scholarly journals The amniotic fluid proteome changes with gestational age in normal pregnancy: a cross-sectional study

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaurav Bhatti ◽  
Roberto Romero ◽  
Nardhy Gomez-Lopez ◽  
Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa ◽  
Eunjung Jung ◽  
...  

AbstractThe cell-free transcriptome in amniotic fluid (AF) has been shown to be informative of physiologic and pathologic processes in pregnancy; however, the change in AF proteome with gestational age has mostly been studied by targeted approaches. The objective of this study was to describe the gestational age-dependent changes in the AF proteome during normal pregnancy by using an omics platform. The abundance of 1310 proteins was measured on a high-throughput aptamer-based proteomics platform in AF samples collected from women during midtrimester (16–24 weeks of gestation, n = 15) and at term without labor (37–42 weeks of gestation, n = 13). Only pregnancies without obstetrical complications were included in the study. Almost 25% (320) of AF proteins significantly changed in abundance between the midtrimester and term gestation. Of these, 154 (48.1%) proteins increased, and 166 (51.9%) decreased in abundance at term compared to midtrimester. Tissue-specific signatures of the trachea, salivary glands, brain regions, and immune system were increased while those of the gestational tissues (uterus, placenta, and ovary), cardiac myocytes, and fetal liver were decreased at term compared to midtrimester. The changes in AF protein abundance were correlated with those previously reported in the cell-free AF transcriptome. Intersecting gestational age-modulated AF proteins and their corresponding mRNAs previously reported in the maternal blood identified neutrophil-related protein/mRNA pairs that were modulated in the same direction. The first study to utilize an aptamer-based assay to profile the AF proteome modulation with gestational age, it reveals that almost one-quarter of the proteins are modulated as gestation advances, which is more than twice the fraction of altered plasma proteins (~ 10%). The results reported herein have implications for future studies focused on discovering biomarkers to predict, monitor, and diagnose obstetrical diseases.

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Chijioke Okeudo ◽  
B.U. Ezem

Background: The amniotic fluid is fundamental for proper fetal development and growth. Ultrasound visualization of the amniotic fluid permits both subjective and objective estimates of the amniotic fluid. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the reference values of normal single deepest pocket (SDP) – upper and lower limits, mean SDP and variation of the SDP with gestational age among Igbo women of South-Eastern Nigeria extraction carrying uncomplicated singleton pregnancy. Methodology: This was a prospective cross sectional study involving 400 women carrying uncomplicated singleton pregnancies and who were sure of the date of the first day of their last menstrual period. The single deepest pocket / maximum vertical pool were determined once at presentation at the hospital.. The study was conducted from January 1st to December 31st 2015. The second author carried out all the scanning. The SDP was obtained. Results: The womens’ mean and median ages were the same at 28 years. The gestational age range of the pregnancies was 14-41 weeks. The mean SDP was 5.8cm, while the 5th and 95th percentiles were 3.3cm and 8.5cm respectively. There was no difference in the mean SDP in both term and preterm. There was irregular but continuous rise of mean SDP to a peak of 6.8cm at gestational age of 39 weeks. In conclusion, the participants had a mean SDP of 5.8cm. There was also a positive correlation between SDP and Gestational age. We therefore recommend a longitudinal study to assess perinatal outcome and abnormal amniotic fluid volume among Igbo women of South-Eastern Nigeria. Key words: Single Deepest Pocket, Uncomplicated Singleton Pregnancy, Igbo Women.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Bushra ◽  
Khaula Zeeshan ◽  
Sara Ejaz ◽  
Javeria Mushtaq ◽  
Khadija Waheed ◽  
...  

