zika virus (ZIKV) can cause some disorders in the fetus, called Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS). Several efforts have been made to understand the molecular mechanism of the CZS. However, the study of CZS pathogenesis through infected human samples is scarce. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to identify and understand the biological processes affected by CZS development. We analyzed by a shotgun proteomic approach the amniotic fluid of pregnant women infected with Zika carrying microcephalic (MC+ ) or non-microcephalic (Z+ ) fetuses compared to Zika negative controls (CTR). Several groups of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins were dysregulated in the Z+ and MC+ patients, triggering an opposite dysregulation. The down-regulation of the ECM proteins in the MC+ groups can be another factor that contributes to CZS. On the contrary, the Z+ group could be developing a neuroprotective response through ECM proteins up-regulation. The neutrophil degranulation process was disrupted in the Z+ and MC+ groups, where the MC+ groups showed a complex dysregulation. These results suggest that the microcephalic phenotypes are modulated by a down-regulation of the ECM and the impairment of the innate immune system processes.

Increased levels of IL-17A in serum and amniotic fluid of pregnant women with acute toxoplasmosis

This study detected and compared the levels of Il-17A, IFN-gamma and IL-10 in the amniotic fluid (AF) and serum of pregnant women with acute toxoplasmosis in southern Brazil. It also compared the serum levels of these mediators in pregnant women with acute or chronic toxoplasmosis and with uninfected women. The serological investigations of anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG from the 60 pregnant women were determined by chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay (CMIA). Twenty patients were uninfected, twenty were in the chronic phase and twenty were in the acute phase of toxoplasmosis. The 20 pregnant women in acute phase all agreed with amniocentesis. Serum and AF cytokines were evaluated by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The analyzed cytokines showed no significant difference in blood versus amniotic fluid levels of pregnant women in the acute toxoplasmosis. Furthermore, we observed that serum IL-17A was significantly higher in pregnant women in the acute phase of infection compared to pregnant women with chronic toxoplasmosis and seronegative pregnant women. T. gondii DNA was not amplified in any of the samples of amniotic fluid by the nested-PCR reaction. Serum IL-10 levels were also higher in negative pregnant women than in infected pregnant women. Our findings indicate the activation of an inflammatory response to infection by T. gondii and suggest that increased production of IL-17A may be a protective factor against infection of the fetus.

The course of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period in patients after ovarian apoplexy

The objective: to study the features of the course of pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period in women with a history of surgical treatment of ovarian apoplexy.Materials and methods. The study involved 62 women in labor (main group, n=62), who were operated on for ovarian apoplexy before pregnancy, and 60 patients in the control group (n=60), who did not have this pathology in the anamnesis. The average age of women was 26,1±2,3 years, the time interval from an episode of ovarian apoplexy to pregnancy was 5,44±2,7 years. Re-apoplexy was observed in 2 cases (3,22%).Results. The study found that the main complication in the first trimester of pregnancy was reproductive loss, mainly in the form of a stillborn pregnancy. In the early stages of gestation, the threat of abortion was 3 times more often observed in the main group than in the control group. In the second trimester draws attention to several facts of complications that are characteristic of patients in the main group: the widespread prevalence of acute or chronic infectious pathology in the acute stage (51,6% vs. 11,7% in the control group), the development of preeclampsia 2 times more often among pregnant women with ovarian apoplexy (38,7% vs. 20,0%), as well as mild anemia (40,3% vs. 21,6%).The results of the study indicate a high frequency of premature ejaculation of amniotic fluid in pregnant women with ovarian apoplexy (29,0% vs. 13,3%), rapid labor (16,1% vs. 1,7%), umbilical cord entanglement (33,9% vs. 15,0%), hypotonic bleeding in the early postpartum period (14,5% vs. 1,67%). The frequency of cesarean section did not differ significantly in both groups (p&gt;0,05). The assessment of newborns on the Apgar scale had no statistically significant differences.Conclusion. Pregnant women who have a history of surgical treatment of ovarian apoplexy are at risk for developing early miscarriage, complicated gestation, childbirth and the postpartum period. Analysis of the reproductive function of women in the study groups reflected the problems of gestation mainly in the early stages in the form of reproductive loss or symptoms of miscarriage, in the late stages of pregnancy complications were mainly due to extragenital pathology. The data obtained during the study in practice should contribute to the development of rehabilitation measures and pre-pregnancy training, which are aimed at restoring reproductive health and prevention of complications of pregnancy and childbirth in women at risk.

