Isolated thrombocytopenia in pregnancy: A monocentric retrospective study of 63 pregnancies in 59 women.

Thrombocytopenia during pregnancy is often thought to be associated with severe bleeding manifestations. Three are the main disorders associated with this condition: gestational thrombocytopenia (GT), immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), and inherited thrombocytopenias (ITs). Reaching the correct diagnosis of this condition has relevant therapeutic and outcome implications.

Relationship between maternal obesity and first-trimester TSH in women with negative anti-TPO antibodies.

Objective: Obesity is associated with increased thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in non-pregnant subjects, but this phenomenon has not been fully characterized during pregnancy. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of BMI on first-trimester TSH in a wide cohort of pregnant women with negative anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies (AbTPO) and its implications on uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI), a marker of early placentation.

Methods: The study included 2268 AbTPO-negative pregnant women at their first antenatal visit.

Placental pathologic features in obesity.

Introduction: Obesity in pregnancy is associated with adverse long-term consequences both in the mother and in offspring. Maternal obesity induces a metabolic-inflammatory state that could impact on placental function and could mediate the adverse outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare the major placental histological characteristics of non-diabetic obese women to lean controls, focusing on uncomplicated pregnancies.

M100 ExaData: a data collection campaign on the CINECA's Marconi100 Tier-0 supercomputer.

Supercomputers are the most powerful computing machines available to society. They play a central role in economic, industrial, and societal development. While they are used by scientists, engineers, decision-makers, and data-analyst to computationally solve complex problems, supercomputers and their hosting datacenters are themselves complex power-hungry systems.

A first-trimester serum TSH in the 4-10 mIU/L range is associated with obstetric complications in thyroid peroxidase antibody-negative women.

Purpose: The impact of mild subclinical hypothyroidism on pregnancy outcomes in TPOAb-negative women is poorly explored. The aim of the present study was the evaluation in a wide cohort of TPOAb-negative pregnant women the role of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) on several pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: The study included women aged ≥ 18 years with a singleton pregnancy without known thyroid disease with serum TSH concentration between 0.

Impact of pregnancy on progression of preclinical autoimmune disorders: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of pregnancies in the progression from the preclinical phase of autoimmune disorder to a definite rheumatic disease.

Methods: A cohort study of women with symptoms and laboratory findings suggestive for autoimmune disorder were enrolled during the first trimester of pregnancy and followed-up for 5 years with clinical and laboratory assessment. Multinomial logistic regression was used to compute the risk of progression to definite autoimmune disease correcting for confounders.

Placental pathologic features in thyroid autoimmunity.

Introduction: Data on placental pathologic features associated with thyreoperoxidase antibodies (TPO Ab) and/or hypothyroidism are limited. The objective of the study was to analyze placental pathologic features of women with TPO Ab positivity.

Methods: Prospective case-control observational study of pregnancy outcome among women screened for TPO Ab positivity and/or isolated hypothyroidism (TSH>4mU/L) during the first trimester of pregnancy.

The impact of various entities of antiphospholipid antibodies positivity on adverse pregnancy outcome. An epidemiological perspective.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the rate of obstetric complications and the burden of obstetric outcomes in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), non-criteria APS and asymptomatic antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) carriers. From 2013-2018, 163 pregnant subjects with aPL antibodies and 785 controls were enrolled. Penalized logistic regression was used to compare obstetric complications.

Role of placental inflammatory mediators and growth factors in patients with rheumatic diseases with a focus on systemic sclerosis.

Objectives: Pregnancy in SSc is burdened with an increased risk of obstetric complications. Little is known about the underlying placental alterations. This study aimed to better understand pathological changes and the role of inflammation in SSc placentas.

Endothelial Progenitor Cell CD34 and CD133 Concentrations and Soluble HLA-G Concentrations During Pregnancy and in Cord Blood in Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases Compared to Controls.

The objective of this study is to evaluate endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) CD34 CD133 and CD34 CD133 and soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) concentrations among undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) subjects, compared to controls, during pregnancy and in cord blood. This is a case-control study including 29 controls and 29 UCTDs. CD34 CD133, CD34 CD133, and sHLA-G concentrations were detected in maternal plasma and in cord blood.

Maternal and foetal placental vascular malperfusion in pregnancies with anti-phospholipid antibodies.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the rates of pathological placental lesions among pregnant subjects positive for aPL antibodies.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal case-control study including 27 subjects with primary APS, 51 with non-criteria APS, 24 with aPL antibodies associated with other well-known CTDs enrolled at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy and 107 healthy controls.

Results: Compared with controls and after correction for multiple comparisons, primary, non-criteria APS and aPL associated to CTD, subjects had lower placental weight, volume and area.

Circulating endothelial progenitor cells during pregnancy in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been shown to increase during physiological pregnancy and are believed to play a fundamental role in the process of placentation. Reduced levels of EPCs during pregnancy have been associated with preeclampsia and miscarriage. Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) are not at increased risk of preeclampsia nor of general adverse obstetric outcome, in contrast with some other autoimmune diseases.

