Central nervous system adverse events of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) may trigger immune-related adverse events which rarely affect the central nervous system (CNS-irAEs). Over the past few years, cumulative data have led to the characterization of well defined syndromes with distinct cancer and antibody associations as well as different outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: The most frequent CNS-irAE is encephalitis, which includes three main groups: meningoencephalitis, a nonfocal syndrome usually responsive to corticosteroids; limbic encephalitis, associated with high-risk paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) antibodies (e.g. anti-Hu, anti-Ma2) and neuroendocrine cancers, characterized by poor treatment response and outcomes; and cerebellar ataxia, with variable outcomes (worse when high-risk PNS antibodies are detected). Additionally, a diffuse encephalopathy without inflammatory findings, with poor response to corticosteroids and high mortality has been described. The spectrum of CNS-irAEs also includes meningitis, myelitis, and rarer presentations. A subset of CNS-irAEs (i.e. limbic encephalitis and/or rapidly progressive cerebellar ataxia) is undistinguishable from ICI-naïve PNS. SUMMARY: The clinical and outcomes diversity of CNS-irAEs suggests different pathogenic mechanisms, which need to be understood to establish more effective and specific treatment modalities. It is crucial to identify biomarkers able to predict which patients will experience severe CNS-irAEs, to anticipate their diagnosis, and to predict long-term outcomes.

Preterm birth in singleton pregnancies conceived by in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection: an overview of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: The rate of preterm birth of singletons conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is increased, being as high as 15% to 16% across Europe and the United States. However, the underlying etiology, phenotype, and mechanisms initiating preterm birth (PTB) are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the PTB risk and examine supposed etiology in IVF/ICSI singleton pregnancies compared to naturally conceived. STUDY DESIGN: Overview of reviews including all available systematic reviews with meta-analysis comparing PTB risk in IVF/ICSI and naturally conceived singletons. A comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases was performed up to December 31, 2023. Information available on etiology, phenotype, initiation of PTB, and relevant moderators was retrieved and employed for subgroup analyses. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used for pooling effect measures. Estimates were presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The extent of overlap in the original studies was measured using the corrected covered area assessment. The quality of the included reviews was evaluated with the AMSTAR 2 tool. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was applied to rate evidence certainty. The protocol was registered on PROspective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42023411418). RESULTS: Twelve meta-analyses (16,522,917 pregnancies; ˃433,330 IVF/ICSI) were included. IVF/ICSI singletons showed a significantly higher PTB risk compared to natural conception (PTB ˂37 weeks: OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.57-1.89; PTB<32 weeks: OR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.82-2.64). Influential analysis reinforced the strength of this association. Subgroup analyses investigating supposed etiology revealed a comparable risk magnitude for spontaneous PTB (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.56-2.04) and a greater risk for iatrogenic PTB (OR: 2.28, 95% CI: 1.72-3.02). PTB risk was consistent in the subgroup of conventional IVF (OR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.76-2.15) and higher in the subgroup of fresh only (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.55-2.07) vs frozen-thawed embryo transfers (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.34-1.43). There was minimal study overlap (13%). The certainty of the evidence was graded as low to very low. CONCLUSION: Singletons conceived through IVF/ICSI have a 2-fold increased risk of PTB compared to natural conception, despite the low certainty of the evidence. There is paucity of available data on PTB etiology, phenotype, or initiation. The greater risk increase is observed in fresh embryo transfers and involves iatrogenic PTB and PTB ˂32 weeks, likely attributable to placental etiology. Future studies should collect data on PTB etiology, phenotype, and initiation. IVF/ICSI pregnancies should undertake specialistic care with early screening for placental disorders, cervical length, and growth abnormalities, allowing appropriate timely follow-up, preventive measures, and therapeutic interventions strategies.