AbstractThe increased risk of caesarean section after induced labour is well documented. Rate of induction of labour has doubled in the past decade from 10 to 20%. Low Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI) as an isolated finding leads to increased obstetrical interventions but without any improvement in outcome.Objectives:  To determine the frequency of caesarean section due to failed induction in pregnancies at term with borderline AFI.Patients and Methods:  This cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Unit-III, SIMS/Services Hospital, Lahore. The duration of study was one year from January, 2015 to December, 2015. A total of 150 patients were included in this study. AFI was measured by recent obstetric ultrasound. All patients with borderline AFI (5 – 8 cm) were included in the study. They were induced by glandin E2 gel. If induction of patients failed with two doses of glandin E2 gel, given vaginally 6 hours apart, patients were considered for cesarean section. The outcome measure was rate of caesarean section due to failed induction. All data were analyzed by SPSS version 20.Results:  Mean age of the patients was 30.34 ± 6.68 years. Mean gestational age was noted 38.34 ± 1.05 weeks. Out of 150 patients, 103 (68.7%) were para 1 – 3 and 47 patients (31.3%) were para 4 – 6. Caesarean section due to failed induction with borderline AFI was performed in 27 patients (18.0%). Stratification with regard to age, gestational age and parity was carried out and was found significant only for gestational age being > 39 weeks.Conclusion:  It is concluded that failed induction of labour at term in women with borderline AFI is not associated with increased risk of caesarean delivery.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-65
Author(s):  
Junu Shrestha ◽  
Rami Shrestha ◽  
Sonam Gurung

Background: Stillbirth contributes significantly to perinatal mortality. This study was conducted with aim to determine various factors associated with it and to define the causes of stillbirth according to relevant condition at birth.Materials and Methods :This is prospective cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Manipal Teaching Hospital from July 2015 to June 2017. All cases of stillbirth occurring during antenatal or intrapartum period after 28 weeks of gestation or fetus weighing 1000 grams or more were included. Detailed demographic parameters were noted. After delivery, fetus, placenta, umbilical cord and amniotic fluid were noted in detail. Data was entered in SPSS version 16 and analysis done.Results: The stillbirth rate was 22 per 1000 births. Low educational level of women, lack of antenatal care, multiparous status, gestational age less than 34 weeks, low birth weight and male gender of fetus were found to be significantly associated with stillbirths. The cause of fetal death could be identified according to relevant condition at death in 84% of cases. Only in 16%, the cause of stillbirth was not identified. Intrauterine growth restriction was the commonest cause of stillbirth (22%), followed by congenital anomalies (15%) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (14%). Other causes were abruptio (7%), intrapartum asphyxia (7%) and rupture uterus (5%). Other minor causes were anemia, diabetes, cord prolapse and amniotic fluid abnormalities.Conclusion :Low level of education, lack of quality antenatal care, multiparity, low gestational age and birth weight and male sex of fetus were factors associated with stillbirth. The cause of stillbirth was identified in most of the cases and largely was due to intrauterine growth restriction.Journal of Nobel Medical CollegeVolume 6, Number 2, Issue 11, July-December 2017, 58-65


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaofang Jia ◽  
Masahiro Tagawa ◽  
Hiroshi Yatsuya ◽  
Hisao Naito ◽  
Yumi Hayashi ◽  
...  

AbstractTo investigate selected fatty acid (FA) profiles in maternal whole blood during normal pregnancy and to evaluate their associations with term birth dimensions.We characterized nine major maternal blood FAs representing four FA families during the second and third trimester of pregnancy, and explored their associations with birth weight, length, and chest or head circumferences by multivariate regression models, using data from 318 mother-newborn pairs of the Hokkaido Study.The absolute and/or relative contents of maternal blood docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid were lowest at 35–41 gestational weeks during pregnancy, as was the essential FA status index. Different from palmitic and stearic acids, palmitoleic and oleic acid contents were higher at 35–41 gestational weeks than those at 23–31 gestational weeks. Three FA components were identified through principal component analysis, and were used in association analysis. Component 3, which was positively and significantly loaded by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), was associated with chest circumference [β=0.281, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.006, 0.556] at 35–41 gestational weeks (P=0.046). No significant associations were observed for Component 1 and 2 loaded by FAs except EPA.Maternal blood EPA content may have an important influence on infant chest circumference.