Maternal and fetal Leptin and interleukin 33 concentrations in pregnancy complicated by obesity and preeclampsia.

To evaluate maternal and fetal Leptin and IL33 concentrations in pregnancy complicated by obesity and preeclampsia. A case-control study including 35 subjects with obesity (18 normotensive and 17 preeclamptic) and 47 normal weight controls (42 normotensive and 5 preeclamptic). Leptin and IL33 concentrations in maternal serum during pregnancy and in cord blood; uterine artery and umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry.

Vaginal development and sexual functioning in young women after stem cell transplantation, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy for childhood hematological diseases.

To study vaginal development and sexual functioning in young women after childhood hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and radio/chemotherapy. Observational case-control study on 30 young sexually active women survived after HSCT and/or radio/chemotherapy for childhood malignancies or hematologic diseases and 48 controls matched for age. Female Sexual Function Index was lower (median 24.

Undifferentiated connective tissue diseases and adverse pregnancy outcomes. An undervalued association?

Undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (UCTDs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by symptoms and signs suggestive of systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (ARD), but which do not fulfill all the established criteria for definite diagnosis of a condition. Although a third of UCTDs can progress to a definite ARD within months or years, most UCTDs can remain stable for years with minimal disease activity. The annual incidence of UCTD in the general population ranges from 14 to 140 per 100 000 people.

The Immunosignature of Mother/Fetus Couples in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Role of HLA-G 14 bp ins/del and PAPP-A A/C Polymorphisms in the Uterine Inflammatory Milieu.

We enrolled 151 healthy mother/newborn couples and 26 with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). HLA-G and PAPP-A plasma levels were measured by ELISA at first and second trimesters, at delivery, and in cord blood. HLA-G 14 bp ins/del and PAPP-A A/C polymorphisms were genotyped.

Mild-to-moderate foeto-maternal haemorrhage in the third trimester and at term of pregnancy: quantitative determination and clinical-diagnostic evaluation.

Background: Foeto-maternal haemorrhage (FMH), a gestational event that occurs before or during delivery, consists of a loss of foetal blood into the maternal circulation. FMH occurs more frequently during the third trimester or labour both in normal and complicated pregnancies. In the case of alloimmunisation, the maternal immunological response and the severity of the resulting foetal or neonatal disease depend on the amount of foetal blood that passes into the maternal circulation.

Soluble HLA-G concentrations in obese women during pregnancy and in cord blood.

Context: Little is known about soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) concentrations in obese pregnant women with uncomplicated pregnancies.

Objective: To investigate the role of sHLA-G in obese pregnancies.

Design: Case-control study, from 2013 to 2015.

The impact of unrecognized autoimmune rheumatic diseases on the incidence of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction: a longitudinal cohort study.

Background: The burden of pregnancy complications associated with well defined, already established systemic rheumatic diseases preexisting pregnancy such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma is well known. Systemic rheumatic diseases are characterized by a long natural history with few symptoms, an undifferentiated picture or a remitting course making difficult a timely diagnosis. It has been suggested that screening measures for these diseases could be useful but the impact of unrecognized systemic rheumatic disorders on pregnancy outcome is unknown.

Soluble HLA-G concentrations in maternal blood and cervical vaginal fluid of pregnant women with preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Objective: To evaluate soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) concentrations in maternal blood serum and cervical vaginal fluid in pregnancies complicated by preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) compared to controls.

Study Design: Case-control study of 24 women with PPROM and 40 controls.

Main Outcome Measures: Vaginal and serum sHLA-G and IL-6 concentrations.

Early, Incomplete, or Preclinical Autoimmune Systemic Rheumatic Diseases and Pregnancy Outcome.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of preclinical systemic autoimmune rheumatic disorders on pregnancy outcome.

Methods: In this longitudinal cohort study, patients were enrolled during the first trimester of pregnancy if they reported having had connective tissue disorder symptoms, were found to be positive for circulating autoantibodies, and on clinical evaluation were judged to have a preclinical or incomplete rheumatic disorder. The incidence of fetal growth restriction (FGR), preeclampsia, and adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with preclinical rheumatic disorders was compared with that in selected controls, after adjustment for confounders by penalized logistic regression.

Connective tissue diseases and autoimmune thyroid disorders in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Objective: To investigate the rates and coexistence of autoimmune thyroid and connective tissue diseases (CTD) during the first trimester of pregnancy and their influence on pregnancy outcome.

Study Design: A cohort study of 150 women with CTD diagnosed during first trimester of pregnancy and 150 negative controls.

Main Outcome Measures: Screening of CTD by a self-reported questionnaire, rheumatic and thyroid autoantibody detection, clinical rheumatological evaluation and obstetric outcomes.