First trimester risk of preeclampsia and rate of spontaneous birth in patients without preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: First-trimester screening for preeclampsia using a combination of maternal risk factors and mean arterial pressure, uterine artery pulsatility index, and placental growth factor, as proposed by the Fetal Medicine Foundation, provides effective prediction of preterm preeclampsia. Placental dysfunction is a potential precursor of spontaneous birth. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine if the estimated risk of preeclampsia is associated with the gestational age at onset of spontaneous delivery in the absence of preeclampsia. STUDY DESIGN: This was a secondary analysis of the data from the Screening programme for pre-eclampsia trial in which there was a comparison of the performance of first-trimester screening for preterm preeclampsia using the Fetal Medicine Foundation model vs a traditional history-based risk scoring system. A subgroup of women from the trial with spontaneous onset of delivery (labor with intact membranes or preterm prelabor rupture of membranes) was included in this study and was arbitrarily divided into 3 groups according to the risk for preterm preeclampsia as determined by the Fetal Medicine Foundation model at 11 to 13 weeks' gestation as follows: group 1 low risk (˂1/100); group 2 intermediate risk (1/50 to 1/100); and group 3 high risk (˃1/50). A survival analysis was carried out using a Kaplan-Meier estimator and a Cox regression analysis with stratification by the 3 preeclampsia risk groups. Occurrence of spontaneous birth in the study groups was compared using log-rank tests and hazard ratios. RESULTS: The study population comprised 10,820 cases with delivery after spontaneous onset of labor among the 16,451 cases who participated in the Screening programme for pre-eclampsia trial. There were 9795 cases in group 1, 583 in group 2, and 442 in group 3. The gestational age at delivery was <28, <32, <35, <37, and <40 weeks in 0.29%, 0.64%, 1.68%, 4.52%, and 44.97% of cases, respectively, in group 1; 0.69%, 1.71%, 3.26%, 7.72%, and 55.23% of cases, respectively, in group 2; and 0.45%, 1.81%, 5.66%, 13.80%, and 63.12% of cases, respectively, in group 3. The curve profile of gestational age at spontaneous birth in the 3 study groups was significantly different overall and in pairwise comparisons (P values <.001). The Cox regression analysis showed that risks increased for spontaneous birth by 18% when the intermediate-risk group was compared with the low-risk group (P˂.001) and by 41% when the high-risk group was compared with the low-risk group (P˂.001). CONCLUSION: In this study that investigated birth after spontaneous onset of labor in women without preeclampsia, there were 2 major findings. First, the duration of pregnancy decreased with increasing first-trimester risk for preeclampsia. Second, in the high-risk group, when compared with the low-risk group, the risk for spontaneous birth was 4 times higher at a gestational age of 24 to 26 weeks, 3 times higher at 28 to 32 weeks, and 2 times higher at 34 to 39 weeks. These differences present major clinical implications for antepartum counselling, monitoring, and interventions in these pregnancies.

Hazard and cumulative incidence of umbilical cord metabolic acidemia at birth in fetuses experiencing the second stage of labor and pathologic intrapartum fetal heart rate requiring expedited delivery.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to determine the cause-specific hazard (CSH) and the cumulative incidence function (CIF) for umbilical cord metabolic acidemia at birth (MA; pH < 7.0 and/or BE [Formula: see text] - 12 mmol/L) at delivery in patients experiencing the 2nd stage of labor (2STG), stratified for both FIGO-2015 pathologic intrapartum cardiotocography requiring expedited delivery (CTG_RED) and duration of 2nd stage of labor. METHODS: 3459 pregnancies experiencing the 2nd stage of labor and delivering at the Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, IRCCS Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna (Italy), were identified between 2018 and 2019. Survival analysis was used to assess CSH and CIF for MA, stratified for FIGO-2015 pathologic CTG and relevant covariates. RESULTS: FIGO-2015 pathological CTG with expedited operative delivery or urgent cesarean section within 10 or 20 min from diagnosis, respectively occurred in 282/3459 (8.20%). The rate of MA at delivery was 3.32% (115/3459). The spline of CSH for MA showed a direct correlation with the duration of 2STG always presenting higher values and greater slope in the presence of pathologic CTG, with plateau between 60 and 120 min and rapid increase after 120 min. The CIF at 180 min in the 2STG was 2.67% for nonpathological and 10.63% for pathological CTG_RED. Nulliparity, pathological CTG, and meconium-stained amniotic fluid resulted significant predictors of MA in our multivariable model. CONCLUSION: The risk for MA increases moderately across the 2STG with nonpathological CTG and quadruples with pathological CTG_RED. Adjustment for other predictors of MA including meconium-stained amniotic fluid and nulliparity reveals a significant hazard increase for MA associated with pathologic CTG_RED.

