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Biomedicines
Special Issues
The Pathophysiology of Pregnancy-Related Conditions
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The Pathophysiology of Pregnancy-Related Conditions

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular and Translational Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 9101

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Marzena Laskowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Medical University of Lublin, Jaczewskiego 8, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Interests: preeclampsia; maternal-fetal and neonatal medicine; HELLP; placenta; fetal growth restriction (FGR)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to estimates by the WHO, more than 20 million women experience pregnancy-related health problems every year. Moreover, around 8 million of these women experience life-threatening problems. Every year, approximately 290,000 women die during or following pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal mortality is still unacceptably high, and most of these deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth could have been prevented and treated. Most of these pregnancy complications develop during pregnancy, or exist before pregnancy but are worsened during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a unique and special period in a woman’s life. However, it is characterized by the presence of many alterations to the body’s physiological and immune status. Preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, foetal growth restriction, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm labour (preterm premature rupture of membranes, spontaneous preterm delivery, cervical insufficiency), and invasive placenta are major complications responsible for maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. In the current Special Issue, we aim to review the mechanisms, diagnostics/prognostics, and treatment strategies of these pregnancy-related complications.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide a review of the pathogenesis and treatment of pregnancy-related conditions, with a particular emphasis on pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment opportunities.

Clinical researchers and practicing physicians are encouraged to submit works that consider pregnancy outcomes in women with pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome; liver diseases associated with pregnancy such as intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, acute fatty liver of pregnancy, and aHUS; and pregnancy complications during preterm delivery, such as PPROM, placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorder, placenta praevia,  premature placenta abruption, postpartum haemorrhage, and ectopic pregnancy. Thus, all original articles or systematic reviews on topics related to complications of human pregnancy are welcome in this Special Issue.

Topics will include:

  • Preeclampsia and hypertension in pregnant women: aetiopathogenesis, pathophysiology, causes, complications, HELLP syndrome, diagnosis, pathophysiology, and the placenta in preeclampsia;
  • Preterm delivery, intrauterine infection, chorioamnionitis, PPROM;
  • Prematurity, foetal complications, foetal growth restrictions;
  • Liver diseases associated with pregnancy;
  • Placenta abnormalities (placenta accrete spectrum, placenta praevia, preterm separation of the placenta);
  • Postpartum haemorrhage, abnormal bleeding in pregnancy;
  • Ectopic pregnancy;
  • Gestational diabetes.

Dr. Marzena Laskowska
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • perinatology
  • pregnancy complications
  • foetal growth restriction
  • preterm birth
  • preeclampsia
  • placenta
  • gestational diabetes mellitus

