Circulating pregnancy hormone relaxin as a first trimester biomarker for preeclampsia.

Objective: Preeclampsia, a multi-system hypertensive disorder, is associated with perturbations in the maternal cardiovascular system during early pregnancy. The corpus luteal hormone relaxin, a potent vasodilator, may contribute to physiological circulatory changes especially in early gestation when circulating levels are highest. This study investigated whether first trimester circulating relaxin may be a suitable biomarker for the early prediction of preeclampsia.

First-Trimester Serum Acylcarnitine Levels to Predict Preeclampsia: A Metabolomics Approach.

Objective: To expand the search for preeclampsia (PE) metabolomics biomarkers through the analysis of acylcarnitines in first-trimester maternal serum.

Methods: This was a nested case-control study using serum from pregnant women, drawn between 8 and 14 weeks of gestational age. Metabolites were measured using an UPLC-MS/MS based method.

Comparison of different blood collection, sample matrix, and immunoassay methods in a prenatal screening setting.

We compared how measurements of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and the free beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (fβ-hCG) in maternal blood are influenced by different methods for blood collection, sample matrix, and immunoassay platform. Serum and dried blood spots (DBS) were obtained by venipuncture and by finger prick of 19 pregnant women. PAPP-A and fβ-hCG from serum and from DBS were measured by conventional indirect immunoassay on an AutoDELFIA platform and by antibody microarray.

Metabolomics profiling for identification of novel potential markers in early prediction of preeclampsia.

Objective: The first aim was to investigate specific signature patterns of metabolites that are significantly altered in first-trimester serum of women who subsequently developed preeclampsia (PE) compared to healthy pregnancies. The second aim of this study was to examine the predictive performance of the selected metabolites for both early onset [EO-PE] and late onset PE [LO-PE].

Methods: This was a case-control study of maternal serum samples collected between 8+0 and 13+6 weeks of gestation from 167 women who subsequently developed EO-PE n = 68; LO-PE n = 99 and 500 controls with uncomplicated pregnancies.

Maternal characteristics, mean arterial pressure and serum markers in early prediction of preeclampsia.

Objectives: In a previous study, we have described the predictive value of first-trimester Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A (PAPP-A), free β-subunit of human Chorionic Gonadotropin (fβ-hCG), Placental Growth Factor (PlGF) and A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease 12 (ADAM12) for early onset preeclampsia (EO-PE; delivery <34 weeks). The objective of the current study was to obtain the predictive value of these serum makers combined with maternal characteristics and first-trimester maternal mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) in a large series of patients, for both EO-PE and late onset PE (LO-PE; delivery ≥ 34 weeks).

Methods: This was a nested case-control study, using stored first-trimester maternal serum from women who developed EO-PE (n = 68) or LO-PE (n = 99), and 500 uncomplicated singleton pregnancies.

Integrative data mining to identify novel candidate serum biomarkers for pre-eclampsia screening.

Objective: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a serious complication that affects approximately 2% of pregnant women worldwide. At present, there is no sufficiently reliable test for early detection of PE in a screening setting that would allow timely intervention. To help future experimental identification of serum biomarkers for early onset PE, we applied a data mining approach to create a set of candidate biomarkers.

Evaluation of 7 serum biomarkers and uterine artery Doppler ultrasound for first-trimester prediction of preeclampsia: a systematic review.

Unlabelled: Preeclampsia (PE) affects 1% to 2% of pregnant women and is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The clinical syndrome of PE arises in the second half of pregnancy. However, many underlying factors including defective placentation may already be apparent in the first and early second trimester in many patients.

Mouse limb deformity mutations disrupt a global control region within the large regulatory landscape required for Gremlin expression.

The mouse limb deformity (ld) mutations cause limb malformations by disrupting epithelial-mesenchymal signaling between the polarizing region and the apical ectodermal ridge. Formin was proposed as the relevant gene because three of the five ld alleles disrupt its C-terminal domain. In contrast, our studies establish that the two other ld alleles directly disrupt the neighboring Gremlin gene, corroborating the requirement of this BMP antagonist for limb morphogenesis.