The cumulative incidence of neonatal metabolic acidemia after terminal bradycardia in the 2nd stage of labor: a survival-based model.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to estimate by a survival analysis model the hazard function (HF) for neonatal metabolic acidemia (MA) throughout the 2nd stage of labor (2STG) at the time of occurrence of a terminal bradycardia ≥ 10 min requiring expedited delivery, and the cumulative incidence function (CIF) for MA according with the duration of bradycardia stratified in 10-12 min and > 12 min. METHODS: Singleton pregnancies experiencing terminal fetal bradycardia requiring expedited delivery in the 2STG at 38 + 0-41 + 3 weeks and delivering in the year 2019, were identified. The presence of MA (pH < 7 and/or BE ≤ - 12 mmol/L) was determined based on the acid-base status in the umbilical artery cord blood. Survival analysis was used to assess the hazard function (HF) and the cumulative incidence function (CIF) for MA occurring after terminal fetal bradycardia, at the 2STG. RESULTS: Out of a non-consecutive population of 12,331 pregnancies, there were 52 cases that fit the inclusion criteria. Twenty-four (46.2%) of those develop MA. Abnormal quantitative pH values and the HF for MA correlated with the duration of 2STG at the time of bradycardia onset, but not with bradycardia duration. After 60 min of duration of 2STG, the HF (or instantaneous rate of failure) increased dramatically (from 1.2 to 20 about at 120 min). At paired duration of 2STG, a higher CIF was observed for the terminal bradycardia > 12 min. CONCLUSION: Forty-six percent of term fetuses with terminal bradycardia had MA at birth. Despite the low sensitivity and a non-significant association with quantitative pH values, the duration of terminal bradycardia in the 2STG is associated with a higher CIF for MA.

Pregnancy outcome of confined placental mosaicism: meta-analysis of cohort studies.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the rate of adverse obstetrical and neonatal outcomes in pregnancies diagnosed with confined placental mosaicism relative to that of unaffected controls. DATA SOURCES: Web-based databases were searched using relevant key words, and articles published from 1980 to February 2022 were retrieved. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Observational studies in English language including ≥10 cases of singleton pregnancies with diagnosis of confined placental mosaicism were included. The diagnosis was established after detection of any chromosomal abnormality at chorionic villus sampling for any indication, followed by normal karyotype from amniotic fluid or neonatal leukocyte culture. METHODS: Two authors independently screened the references for eligibility, data extraction, and assessment of methodological quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. All available obstetrical and neonatal outcomes were recorded. Random-effect meta-analysis was performed to estimate pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of available outcomes in pregnancies with and without confined placental mosaicism. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated with I2 statistics (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews registration number: CRD42021260319). RESULTS: Of the 80 articles reviewed, 8 retrospective matched-cohort studies (708 cases of confined placental mosaicism and 11,599 unaffected controls) compared cases with and without confined placental mosaicism and were included in the meta-analysis. The risk of delivering small-for-gestational-age neonates was significantly increased in confined placental mosaicism pregnancies according to crude analysis (odds ratio, 2.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-4.89; I2=72%) and to sensitivity analysis of high-quality studies (odds ratio, 3.65; 95% confidence interval, 2.43-5.57; I2=0%). Similarly, confined placental mosaicism resulted in an increased risk of birthweight below the third centile (odds ratio, 5.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-24.19; I2= 83%). Subgroup analysis revealed that the risk of delivering small-for-gestational-age neonates was 3-fold higher for confined placental mosaicism excluding trisomy 16, and 11-fold higher for cases including trisomy 16 only vs unaffected controls, respectively. No difference was found in the risk of low birthweight and preterm birth (at <37 weeks' gestation). Other outcomes were insufficiently reported, therefore they were not analyzed. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women prenatally diagnosed with confined placental mosaicism have an increased risk of impaired fetal growth, suggesting the need for intensified antenatal surveillance.

