Publications by authors named "Courtney Baruch-Gravett"
Article Synopsis
- This study investigated how maternal copper levels during pregnancy affect the risk of preterm birth (PTB) and the length of gestation.
- In a large group of 10,449 pregnancies from 18 different regions, researchers found that higher maternal copper levels were linked to an increased risk of PTB and shorter pregnancy duration.
- The findings suggest that elevated copper levels may be associated with inflammation and infections, potentially impacting pregnancy outcomes.
Liquid biopsies that measure circulating cell-free RNA (cfRNA) offer an opportunity to study the development of pregnancy-related complications in a non-invasive manner and to bridge gaps in clinical care. Here we used 404 blood samples from 199 pregnant mothers to identify and validate cfRNA transcriptomic changes that are associated with preeclampsia, a multi-organ syndrome that is the second largest cause of maternal death globally. We find that changes in cfRNA gene expression between normotensive and preeclamptic mothers are marked and stable early in gestation, well before the onset of symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMaternal morbidity and mortality continue to rise, and pre-eclampsia is a major driver of this burden. Yet the ability to assess underlying pathophysiology before clinical presentation to enable identification of pregnancies at risk remains elusive. Here we demonstrate the ability of plasma cell-free RNA (cfRNA) to reveal patterns of normal pregnancy progression and determine the risk of developing pre-eclampsia months before clinical presentation.
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- Selenium (Se) is an essential trace mineral linked to preterm birth (PTB), and this study investigated its impact on PTB risk and gestational duration in nearly 10,000 maternal samples from diverse populations.
- The analysis found a significant associations where higher maternal Se concentrations correlated with reduced PTB risk and longer gestational periods; specifically, an increase of 15 ng/mL in Se was associated with a decrease in PTB odds by about 5% and an increase of 0.66 days in gestation duration.
- However, variability in results among different study sites indicates that factors unique to each population may influence these associations, highlighting the need for further research to clarify the underlying biological mechanisms and potential clinical implications.
Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate burden of preterm birth and other adverse outcomes. A better understanding of the demographic, clinical, and biologic underpinnings of these adverse outcomes is urgently needed to plan interventions and inform new discovery. The Zambian Preterm Birth Prevention Study (ZAPPS) is a prospective observational cohort established at the Women and Newborn Hospital (WNH) in Lusaka, Zambia.
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