Antenatal Infections and Respiratory Outcome in Preterm Infants

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (S 02) ◽  
pp. S39-S41
Author(s):  
Eduardo Bancalari

Fetal exposure to infection and inflammation can result in accelerated lung maturation and simultaneously altered lung development. This alteration is characterized by reduced alveolar and vascular formation that is one of the hallmarks of the changes observed in animal models and in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). These opposite effects on maturation and on lung development can explain the reduced severity of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) but increased incidence of BPD observed in infants exposed to antenatal infections. This also explains why infants born to mothers with chorioamnionitis or colonized with ureaplasma urealitycum have an increased risk of lung injury and BPD. Despite the negative effects of infection on lung development, there is no clear evidence that antibiotic therapy improves the respiratory course in these infants. While the administration of azithromycin to ureaplasma colonized infants is effective in eradicating airway colonization, the effect on BPD is inconclusive. One of the few interventions that have been shown to improve respiratory outcome and reduce BPD in infants with severe RDS is the modulation of inflammation by the administration of systemic or intratracheal steroids early after birth. Key Points

2015 ◽  
Vol 308 (7) ◽  
pp. L587-L602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sine Lykkedegn ◽  
Grith Lykke Sorensen ◽  
Signe Sparre Beck-Nielsen ◽  
Henrik Thybo Christesen

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) are major complications to preterm birth. Hypovitaminosis D is prevalent in pregnancy. We systematically reviewed the evidence of the impact of vitamin D on lung development, surfactant synthesis, RDS, and BPD searching PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases with the terms vitamin D AND (surfactant OR lung maturation OR lung development OR respiratory distress syndrome OR fetal lung OR prematurity OR bronchopulmonary dysplasia). Three human studies, ten animal studies, two laboratory studies, and one combined animal and laboratory study were included. Human evidence was sparse, allowing no conclusions. BPD was not associated with vitamin D receptor polymorphism in a fully adjusted analysis. Animal and laboratory studies showed substantial positive effects of vitamin D on the alveolar type II cell, fibroblast proliferation, surfactant synthesis, and alveolarization. These data support the hypothesis of hypovitaminosis D as a frequent, modifiable risk factor of RDS and BPD, which should be tested in randomized controlled trials on pregnant women, those with threatening preterm delivery, or in the preterm neonates. Future experimental and human studies should aim to identify optimal time windows, vitamin D doses, and cut-off levels for 25-hydroxyvitamin D in interventions against RDS, BPD, and later adverse respiratory outcomes.


1996 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 2517-2522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Machiko Ikegami ◽  
Celso M. Rebello ◽  
Alan H. Jobe

Ikegami, Machiko, Celso M. Rebello, and Alan H. Jobe.Surfactant inhibition by plasma: gestational age and surfactant treatment effects in preterm lambs. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(6): 2517–2522, 1996.—The preterm infant with respiratory distress syndrome has edematous lungs and small amounts of surfactant that do not function normally. We reported that surfactant recovered from preterm lambs after surfactant treatment can have decreased sensitivity to inhibition of surface tension by plasma. We asked whether this augmented resistance to inhibition was dependent on lung development (gestational age) by testing sensitivity to plasma inhibition of 1) endogenous surfactant from preterm lambs and 2) surfactant from preterm lambs after treatment with an organic solvent-extracted natural sheep surfactant. Surfactant recovered after surfactant treatment of 121- or 128-days-gestation lambs had the same sensitivity to plasma inhibition as did the surfactant used to treat the lambs. Surfactant recovered from 134-days-gestation lambs had decreased sensitivity to inhibition. Lung maturation is a variable influencing surfactant inhibition by plasma.


2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 541-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Lopriore ◽  
Carolien Sluimers ◽  
Suzanne A. Pasman ◽  
Johanna M. Middeldorp ◽  
Dick Oepkes ◽  
...  

Fetal growth restriction in singletons has been shown to enhance fetal lung maturation and reduce the risk of respiratory distress syndrome due to increased endogenous steroid production. However, data on lung maturation in growth-discordant monochorionic (thus, identical) twins are lacking. Our objective was to compare the risk of severe neonatal morbidity between the larger and the smaller twin in monochorionic twins with birth weight discordance (BWD). We included in the study all consecutive monochorionic diamniotic pregnancies with severe BWD (≥25%) and two live-born twins delivered at our center (n = 47 twin pairs). We compared the incidence of neonatal morbidity, particularly respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and cerebral lesions between the larger and the smaller co-twin. The incidence of severe neonatal morbidity in the larger and smaller twin was 38% (18/47) and 19% (9/47), respectively (odds ratio (OR) 2.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94–7.44) and was due primarily to the higher incidence of RDS, 32% (15/47) and 6% (3/47), respectively (OR 6.88, 95% CI 1.66–32.83). In conclusion, this study shows that the larger twin in monochorionic twin pairs with BWD is at increased risk of severe neonatal morbidity, particularly RDS, compared to the smaller twin.