Safety and tolerability of SARS-Cov-2 vaccination in patients with myasthenia gravis: A multicenter experience.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, myasthenia gravis (MG) patients have been identified as subjects at high risk of developing severe COVID-19, and thus were offered vaccination with priority. The lack of direct data on the safety and tolerability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in MG have contributed to vaccine hesitancy. To address this issue, the safety and tolerability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were assessed in a large cohort of MG patients from two referral centers. METHODS: Patients with confirmed MG diagnosis, consecutively seen between October and December 2021 at two MG centers, were enrolled. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and information regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection/vaccination were extracted from medical reports and/or collected throughout telephonic or in-person interviews. RESULTS: Ninety-eight (94.2%) of 104 patients included were administered at least two vaccine doses 4 weeks before the interview or earlier, and among them, 63 of 98 (64.2%) have already received the "booster" dose. The most frequently used vaccines were BNT162b2-Pfizer-BioNTech and mRNA-1273-Moderna. Overall, only minor side effects were reported, most commonly local pain and fever. MG worsening after vaccination was observed in eight of 104 (7.7%) cases. The frequency of worsening among muscle-specific tyrosine kinase MG cases (3/9, 33.3%) was significantly higher compared to other serological subgroups. Spontaneous symptom regression was observed in six of eight cases. Twelve of 104 (11.5%) patients had SARS-CoV-2 infection, and none of the SARS-CoV-2-infected MG patients worsened after vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the safety and tolerability of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which should be strongly recommended in MG patients, who could be at higher risk of complications if exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Fetal Biometry: A Method for Comparing Local Curve Populations with Those from Major Reference Standards.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to present a statistical method for assessing potential differences between fetal growth standard curves and local curve population. METHODS: This was an observational repeated measures longitudinal study. We used a simulation model to generate random distribution of the international population from the IG-21st for fetal AC using the original equations of means and standard deviations (SD) obtained by the fractional polynomial method. A general linear model (GLM) allowed us to calculate new equations originating from simulated intergrowth-21st data (SIM_IG21st) and to compare them, by visual inspection of the estimated coefficients and their 95% CI, with the original published. We used further GLMs for evaluating the goodness of fitting of our local curve and comparing the relative equations of means and SD with those of SIM_IG21st. Finally, the impact of percentile differences between the 2 curves was quantified. RESULTS: SIM_IG21st data yielded very similar coefficients than those of IG-21st reference to such an extent that means and SD and percentiles of interest were identical to the original. The comparison between SIM_IG21st curve and local curves showed a nonsignificant intercept and a slight difference of the 2 slopes (GA and GA3) for the equations of the mean. As a result, the local curve resulted in greater AC values. A difference in the intercept but not in the slopes (GA2, GA3, and GA3 * lnGA) was instead reported for the equations of the SD. In the percentile comparison, the local curve resulted in an overestimation of the 3rd and the 10th percentile that corresponded to the 4th and 12th percentiles of SIM_IG21st, respectively. CONCLUSION: This statistical method allows sonographers to assess potential differences between standard curves and local curve population, enabling a more proper identification of abnormal growth trajectories.

Quantification of Posterior Risk Related to Intrapartum FIGO 2015 Criteria for Cardiotocography in the Second Stage of Labor.

INTRODUCTION: Intrapartum cardiotocography (CTG) was used for several decades to detect a stressed fetus so that delivery can be expedited to prevent birth asphyxia. The main aim of the study was to calculate the risk of neonatal acidemia (pH ≤ 7.10) according to duration of the 2nd stage of labor and occurrence of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2015 CTG classification parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study on 552 pregnancies receiving continuous CTG monitoring in labor and immediate hemogasanalysis at birth. Cases with umbilical artery (UA) pH ≤ 7.10 and controls with UA pH ≥ 7.10 were matched for parity and gestational age at delivery, with ratio 1:5. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for the expected risk in the general population, was used to calculate the baseline risk of UA pH ≤ 7.10 in the absence of any CTG pathological feature and those associated with pathological CTG patterns occurring in the 2nd stage according to FIGO 2015. RESULTS: Seventy-three cases and 387 controls reached 2nd stage and were included in the analysis. For those reaching 2nd stage, the mean adjusted risk of acidemia associated with nonpathological CTG was 1.6%. Stratification of risk according to duration of the 2nd stage yielded risks of neonatal acidemia of 1.23, 2.08, 5.81, and 15.22% at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min, respectively. Bradycardia >10 min was associated with risk of neonatal acidemia of 9.9 and 15.8% for 2nd-stage durations of 30 and 60 min, respectively. Risks associated with 1 prolonged deceleration >5 min were 6.80, 11.08, 27.0, and 51.0% at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min, respectively. Repetitive late or prolonged decelerations >30 min were associated with risk of neonatal acidemia of 2.43, 4.14, 11.17, and 26.45% at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min, respectively. CONCLUSION: The risk of neonatal acidemia is directly proportional to duration of the 2nd stage, irrespective of the presence of CTG abnormalities, increasing 12-fold (1.2-15.3%) from 30 to 180 min. Occurrence of FIGO 2015 pathological CTG patterns showed a decreasing impact from bradycardia >10 min to decelerations >5 min, recurrent later or prolonged decelerations >30 min, and nonpathological CTG.