Author(s):  
Syed Amar Gilani ◽  
Iqra Manzoor

ABSTRACT Objective To ascertain that acrania can lead to anencephaly Materials and methods We commenced a cross-sectional study for a period of 41 months from 2013 to 2017. During routine ultrasound examination, we observed multiple cases of acrania in second trimester and third trimester. We followed 26 cases who failed to terminate their pregnancies and visited for reexamination. Changes in the brain matter, amniotic fluid volume, and echogenicity of the acrania fetuses were recorded and compared with the previous examination. Development of anencephaly was correlated with maternal age and advancement of gestational age. All the patients were examined transabdominally according to the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) guidelines for obstetrical ultrasound. Data were collected from the previous report and recent examination, by evaluating data with the help of IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 package, and the results were summarized. Results Pregnant women with diagnosed acrania fetus visited second time with a lapse of more than 4 weeks and were enrolled with mean age 25.73 ± 8.80. We observed 4 (15.4%) acrania patients developed into anencephaly. Development of anencephaly was observed to be correlated with the advancement of gestational age. It was observed that acrania is more common in below 20 and above 30 age groups. Haziness of amniotic fluid is also observed to be related with acrania. Conclusion Anencephaly could be caused by multiple factors but acrania can lead to anencephaly with continuous exposure of brain matter and meninges to mechanical trauma and chemical activities of the amniotic fluid. Clinical significance To test the hypothesis of acrania to anencephaly and make a roadmap for upcoming researches on association of acrania with physical, environmental, and genetical factors. How to cite this article Bacha R, Gilani SA, Manzoor I. Sonographic Transformation of Acrania to Anencephaly. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2017;11(3):189-196.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 13-18
Author(s):  
Umesh Prasad Khanal ◽  
Sharma Paudel ◽  
Benu Lohani

Introduction: Routine ultrasonography in pregnancy has the role in identifying the position, parenchyma echo pattern, variability of thickness of placenta which is associated with increased perinatal risk to both the foetus and mother. This study was carried out to establish the value of placental thickness measurement during normal pregnancy as a reliable parameter for estimating gestational age of the foetus.Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study done in the Department of Radiology and Imaging at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital from September 2004 to April 2005. Total 350 normal pregnant women of more than 15 weeks of gestation were included. Ultrasonographic measurement of placental thickness and fetal biometric measurements were obtained. Correlation coefficient tests were performed between the gestational age in weeks and placental thickness using Karl Pearson formula in SPSS 10 package.Results: Mean placental thickness measured at the cord insertion site increased from 15.28 mm at 15 weeks of gestational age to 39.57 mm at 39 weeks of gestational age correlated almost exact with a standard mean of deviation of ± 1.8 mm (r >0.851, p <0.001).Conclusion: Ultrasonographic measurement of placental thickness during normal pregnancy can predict the gestational age of the fetus with high confidence level and can be included as one of the biometric measurements of foetus to estimate its gestational age.


2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (205) ◽  
pp. 124-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pratit Pokharel ◽  
Mukhtar Alam Ansari

Introduction: The ductus venosus is a small funnel shaped vessel found posterior to the fetal liver connecting the intra-abdominal umbilical vein and the inferior vena cava. It is one of the three physiological shunts in the fetus. The main objective of this study is to construct the reference table and normogram for fetal ductus venosus Pulsatility Index and diameter with gestational age. Methods: This was a prospective cross sectional study conducted during August 2011 to July 2012 taking 294 uncomplicated pregnancies using systemic random sampling method. Three measurements were made for ductus venosus diameter and Pulsatility Index in each fetus during period of fetal quiescence. Results: The ductus venosus diameter at <20weeks, 20-25 weeks, 25-30 weeks, >30 weeks were 1.16, 1.31, 1.62, 1.81 and Pulsatility Index at <20weeks, 20-25 weeks, 25-30 weeks, >30 weeks were 0.41, 0.44, 0.41 and 0.41 respectively. Conclusions: The mean diameter of the ductus venosus was linear across gestational age. The Pulsatility Index shows a scattered distribution across the gestational age. Keywords: ductus venosus diameter; gestational age; Pulsatility Index.