Author(s):  
M.R. Richter ◽  
R.V. Blystone

Dexamethasone and other synthetic analogs of corticosteroids have been employed clinically as enhancers of lung development. The mechanism(s) by which this steroid induction of later lung maturation operates is not clear. This study reports the effect on lung epithelia of dexamethasone administered at different intervals during development. White Leghorn chick embryos were used so as to remove possible maternal and placental influences on the exogenously applied steroid. Avian lung architecture does vary from mammals; however, respiratory surfactant produced by the lung epithelia serves an equally critical role in avian lung physiology.


2019 ◽  
pp. 50-54
Author(s):  
V.O. Golyanovskiy ◽  
◽  
Ye.O. Didyk ◽  

Pregnant women with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) have an increased risk of adverse perinatal and long-term complications compared with the birth of children with normal body weight. Thus, IUGR is one of the main challenges for the global health system, especially in poor and developing countries. Morpho-functional studies of the placentas help in determining the causes of IUGR, and therefore, timely prevent complications in pregnant women with IUGR. The objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate various morphometric and pathomorphological changes in the placenta, including inflammatory, in cases of IUGR, and to establish a correlation of these results with the etiology and complications for the fetus. Materials and methods. In the current study, 54 placentas of the fetuses with IUGR (the main group) were compared with 50 placentas of the fetuses with normal development (control group). The criteria for the inclusion of IUGR were gestational age more than 30 weeks and all fetuses with a weight less than 10th percentile for this period of pregnancy. The placenta material was studied pathomorphologically with laboratory screening for infection and inflammation. Similarly, the results were determined for placentas of the fetuses with normal development compared to placentas with IUGR. Results. The placenta study showed the presence of calcification in the case of IUGR, as well as in the case of prolonged pregnancy. However, calcification of the placenta in the case of IUGR was more progressive compared with placenta in the normal pregnancy. In addition, the presence of intrauterine infection and inflammation was observed, which could also lead to an adverse outcome for the further progression of pregnancy with IUGR. Conclusion. A comparative macro- and microscopic pathomorphological study of the placentas in the two groups has shown a significant increase in the pathological changes in all the anatomical structures of the fetuses with IUGR. Key words: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), fetal weight, pathomorphological changes of the placenta.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Triantafyllos Didangelos ◽  
Konstantinos Kantartzis

The cardiac effects of exogenously administered insulin for the treatment of diabetes (DM) have recently attracted much attention. In particular, it has been questioned whether insulin is the appropriate treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure. While several old and some new studies suggested that insulin treatment has beneficial effects on the heart, recent observational studies indicate associations of insulin treatment with an increased risk of developing or worsening of pre-existing heart failure and higher mortality rates. However, there is actually little evidence that the associations of insulin administration with any adverse outcomes are causal. On the other hand, insulin clearly causes weight gain and may also cause serious episodes of hypoglycemia. Moreover, excess of insulin (hyperinsulinemia), as often seen with the use of injected insulin, seems to predispose to inflammation, hypertension, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Nevertheless, it should be stressed that most of the data concerning the effects of insulin on cardiac function derive from in vitro studies with isolated animal hearts. Therefore, the relevance of the findings of such studies for humans should be considered with caution. In the present review, we summarize the existing data about the potential positive and negative effects of insulin on the heart and attempt to answer the question whether any adverse effects of insulin or the consequences of hyperglycemia are more important and may provide a better explanation of the close association of DM with heart failure.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088506662110190
Author(s):  
Saminder Singh Kalra ◽  
Johnny Jaber ◽  
Bashar N. Alzghoul ◽  
Ryan Hyde ◽  
Sarina Parikh ◽  
...  

