Circulating Immune Cells from Early- and Late-onset Pre-eclampsia Displays Distinct Profiles with Differential Impact on Endothelial Activation.

Pre-eclampsia (PE) affects 5-8% of pregnancies and has detrimental effects on maternal-fetal health. PE is characterized by de novo hypertension after 20 wk of gestation and end-organ damage. Systemic inflammatory imbalance has been associated with PE, but its contribution to the pathology is poorly understood.

Maternal Innate Immune Reprogramming After Complicated Pregnancy.

Problem: Preeclampsia (PE) and fetal growth restriction (FGR) are often associated with maternal inflammation and an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in the affected mothers. The mechanism responsible for this increased risk of subsequent disease may involve reprogramming of innate immune cells, characterized by epigenetic modifications.

Method Of Study: Circulating monocytes from women with PE, FGR, or uncomplicated pregnancies (control) were isolated before labor.

Pregnant individuals with uncomplicated pregnancies display pro-inflammatory immune changes when exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Problem: The COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to have a detrimental impact on the mental health of pregnant individuals, and chronic stress can alter the immune profile. However, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the immune system in pregnancy are still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the impact of pandemic exposure on the maternal immune profile in uncomplicated pregnancies.

Mediators of inflammation at the maternal-fetal interface are altered by SARS-CoV-2 infection and pandemic stress.

Problem: It is now recognized that SARS-CoV-2 infection and pandemic-related stress impacts maternal health. However, their effects at the maternal-fetal interface are still debated.

Method Of Study: We recruited 199 women between March 2020 and July 2021, 79 SARS-CoV-2+ and 120 negative (the latter exposed to pandemic stress only).