Author(s):  
Kadek Pramarta

Objective: To determine the difference of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in threatened miscarriages and normal pregnancy. Method: This is an analytic cross sectional study with 42 samples divided into two groups. Group 1 consists of 21 cases of threatened miscarriages with < 20 gestational age and group 2 is divided into 21 normal pregnancies of < 20 weeks gestational age. We took 3 cc of blood samples from the cubiti veins and mixed it with EDTA. Its GPx quantities were than examined at the Pathology Lab at Sanglah General Hospital. Data was then analyzed using the Shapiro Wilk Test and the independent t-test with p < 0.05. Result: From this research, we obtained the mean GPx levels on the threatened miscarriages was 49.92 ± 14.17 U/g Hb lower than the mean of normal pregnancy levels, which was 88.94 ± 30.11 U/g Hb. Conclusion: The quantities of GPx between threatened miscarriages and normal pregnancies are statistically different, in which the quantity of GPx in threatened miscarriages is lower compared to normal pregnancy. [Indones J Obstet Gynecol 2012; 36-3: 112-5] Keywords: GPx, normal pregnancy, threatened miscarriages


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1685-1687
Author(s):  
Humaira Ashraf ◽  
Mehreen Yousaf Rana ◽  
Afra Rehman ◽  
Anila Mahmood

Objective: To determine frequency of neonatal hypoglycemia, in maternal hyperglycemia Subject and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted at department of Pathology with collaboration of gynae and OBS department of PNS SHIFA Karachi. Study duration was six months from March 2015 to August 2015. All pregnant women who reported at antenatal clinics of PNS SHIFA Hospital and diagnosed as the cases of hyperglycinemia were included in the study. Maternal blood glucose testing was done according to WHO guidelines i.e. fasting sample, ingestion of 75 g glucose, 01 h and 02 h sample for plasma glucose estimation. Neonatal blood glucose was checked immediately after birth by glucometer. All the data was collected via study proforma. Results: A total of 157 pregnant women were studied their average age was 28.20±4.67 years. Caesarean section was done in 62.4% cases and 58.6% babies were males. Neonatal hypoglycemia was observed among 24.8% of the cases. Neonatal hypoglycemia was statistically significant according to gestational age (p- 0.012), while statistically insignificant according to parity (p-0.184). Conclusion: As per study conclusion, the neonatal hypoglycemia was observed to be highly prevalent among neonates of diabetic mothers as 24.8%. It was found to be statistically significant according to gestational age. Keywords: Gestational diabetes mellitus, Neonates, Hypoglycemia


2011 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. BMI.S6150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdolreza Sotoodeh Jahromi ◽  
Parvin Zareian ◽  
Abdolhossein Madani

Overview The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) in insulin resistance (IR) during normal pregnancy. Approach This cross sectional study was carried out on 86 healthy pregnant women including 26, 23 and 37 individuals in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters, respectively, and in 21 healthy non pregnant women. Serum TNF-α concentration was measured by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. Results There were significant differences between serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels in pregnant women as compared with maternal healthy controls. There was significant correlation between gestational age and Body Mass Index (BMI) (r = 0.28, P = 0.01). There was no significant correlation between gestational age and insulin resistance (IR). We also did not find correlations between IR and TNF-α and IR and IL-6 in pregnant women. Conclusion In conclusion, our findings suggest that TNF-α and IL-6 are not greatly contributed to pregnancy induced insulin resistance in normal pregnancy.


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