Background: Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are highly susceptible to developing delirium for a multitude of reasons. Previous studies have linked pre-existing depression with an increased risk of postoperative delirium in patients undergoing cardiac and non-cardiac surgery. However, the evidence regarding the association between pre-existing psychiatric illnesses and delirium in ARDS patients is unknown. In this study, we aim to determine the relationship between pre-existing psychiatric illness and the risk of development of delirium amongst ARDS patients. Study Design and Methods: We performed a retrospective study of a mixed group of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) between January 2016 and December 2019 with a diagnosis of ARDS per the Berlin definition. The study group was divided into 2 cohorts: subjects with delirium and subjects without delirium. Comparison between the 2 groups was conducted to examine the impact of pre-existing psychiatric illnesses including major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed adjusting for benzodiazepine use, sedatives, analgesics, sequential organ failure assessment score, and corticosteroid use to determine the association between pre-existing psychiatric disorders and delirium. Results: 286 patients with ARDS were identified; 124 (43%) of whom were diagnosed with ICU delirium. In patients diagnosed with ICU delirium, 49.2% were found to have preexisting psychiatric illnesses, compared to 34.0% without any preexisting psychiatric illness (OR = 1.94, P = 0.01). In a subgroup analysis of individual psychiatric illnesses, GAD and MDD were associated with the development of delirium (OR = 1.88, P = 0.04 and OR = 1.76, P = 0.05 respectively). Interpretation: ARDS patients with preexisting psychiatric illnesses, particularly GAD and MDD are associated with an increased risk of developing ICU delirium. Clinicians should be aware of the effect of psychiatric co-morbidities on developing delirium in critically ill patients.


Author(s):  
Erin V. McGillick ◽  
Sandra Orgeig ◽  
Beth J. Allison ◽  
Kirsty L. Brain ◽  
Youguo Niu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In the fetus, the appropriate balance of prooxidants and antioxidants is essential to negate the detrimental effects of oxidative stress on lung maturation. Antioxidants improve respiratory function in postnatal life and adulthood. However, the outcomes and biological mechanisms of antioxidant action in the fetal lung are unknown. Methods We investigated the effect of maternal daily vitamin C treatment (200 mg/kg, intravenously) for a month in late gestation (105–138 days gestation, term ~145 days) on molecular regulation of fetal lung maturation in sheep. Expression of genes and proteins regulating lung development was quantified in fetal lung tissue. The number of surfactant-producing cells was determined by immunohistochemistry. Results Maternal vitamin C treatment increased fetal lung gene expression of the antioxidant enzyme SOD-1, hypoxia signaling genes (HIF-2α, HIF-3α, ADM, and EGLN-3), genes regulating sodium movement (SCNN1-A, SCNN1-B, ATP1-A1, and ATP1-B1), surfactant maturation (SFTP-B and ABCA3), and airway remodeling (ELN). There was no effect of maternal vitamin C treatment on the expression of protein markers evaluated or on the number of surfactant protein-producing cells in fetal lung tissue. Conclusions Maternal vitamin C treatment in the last third of pregnancy in sheep acts at the molecular level to increase the expression of genes that are important for fetal lung maturation in a healthy pregnancy. Impact Maternal daily vitamin C treatment for a month in late gestation in sheep increases the expression of gene-regulating pathways that are essential for normal fetal lung development. Following late gestation vitamin C exposure in a healthy pregnancy, an increase in lung gene but not protein expression may act as a mechanism to aid in the preparation for exposure to the air-breathing environment after birth. In the future, the availability/development of compounds with greater antioxidant properties than vitamin C or more specific targets at the site of oxidative stress in vivo may translate clinically to improve respiratory outcomes in complicated pregnancies at birth.


2002 ◽  
Vol 282 (3) ◽  
pp. L477-L483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cédric Luyet ◽  
Peter H. Burri ◽  
Johannes C. Schittny

Prematurely born babies are often treated with glucocorticoids. We studied the consequences of an early postnatal and short dexamethasone treatment (0.1–0.01 μg/g, days 1–4) on lung development in rats, focusing on its influence on peaks of cell proliferation around day 4 and of programmed cell death at days 19–21. By morphological criteria, we observed a dexamethasone-induced premature maturation of the septa ( day 4), followed by a transient septal immatureness and delayed alveolarization leading to complete rescue of the structural changes. The numbers of proliferating (anti-Ki67) and dying cells (TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling) were determined and compared with controls. In dexamethasone-treated animals, both the peak of cell proliferation and the peak of programmed cell death were reduced to baseline, whereas the expression of tissue transglutaminase (transglutaminase-C), another marker for postnatal lung maturation, was not significantly altered. We hypothesize that a short neonatal course of dexamethasone leads to severe but transient structural changes of the lung parenchyma and influences the balance between cell proliferation and cell death even in later stages of lung maturation.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (7) ◽  
pp. 1316-1324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret L. Green ◽  
Wendy M. Leisenring ◽  
Hu Xie ◽  
Roland B. Walter ◽  
Marco Mielcarek ◽  
...  

Key Points CMV reactivation after HCT is associated with a reduced risk of early relapse in patients with AML but not other disease groups. The benefit, however, is offset by an increased risk of nonrelapse mortality.


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