Overview of the Content of Bisphenol A in the Amniotic Fluid of Pregnant Women And Its Adverse Health Outcomes

Background: This review represents a critical and constructive analysis of literature in the content ofBisphenol A in amniotic fluid of pregnant women and its adverse health outcomes. The review is generatedthrough summary, classification, analysis and comparison of already existing material and researches onfield.Methods : Databases as Scopus, PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Global Health, were used to extractdata for the review. Search terms like “Bisphenol A”, “pregnancy”, “amniotic fluid”, “endocrine disruptors”were used. Out of 200 research articles screened, 70 most relevant studies are included in this review.Conclusions: This review highlights the correlation between Bisphenol A and its endocrine disruptingpotential, impacting especially fragile categories as pregnant women and their fetuses through itstoxicokinetic features and its metabolites. Thus, BPA distorts important physiological processes necessaryfor fetal development and disease progression later in life.We can conclude that human exposure to BPA, as one of the leading environmental contaminants, representsa major global issue and its adverse health outcomes can be debilitating for human health. Further researchon field considering BPA distribution, varying exposure rates, racial disparities, inter-species differences andEDCs cumulative effects, should be conducted. Finding safer alternatives for replacing BPA in market mustremain a priority.

Vaginal Lactoferrin Administration Decreases Oxidative Stress in the Amniotic Fluid of Pregnant Women: An Open-Label Randomized Pilot Study.

Background: Oxidative stress (OxS) has been linked to several pregnancy-related complications. Previous studies demonstrated that lactoferrin (LF) has the ability to modulate inflammation, OxS and the immune function. Therefore, we aimed to observe whether vaginal LF administration was able to decrease OxS in the amniotic fluid (AF) of pregnant women undergoing mid-trimester genetic amniocentesis.Methods: In this open-label clinical study, 60 pregnant women were divided into three groups: CONTROLS (n = 20), not treated with LF; LACTO 4HRS (n = 20), treated with LF 4 h prior to amniocentesis; LACTO 12HRS (n = 20), treated with LF 12 h prior to amniocentesis. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were measured in AF samples. In addition, the in vitro antioxidant activity of LF on a cell line was tested.Results: LF decreased the concentration of TBARS in the AF, with LACTO 4HRS demonstrating the lowest value compared with CONTROLS (P < 0.0001). LACTO 4HRS had higher TAS and lower OSI than CONTROLS (P < 0.0001 for both). In vitro, LF was effective against the oxidative challenge regardless of the time of pretreatment.Conclusion: In conclusion, LF decreased both in vivo and in vitro OxS. LF administration may represent an intriguing clinical solution as an adjuvant to treat complications of pregnancy related to inflammation and OxS.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02695563. Registered 01 March 2016—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT02695563.

Proteomic biomarkers in mid-trimester amniotic fluid associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We aimed to explore the proteomic profiles of mid-trimester amniotic fluid in pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) according to the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcome (APO). The study population included 35 pregnant women with SLE who underwent clinically indicated amniocentesis at 15–24 weeks of gestation. Patients were divided into two groups according to pregnancy outcomes: SLE patients without APO (Group 1) and SLE patients with APO (Group 2). Stored samples of amniotic fluid were analyzed using mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics with two-step approach, consisting of discovery and verification phase. In the discovery phase, 44 proteins were differentially expressed between Group 1 and Group 2. In the verification phase, differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were verified in independent samples using DIA method. Four proteins including filamin A (FLNA), sushi, von Willebrand factor type A, EGF and pentraxin domain containing 1 (SVEP1), lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), and transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) were differentially expressed both in discovery and verification phase. To select the best combination of proteins for discriminating two groups, three-fold cross validation (CV) with repetition of one hundred times was performed. The multi-marker model with three biomarkers (SVEP1, LCAT, TGM2) had a high discriminatory power to distinguish between the two groups (the area under the receiver operating characteristic, AUROC = 0.946, p <0.001). Our results indicate that the expression of FLNA, SVEP1, LCAT, and TGM2 in mid-trimester amniotic fluid was increased in SLE patients with APO (Group 2). A large-scale prospective study is warranted to verify this finding.