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 4045 KiB  
Article
Obesity Correlates with Chronic Inflammation of the Innate Immune System in Preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome during Pregnancy
by Julia Rimboeck, Michael Gruber, Marco Weigl, Pia Huber, Dirk Lunz and Walter Petermichl
Biomedicines 2023, 11(10), 2851; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11102851 - 20 Oct 2023
Viewed by 886
Abstract
HELLP syndrome is characterized by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and a low platelet count and poses an increased risk to the pregnant woman and the unborn child. Individual risk factors such as obesity may alter immunocompetence and influence the course of preeclampsia (PE) [...] Read more.
HELLP syndrome is characterized by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and a low platelet count and poses an increased risk to the pregnant woman and the unborn child. Individual risk factors such as obesity may alter immunocompetence and influence the course of preeclampsia (PE) or HELLP syndrome. Blood samples were collected from 21 pregnant women (7 healthy, 6 with PE, and 8 with HELLP syndrome) and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) were subsequently isolated. Production of radical oxygen species (ROS), cell movement, and NETosis were assessed by live-cell imaging. Surface protein expression and oxidative burst were analyzed by flow cytometry. PE and HELLP patients had significantly higher BMI compared to the healthy control group. Depending on the expression of CD11b, CD62L, and CD66b on PMNs, a surface protein activation sum scale (SPASS) was calculated. PMNs from patients with high SPASS values showed prolonged and more targeted migration with delayed ROS production and NETosis. Obesity is associated with a chronic inflammatory state, which in combination with immunological triggers during pregnancy could modulate PMN functions. Pregnant women with higher BMI tend to have higher SPASS values, indicating activation of the innate immune system that could co-trigger PE or HELLP syndrome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pathophysiology of Pregnancy-Related Conditions)
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9 pages, 621 KiB  
Article
Decrease in Nitric Oxide Production as a Key Mediator in the Pathogenesis of Preeclampsia and a Potential Therapeutic Target: A Case-Control Study
by Maciej W. Socha, Martyna Stankiewicz, Krzysztof Żołnieżewicz, Oskar Puk and Mateusz Wartęga
Biomedicines 2022, 10(10), 2653; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10102653 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1423
Abstract
Pregnancy-induced hypertension (GH) complicates 6–10% of all pregnancies and, in 2019, was responsible for approximately 28,000 deaths. The most common cause of gestational hypertension is pre-eclampsia (PE), which afflicts 2–8% of all pregnancies and is one of the three leading causes of maternal [...] Read more.
Pregnancy-induced hypertension (GH) complicates 6–10% of all pregnancies and, in 2019, was responsible for approximately 28,000 deaths. The most common cause of gestational hypertension is pre-eclampsia (PE), which afflicts 2–8% of all pregnancies and is one of the three leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this study was to clarify how NO metabolism changes during the course of PE. Due to the short half-life of NO, we measured the concentrations of its stable metabolites, nitrite and nitrate (NOx). Out of 100 enrolled patients: 58 pregnant women with a diagnosed early form of PE formed a study group, and 42 healthy pregnant women formed a control group. NOx concentrations were significantly lower in the PE group than in the control group, with mean values of 5.33 and 27.64 μmol/L, respectively (p < 0.0001). The decrease in NO is most likely the result and mediator of systemic endothelial dysfunction. The impairment of NO metabolism in PE appears to play an important role in its pathogenesis. Therefore, it is a potential therapeutic target. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pathophysiology of Pregnancy-Related Conditions)
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Review

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15 pages, 1482 KiB  
Review
Biological Role of Folic Acid in Pregnancy and Possible Therapeutic Application for the Prevention of Preeclampsia
by Lyazzat Kaldygulova, Talshyn Ukybassova, Gulzhanat Aimagambetova, Andrey Gaiday and Akylbek Tussupkaliyev
Biomedicines 2023, 11(2), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11020272 - 19 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5941
Abstract
The rationale and importance of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy for fetal congenital defect prevention are accepted worldwide. Moreover, a sufficient plasma concentration of folates can reduce the incidence of spontaneous abortions, and support the normal expansion of placental blood vessels, ensuring physiological [...] Read more.
The rationale and importance of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy for fetal congenital defect prevention are accepted worldwide. Moreover, a sufficient plasma concentration of folates can reduce the incidence of spontaneous abortions, and support the normal expansion of placental blood vessels, ensuring physiological placental blood flow, thus promoting appropriate fetal growth and development. Furthermore, there is emerging evidence that long-term supplementation with folic acid can effectively prevent preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is unique to the human species in complications during pregnancy, which contributes to maternal and perinatal mortality worldwide. In the pathogenesis of preeclampsia abnormal placental invasion, the excess of antiangiogenic factors and maternal–placental syndrome play a key role. Increased blood levels of homocysteine during pregnancy are associated with the risk of preeclampsia. Moreover, hyperhomocysteinemia has been proposed to be an independent risk factor for preeclampsia. Folate supplementation helps to decrease elevated levels of homocysteine; thus, the role of folic acid supplementation in pregnancy is even more important. Multiple reports suggest that folate administration decreases the level of serum homocysteine and, therefore, reduce the risk and severity of preeclampsia. However, the association between folic acid supplementation and the decreased risk of preeclampsia has been investigated with controversial conclusions. Currently, the optimal dose of folic acid that is effective for preeclampsia prevention remains uncertain. In this review, we aim to summarize the accumulated knowledge on the role of folic acid in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, and the possible impact of folate supplementation on the decreased risk of preeclampsia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pathophysiology of Pregnancy-Related Conditions)
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