Fetal pancreas size and maternal serum biomarkers glycated albumin and insulin-regulated aminopeptidase provide no potential for early prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the predictive values of fetal pancreas size and maternal serum biomarkers glycated albumin (GA) and insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective observational study including 109 pregnant women, the fetal pancreas size and maternal serum biomarkers GA and IRAP were measured at the gestational age of 20-22 weeks and later at the gestational age of 24-28 weeks, in 19 participants of them, GDM was confirmed with the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and the fetal pancreas size was measured in all the participants again. RESULTS: The median fetal pancreas sizes were significantly higher in women with or without GDM when measured at the 24-28 weeks of pregnancy compared to those at the 20-22 weeks of pregnancy (p < 0.05). At both of the 20-22 and 24-28 weeks of pregnancy, the median values of fetal pancreas sizes in the women with or without GDM were found comparable (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences between pregnant women with or without GDM regarding maternal serum biomarkers GA and IRAP (p > 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed no meaningful association of study parameters with the development of GDM. CONCLUSION: The fetal pancreas size and maternal serum biomarkers GA and IRAP provide no potential for early prediction of GDM at the 20-22 weeks of gestation. Further studies, including serial measurement of these parameters during the second and third trimesters of GDM pregnancies, may clarify their role in the antenatal care of women with GDM. CLINICAL TRIALS: NCT05392231.

Short-term outcomes of COVID-19 in pregnant women unvaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 in the first, second, and third trimesters: a retrospective study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be asymptomatic or symptomatic in pregnant women. Compared to non-pregnant reproductive-aged women, symptomatic individuals appear to have a higher risk of acquiring severe illness sequelae. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcomes of pregnant COVID-19 patients unvaccinated for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 according to the trimester of pregnancy. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a retrospective observational study conducted in a tertiary-level hospital in Turkey. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed the clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcomes of 445 pregnant COVID-19 patients hospitalized during the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy and 149 other pregnant women as controls in a tertiary center from April 2020 to December 2021. All participants were unvaccinated. RESULTS: Overall, the study groups were comparable in terms of baseline clinical pregnancy characteristics. There was no clear difference among the study participants with COVID-19 in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy. However, a considerably high number of clinical and laboratory findings revealed differences that were consistent with the inflammatory nature of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The study results reveal the importance of careful follow-up of hospitalized cases as a necessary step by means of regular clinical and laboratory examinations in pregnant COVID-19 patients. With further studies, after implementing vaccination programs for COVID-19 in pregnant women, these data may help determine the impact of vaccination on the outcomes of pregnant COVID-19 patients.

Short-term outcomes of COVID-19 in pregnant women unvaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 in the first, second, and third trimesters: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be asymptomatic or symptomatic in pregnant women. Compared to non-pregnant reproductive-aged women, symptomatic individuals appear to have a higher risk of acquiring severe illness sequelae. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcomes of pregnant COVID-19 patients unvaccinated for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 according to the trimester of pregnancy. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a retrospective observational study conducted in a tertiary-level hospital in Turkey. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed the clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcomes of 445 pregnant COVID-19 patients hospitalized during the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy and 149 other pregnant women as controls in a tertiary center from April 2020 to December 2021. All participants were unvaccinated. RESULTS: Overall, the study groups were comparable in terms of baseline clinical pregnancy characteristics. There was no clear difference among the study participants with COVID-19 in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy. However, a considerably high number of clinical and laboratory findings revealed differences that were consistent with the inflammatory nature of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The study results reveal the importance of careful follow-up of hospitalized cases as a necessary step by means of regular clinical and laboratory examinations in pregnant COVID-19 patients. With further studies, after implementing vaccination programs for COVID-19 in pregnant women, these data may help determine the impact of vaccination on the outcomes of pregnant COVID-19 patients.

Efficacy of the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)/lymphocyte ratio (LLR) to reduce the need for X-ray in pregnant patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy carries a significant risk for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) due to natural immunosuppression. A previous study from our center has shown that the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)/lymphocyte ratio (LLR) can be used in the early diagnosis of COVID-19 and predicting mortality. Based on this, we aimed to determine the effect of LLR on early detection of critical pregnant women and mortality in COVID-19. METHODS: The data of 145 patients who were admitted to our hospital between March and December 2020; diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized, were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The median gestation period was 31 weeks (range: 5-41), 30.3% (n: 44) gave birth and 68.3% (n: 99) were pregnant. Median LLR was 0.13 (range: 0.04-0.70). The rate of cough (47% vs. 22.8%; p=0.003) was found to be high in patients with LLR>0.13. The patients were divided into subgroups. The proportion of patients without active complaints was higher in the Q1, followed by the Q4. The proportion of patients with an initial complaint of cough increased as LLR from Q1 to Q4, the distribution of other complaints did not differ between the quartiles. CONCLUSIONS: The higher rate of cough in the group with high LLR indicates that it may be an important indicator of lung involvement during pregnancy. The highest rate of non-treatment follow-up in the lowest LLR group proved that the LLR value at the time of diagnosis can be used as an important clinical marker in pregnant women.