Učestalost transplacentarne transmisije Varicella-Zoster virusa nakon primarne infekcije trudnica

Introduction: Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) is a very important cause of perinatal infections. The greatest risk for perinatal infection is a primary infection during pregnancy with possible transplacental transmission of the virus and the onset of congenital varicella syndrome or neonatal varicella. Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of transplacental VZV transmission in pregnant women in our population. Material and Methods: The study included 50 samples of amniotic fluid of pregnant women with suspected fetal varicella or VZV vertical transmission. The presence of the virus was determined by the PCR method with primers for DNA VZV gene 71. The procedure involved the extraction of DNA, PCR and gel electrophoresis for visualization of specific PCR products. Results: The presence of VZV was demonstrated in 14% (7/50) of the amniotic fluid samples. Transmission of the virus was detected in all three trimesters of pregnancy. Statistical significance was not shown between the referral diagnosis, age of pregnant women and gestational age of the pregnancy and VZV positivity. Conclusion: The results of this study showed a low prevalence of VZV vertical transmission during the eight-year period, the lowest in the second trimester, and no statistical significance in accordance with diagnosis, gestational age, and VZV positivity. Screening is significant for VZV during the generative period of women. Those who are seronegative for VZV during pregnancy are at high risk for vertical transmission and are indicative for immunoglobulin therapy. If intrauterine infection is confirmed, adequate antiviral therapy is required.

Frequency of Prenatal Diagnosis of Chromosomal Abnormalities in Amniotic Fluid of Pregnant Women

Frequency of Prenatal Diagnosis of Chromosomal Abnormalities in Amniotic Fluid of Pregnant Women

Amniotic fluid levels of selected trace elements and heavy metals in pregnancies complicated with neural tube defects.

The aims of this study were to determine the levels of trace elements and heavy metals, namely aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), molybdenum (Mo), cadmium (Cd), tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb), in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women, and to investigate their relationship with neural tube defects (NTDs). The study included 36 pregnant women whose fetuses were complicated with NTDs (study group) and 39 pregnant women with unaffected healthy fetuses (control group), who were matched for body mass index and gestational weeks. The amniotic fluid levels of trace elements and heavy metals were measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and compared between the two groups. Significantly lower mean levels of Zn and Mo and significantly higher levels of Al, Sn, Sb, and Hg in the study group than in the healthy control group were observed, which implied that these elements are possibly correlated with risk factors for the occurrence of NTDs. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the levels of Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, and Pb between the groups (P ≥ .05).

Morfofunctional changes caused by viral agents associated with teratogenicity, inflammatory biomarcators and arboviroses

Introduction: In the second half of the 20th century, many anomalous effects and individuals were examined, arousing concern in the medical community at the time.The rubella syndrome in the 1930s showed that the placenta was not a barrier for all exogenous agents. In 2015 an increase in the prevalence of microcephaly cases has been reported in twenty times in Brazil, and this malformation is associated with the vertical transmission of the Zika virus (ZIKV) by the Ministry of Health. Based on these data, ZIKV-related microcephaly as well as other comorbidities associated with arboviruses have been discussed in several scientific events. Therefore, it is not yet known exactly how the ZIKV can cause microcephaly. To date, there are still controversial results on (1) the risk of spontaneous abortion and teratogenesis induced by treatment with intereferon (inflammatory biomarker) with the development of diseases caused by arbovirosis; (2) the profile of the inflammatory response to arvoviroses. Objectives: Evaluate inflammatory biomarkers and morphofunctional changes caused by viral agents associated with teratogenicity. Methods and Procedures: For the accomplishment of this scientific article, a bibliographical review was used consulting the information bases like SciELO, Pubmed, base LILACs, Periódicos CAPES and CNPq and Annals of Scientific Initiation and Research of the University of Ribeirão Preto. Results: Studies show that in the active phase of viral replication in pregnant women with positive serology for Zika virus, for example, increased IL-2, IL-4, IL-9, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17 and IFN -gamma. In contrast, IL-23 did not change at the same stage. The relationship between elevation of IL-4, IL-10, MCP-1, TNF-ALFA, TNF-beta and MCP-1 in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women correlated with Autistic Spectrum Disorder was also enhanced. As for the findings on biological materials from animals immunodeficiated with the Zika virus, was observed that the trophoblasts were able to reduce the replication of the viral agent and the transfer time in the placental barrier. Conclusions: Inflammatory biomarkers have a great relationship and potential for detection of teratogenic events. As for the blocking ability of viral replication, it is observed that placental precursor cells slow the transfer of the viral to the fetus, but does not prevent.