Ultra-micronized palmitoylethanolamide rescues the cognitive decline-associated loss of neural plasticity in the neuropathic mouse entorhinal cortex-dentate gyrus pathway.

Chronic pain is associated with cognitive deficits. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) has been shown to ameliorate pain and pain-related cognitive impairments by restoring glutamatergic synapses functioning in the spared nerve injury (SNI) of the sciatic nerve in mice. SNI reduced mechanical and thermal threshold, spatial memory and LTP at the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC)-dentate gyrus (DG) pathway. It decreased also postsynaptic density, volume and dendrite arborization of DG and increased the expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 and 7 (mGluR1 and mGluR7), of the GluR1, GluR1s845 and GluR1s831 subunits of AMPA receptor and the levels of glutamate in the DG. The level of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) was instead increased in the LEC. Chronic treatment with PEA, starting from when neuropathic pain was fully developed, was able to reverse mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, memory deficit and LTP in SNI wild type, but not in PPARα null, mice. PEA also restored the level of glutamate and the expression of phosphorylated GluR1 subunits, postsynaptic density and neurogenesis. Altogether, these results suggest that neuropathic pain negatively affects cognitive behavior and related LTP, glutamatergic synapse and synaptogenesis in the DG. In these conditions PEA treatment alleviates pain and cognitive impairment by restoring LTP and synaptic maladaptative changes in the LEC-DG pathway. These outcomes open new perspectives for the use of the N-acylethanolamines, such as PEA, for the treatment of neuropathic pain and its central behavioural sequelae.

Reference charts for umbilical Doppler pulsatility index in fetuses with isolated two-vessel cord.

PURPOSE: To determine reference values for umbilical Doppler pulsatility index in fetuses with isolated two-vessel cord and to compare these values with standard umbilical Doppler pulsatility index curves from 23 to 40 gestational weeks. METHODS: A retrospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted between January 2014 and December 2017 in a tertiary referral hospital and included 62 pregnant women with isolated single umbilical artery (two-vessel cord) and 174 measurements. Only uncomplicated term pregnancies were included. A reference curve for umbilical Doppler pulsatility index was built up and compared with a standard curve commonly used for fetuses with three-vessel cord. RESULTS: Umbilical Doppler pulsatility index values were much lower than expected in cases with two-vessel cord compared to 3-vessel cord: mean of the regression equations was 1.02 ± 0.23 vs. 0.86 ± 0.19, respectively (p value < 0.001). This difference was quite constant across the gestational weeks considered, showing that the slopes of the two regressions were very similar. CONCLUSION: Reference curves for umbilical Doppler pulsatility index in two-vessel cord pregnancies were determined. Pulsatility index values were significantly different compared with those commonly used for three-vessel cord. Using lower reference values for umbilical pulsatility index in cases with two-vessel cord may allow a better identification of fetuses affected with intrauterine growth restriction, thus improving fetal surveillance.

