Publications by authors named "D H Littlefield"
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers isolated and sequenced HBCs and CTBs from placentae of women across different COVID-19 infection stages, discovering significant differences in gene expression when compared to unexposed controls, especially highlighting the second trimester as most affected.
- * Findings indicate that about 1,696 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to immune response and host defense mechanisms were identified in the second trimester, with implications for understanding the placenta's role during maternal infections.
Article Synopsis
- Research on the immune response to COVID-19 during pregnancy is limited, yet crucial for understanding vertical transmission of the virus and its antibodies.
- A study found a strong correlation between specific antibodies in pregnant women and their newborns, particularly higher antibody activity in women infected during the third trimester.
- The presence of protective antibodies and anti-inflammatory cytokines in newborns may help reduce the negative impacts of inflammation from maternal infection.
In 1989, one in four (25%) infants born to women living with HIV were infected; by the age of 2 years, there was 25% mortality among them due to HIV. These and other pieces of data prompted the development of interventions to offset vertical transmission, including the landmark Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trial Group Study (PACTG 076) in 1994. This study reported a 67.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn humans, the hemochorial placenta is a unique temporary organ that forms during pregnancy to support fetal development, gaseous exchange, delivery of nutrition, removal of waste products, and provides immune protection, while maintaining tolerance to the HLA-haploidentical fetus. In this review, we characterize decidual and placental immunity during maternal viral (co)-infection with HIV-1, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), and Zika virus. We discuss placental immunology, clinical presentation, and epidemiology, before characterizing host susceptibility and cellular tropism, and how the three viruses gain access into specific placental target cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) is a widespread infection in several countries, and it is defined as an infection of a fetus, newborn, or infant under 1 year of age. Moreover, it represents a thread to pregnant women globally. The objective of our study is to evaluate a potential association between prematurity and CT and whether intrauterine transmission impacts gestational length during pregnancy.
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