857: Proteomic biomarkers in mid-trimester amniotic fluid for adverse outcomes in pregnant women with SLE

Pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) due to abnormal placentation. Identifying patients destined for APO early in pregnancy would significantly improve their obstetric outcomes. We sought to identify potential proteomic biomarkers in mid-trimester amniotic fluid of pregnant women with SLE for the prediction of APOs. The study population included 35 pregnant women with SLE who underwent clinically indicated amniocentesis at 15-24 weeks of gestation. Patients were divided into two groups: 19 women with normal pregnancy outcome (Group 1=control group) and 16 women who developed APOs (Group 2=APO group). APO was defined as the development of at least one of the followings: preeclampsia, fetal death in utero, neonatal death before hospital discharge, indicated preterm birth <36 weeks, and small for gestational age (<5th percentile) at birth. Stored samples of amniotic fluids were analyzed using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. In a discovery phase, we analyzed 9 patients (4 in Group 1 and 5 in Group 2) with data-dependent acquisition (DDA) approach. In a verification phase, we analyzed the remained 26 patients (15 in Group 1 and 11 in Group 2) using data- independent acquisition (DIA) method. Hierarchical clustering was performed based on the Euclidean distance and the average linkage. In the discovery phase, 44 proteins were differentially expressed between Group 1 and Group 2. In a verification phase, differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were verified in independent samples using DIA method. Four proteins including FLNA (filamin A), SVEP1 (sushi, von Willebrand factor type A, EGF and pentraxin domain containing 1), LCAT (lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase), and TGM2 (transglutaminase 2) were differentially expressed both in discovery and verification phase. In order to select the best combination of proteins for predicting adverse outcomes, three-fold cross validation (CV) with repetition of 100 times was performed. The multi-marker model with 3 biomarkers (SVEP1, LCAT, TGM2) had a high discriminatory power to distinguish between the two groups (the area under the receiver operating characteristic, AUROC = 0.855, p<0.001). Our result indicates that increased expression of SVEP1, LCAT, and TGM2 in mid-trimester amniotic fluid may predict APOs in women with SLE. A large scale prospective study is warranted to verify this finding.

Relationship between pre-pregnancy body mass index and mineral concentrations in serum and amniotic fluid in pregnant women during labor

The aim of the study was to determine the correlations between body mass index (BMI) values before pregnancy and the concentrations of selected elements (Mg, Co, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Ba, Pb, U, Ca, Cr, Al, Mn, V, Fe) in blood serum and amniotic fluid (AF) in pregnant women. Elemental analysis of serum and amniotic fluid in 225 Polish women (Caucasian/white) showed a relationship between the concentration of minerals in the above-mentioned samples and the pre-pregnancy BMI. Analysis of blood serum was performed by using ICP-MS and it demonstrated that iron concentration was significantly lower in overweight and obese women. Being underweight in pregnant women was associated with a significantly lower concentration of magnesium and cobalt in the blood serum. Both underweight and overweight women were associated with significantly lower concentrations of calcium and strontium in the blood serum. The concentration of cobalt was significantly higher in underweight women. The concentration of lead in the blood serum of overweight and obese women was significantly higher than in other groups. Analysis of the AF showed that the concentration of copper was significantly lower in overweight and obese women, and the concentration of manganese and vanadium significantly higher than in other groups of women. A deficiency in essential minerals and an excess of heavy metals in women may be associated with abnormal body weight and this is important in the etiopathogenesis of pregnancy and fetal development disorders.

