Maternal Serum Resistin Is Reduced in First Trimester Preeclampsia Pregnancies and Is a Marker of Clinical Severity.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether resistin levels in first trimester maternal serum are associated with insulin resistance or preeclampsia (PE). METHODS: A case-control study of maternal serum resistin concentration conducted using 285 normal pregnancies and 123 PE pregnancies matched for gestational age, parity and maternal age. Samples were taken in gestational weeks 10+0-13+6. RESULTS: There was a negative correlation between resistin and clinical severity of PE, but no correlation with IS, TNF-α, body mass index, birth weight and pregnancy length. CONCLUSIONS: Resistin is reduced in first trimester of PE pregnancies, particularly in severe PE. Inflammation and IS cannot explain this phenomenon.

Fetal growth in pregnancies conceived after gastric bypass surgery in relation to surgery-to-conception interval: a Danish national cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe early and late fetal growth in pregnancies conceived after gastric bypass surgery in relation to time from surgery to conception of pregnancy. METHODS: National cohort study on 387 Danish women, who had laparoscopic or open gastric bypass surgery prior to a singleton pregnancy in which first trimester screening was performed between January 2008 and June 2011. Data were derived from national registers (Danish National Registry of Patients and Danish National Birth Registry, Pregnancy Complications and Abortion-clinical quality database (PreCAb) and the Danish Fetal Medicine Database). Main outcome measures were early and late fetal growth in relation to time from bariatric surgery to conception of the pregnancy. Early fetal growth was expressed as "Fetal Growth Index": the ratio between the estimated number of days from first trimester ultrasound to second trimester ultrasound biometries and the actual calender time elapsed in days. Late fetal growth was expressed as the observed versus expected birthweight according to gestational age (GA). RESULTS: The surgery-to-conception interval ranged from 3 to 1851 days with a mean value of 502 (SD, 351) days. The mean "fetal growth index" was 0.99 (SD, 0.02) days/day and thus significantly lower than in the background population (mean, 1.04 (SD, 0.09) days/day, p<0.0001). The proportion of infants being small for gestational age was 18.8% and the proportion of large for gestational age infants was 6.7%. The correlation coefficients between surgery-to-conception time and "fetal growth index" and birthweight according to GA were 0.01 (p = 0.8) and 0.04 (p = 0.4), respectively. CONCLUSION: Fetal growth index was lower than reported in the background population. No correlation was found between the surgery-to-conception interval and early or late fetal growth in pregnancies conceived after gastric bypass surgery.

[Pregnancy following bariatric surgery requires special attention]. / Graviditet efter bariatrisk kirurgi kræver speciel opmærksomhed.

In the latest years the number of pregnant women having undergone bariatric surgery before pregnancy has increased rapidly. In pregnancy, they seem to have a reduced risk of obesity-related complications but an increased risk of mechanical complications causing small bowel obstruction and complications due to malabsorption. This article reviews the effect of bariatric surgery before pregnancy on obstetric and neonatal outcomes and provides, based on the limited available evidence, recommendations for the management of pregnancy in these women.

First trimester prenatal screening among women pregnant after IVF/ICSI.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal screening and diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities especially Down's syndrome in IVF pregnancies are complicated by higher maternal age, a high multiple pregnancy rate, a high risk of a vanishing twin and an increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities, particularly in pregnancies after ICSI. The aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the findings of first trimester screening for chromosomal abnormalities in IVF/ICSI singleton and twin pregnancies. METHODS: A systematic MESH-term search in MEDLINE using PubMed and the Cochrane Library was performed until May 2011, with no earlier date limit. RESULTS: The electronic search retrieved 562 citations, 96 of which were evaluated in detail and 57 were then excluded for not meeting the selection criteria. A total of 61 articles were finally selected for review. Our analysis of the data shows that, for IVF/ICSI singletons, combined first trimester prenatal screening based on maternal age, nuchal translucency scan and biomarkers is appropriate. However, biomarkers seem to be altered, causing a higher false-positive rate, in IVF/ICSI singleton gestations. Correction factors have been developed and should be used when screening for Down's syndrome in singleton pregnancies. With regard to IVF/ICSI twin pregnancies, biomarker values seem to be dependent on chorionicity as well as gestational age. Whether the use of a correction factor for mode of conception in the risk calculations for Down's syndrome in twin pregnancies is valid has not been fully elucidated. In vanishing twin pregnancies with a second gestational sac with a dead fetus, first trimester screening should be based solely on the maternal age and the nuchal translucency scan as biomarkers are significantly altered in these cases. CONCLUSIONS: First trimester prenatal screening after IVF/ICSI treatment requires specific precautions in both singleton and twin pregnancies.

ADAM 12 may be used to reduce the false positive rate of first trimester combined screening for Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: ADAM12 has been shown to be an efficient maternal serum marker for Down syndrome (DS) in the first trimester; but recent studies, using a second generation assay, have not confirmed these findings. We examined the efficiency of a second generation assay for ADAM12. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ADAM12 concentrations were determined in 28 first trimester DS and 503 control pregnancies using a novel Research Delfia ADAM12 kit. Log10MoM distributions of ADAM12 and correlations with other markers were established. Population performance of screening was estimated by Monte Carlo simulation. RESULTS: ADAM12 was significantly reduced in the first trimester in DS pregnancies with a log10MoM of -0.1621 (equivalent to 0.68 MoM) (p < 0.001). The reduction decreased with advancing gestational age. ADAM12 used with PAPP-A + hCG beta + NT (CUB screening) increased the detection rate (DR) from 86% to 89% for a false positive rate (FPR) of 5%. When used for a fixed DR of 90%, the addition of ADAM12 resulted in a 25% reduction of the FPR. CONCLUSION: ADAM12 is a moderately effective DS marker. It is not a cost-effective addition to CUB screening, but may be used to reduce the FPR in selected high-risk cases.

Umbilical cord blood lactate: a valuable tool in the assessment of fetal metabolic acidosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was (1) to evaluate the relationship between umbilical cord arterial blood lactate and pH, standard base excess (SBE), and actual base excess (ABE) at delivery and (2) to suggest a cut-off level of umbilical cord arterial blood lactate in predicting fetal asphyxia using ROC-curves, where an ABE value less than -12 was used as "gold standard" for significant intrapartum asphyxia. STUDY DESIGN: This is a descriptive study of umbilical cord arterial blood samples from 2554 singleton deliveries. The deliveries took place at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hvidovre University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark where umbilical cord blood sampling and blood gas analysis is part of the routine assessment of all newborns. RESULTS: We found significant correlations between lactate and pH (r=-0.73), lactate and SBE (r=-0.76), and lactate and ABE (r=-0.83). ROC-curves suggested a lactate cut-off level of 8mmol/l for indicating intrapartum asphyxia. CONCLUSION: Lactate in arterial umbilical cord blood might be a more direct and accordingly more correct indicator of fetal asphyxia at delivery than pH and SBE (or ABE). Its potential as a predictor of neonatal outcome needs to be evaluated in future studies.

[Prenatal screening and diagnostics after infertility treatment]. / Praenatal screening og diagnostik efter behandling for barnløshed.

Women who get pregnant after infertility treatment differ from women with naturally conceived pregnancies concerning prenatal screening: on average they are older and therefore they have a greater risk of carrying a child with Down's syndrome, their children have an increased risk of congenital malformations, and they have a great wish to avoid invasive prenatal diagnostic tests. The conclusion of this review is that first trimester screening is an acceptable choice for these women, although larger studies are needed to clarify whether a correction factor is necessary for the biochemical markers.