Amniotic fluid oxidant-antioxidant status in foetal congenital nervous system anomalies.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the oxidant–antioxidant status of amniotic fluid in pregnant women with foetal congenital malformations of the central nervous system.MethodsWe studied pregnant women with foetal congenital nervous system anomalies at 16–22 weeks’ gestation (n = 36). The control group (n = 30) consisted of pregnant women at the same gestational age who underwent amniocentesis, resulting in a normal karyotype. We analysed glutathione, catalase, and malondialdehyde levels in amniotic fluid. Enzyme activation was measured by spectrophotometry.ResultsThe demographic features of the groups were similar in terms of age, parity, body mass index, and gestational weeks. We detected lower glutathione and catalase levels in the foetal congenital anomaly group than in the control group. We detected higher malondialdehyde levels in the foetal congenital anomaly group than in the control group.ConclusionIn the organism, the rate of formation of free radicals and their rate of removal are balanced, and this is called oxidative balance. As long as oxidative stability is achieved, the organism is not affected by free radicals. This fact should be kept in mind to avoid any type of teratogenic agent that could lead to congenital disorders.

Oxidative stress biomarkers in amniotic fluid of pregnant women with hypothyroidism

Purpose Hypothyroidism in pregnancy is the serious state that may lead to fetal morbidity and mortality. Oxidative stress biomarkers in the amniotic fluid can provide important information on the health, development and maturation of the fetus during pregnancy. In this study, we examined whether maternal hypothyroidism contributes to increased oxidative stress biomarkers in the amniotic fluid during the first trimester of pregnancy. Materials and methods The study was conducted on healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with hypothyroidism (gestational age: 16–18 weeks). Oxidative stress biomarkers, such as superoxide anion (O2 •−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), nitric oxide (NO), peroxynitrite (ONOO−), lipid peroxide (LPO), reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were assayed in the amniotic fluid. Results The results of this study indicated that concentrations of O2 •− and NO are significantly higher, while the concentration of H2O2 is significantly lower in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women with hypothyroidism in comparison to healthy pregnant women. There were no differences in concentrations of LPO, GSH and GSSG among tested groups. Also, we found that amniotic fluid concentration of O2 •− is negatively correlated with the body weight and Apgar score values of the newborns. Conclusion These results suggest that pregnancy hypothyroidism is characterized by the amniotic fluid oxidative stress. Incorporation of the oxidative stress biomarkers measurement in the amniotic fluid may be of clinical importance in the management of pregnancy hypothyroidism.

Diagnostic value of CA 19-9 in pregnancies complicated by spinal neural tube defects: a preliminary study.

Various physiological and pathological conditions can induce significant variations in plasma concentrations of tumor markers, such as CA 19-9, which is present in the serum and amniotic fluid of pregnant women. Herein, we aimed to determine the clinical importance of maternal serum CA 19-9 levels in the diagnosis of neural tube defects (NTDs). A total of 100 women were included in this controlled cross-sectional study. Thirty-three patients whose pregnancies were complicated by isolated meningocele or meningomyelocele constituted the study group, whereas 33 normal, healthy pregnant women constituted the control group, and 34 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched non-pregnant women were chosen for the validation group. The mean maternal serum CA 19-9 levels were 17.2 ± 17.0 IU/mL, 7.1 ± 5.9 IU/mL, and 4.7 ± 3.6 IU/mL in the study, control, and validation groups, respectively (p < 0.001). ROC analyses showed that elevated CA 19-9 values may predict NTDs (p < 0.001). The cut-off value for CA 19-9 was found to be 9.6 IU/mL at 70% (51%-84%, 95% CI) sensitivity and 84% (74%-92%, 95% CI) specificity. CA 19-9 may be a promising noninvasive marker for NTDs. Further studies are needed to reveal the clinical applicability and diagnostic potential of maternal serum CA 19-9 levels in the identification of NTDs.