Higher rate of early-onset preeclampsia in pregnancies following oocyte donation according to increasing maternal age.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of maternal age on the incidence of early-onset preeclampsia requiring delivery before 34 weeks of gestation in pregnancies obtained after oocyte donation. METHODS: We carried out a prospective cohort analysis of 431 single and twin pregnancies, admitted to 3 Tertiary Referral Hospital in Northern Italy between 2008 and 2017. The rate of early-onset PE was calculated and stratified according to maternal age (from 30 to 49 years). A reference population of 11,197 single pregnancies collected prospectively at the first trimester of pregnancy in the same geographic area of Italy and in same hospitals was used to calculate the expected incidence of early-onset PE. RESULTS: In women who delivered after 24 weeks of gestation, the rate of early-onset PE was much higher in oocyte-donation pregnancies, reaching 6.7% (29/431), than the expected rate of 0.5% of the cohort of reference. The mean early PE rate was 4.1% (10/242) in singletons and 10.1% (19/189) in twin pregnancies. According to maternal age, the rate of early PE was 1.16% and 3.12% at 30 years, and 4.98% and 13.14% at 49 years in single and twin pregnancies obtained after oocyte donation, respectively. CONCLUSION: Pregnancies obtained after oocyte donation delivering after 24 weeks had a higher risk of early-onset PE requiring delivery before 34 weeks of gestation, than the general population. The risk is directly correlated with the increase of maternal age and is also higher in twin pregnancies.

Risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes by pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index among Italian population: a retrospective population-based cohort study on 27,807 deliveries.

PURPOSE: To estimate the impact of increasing pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) on the risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes, in patients who delivered in an Italian tertiary care Obstetric department. METHODS: Data, related to women who delivered at Sant'Anna Hospital, Turin, between 2011 and 2015, were collected retrospectively from the hospital database. According to BMI, women were considered as normal weight, overweight, and class 1, 2 and 3 obese (WHO criteria). Logistic regression analysis studied the impact of BMI on maternal and neonatal outcomes, adjusting results for maternal age and parity. Adjusted absolute risks of each outcome were reported according to incremental values in pre-pregnancy BMI. RESULTS: A total of 27,807 women were included. 75.8% of pregnancies occurred among normal-weight women, whereas 16.7% were overweight, and 7.5% obese women (5.4% class 1, 1.7% class 2 and 0.4% class 3). A 10% decrease in pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with a reduction of at least 15% of Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preeclampsia, maternal admission to intensive care unit (ICU), macrosomia, APGAR 5' < 6 and neonatal admission to ICU. GDM and preeclampsia resulted in the highest reduction being almost 30%. Larger differences in BMI (20-25%) corresponded to at least a 10% in reduction of risk of preterm and very preterm delivery and emergency cesarean section. Differences in maternal pre-pregnancy BMI had no impact on the frequency of shoulder dystocia and stillbirth. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers a quantitative estimation of negative impact of pre-pregnancy obesity on the most common pregnancy and perinatal complications.

Comparison of two "a priori" risk assessment algorithms for preeclampsia in Italy: a prospective multicenter study.

PURPOSE: To compare the performance of the algorithms proposed by the Fetal Medicine Foundation in 2012 and BCNatal in 2013 in an Italian population. METHODS: A multicentric prospective study was carried out which included pregnancies at 11-13 weeks' gestation from Jan 2014 through May 2017. Two previously published algorithms were used for the calculation of the "a priori" risk of preeclampsia (based on risk factors from medical history) in each individual. RESULTS: In a study population of 11,632 cases, 67 (0.6%) developed early preeclampsia and 211 (1.8%) developed late preeclampsia. The detection rates (95% CI) for early and late preeclampsia were 58.2% (45.5-70.2) vs. 41.8% (29.6-54.5) (p value < 0.05) and 44.1% (37.3-51.1) vs. 38% (31.3-44.8) (p value < 0.05) for the Fetal Medicine Foundation and BCNatal, respectively (at a 10% false positive rate). The associated risk was 1:226 and 1:198 (p value ns) for early PE, and 1:17 and 1:24 (p value ns) for late PE for the Fetal Medicine Foundation and BCNatal, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Fetal Medicine Foundation screening for preeclampsia at 11-13 weeks' gestation scored the highest detection rate for both early and late PE. At a fixed 10% false positive rate, the estimated "a priori" risks of both the Fetal Medicine Foundation and the BCNatal algorithms in an Italian population were quite similar, and both were reliable and consistent.

Perinatal Outcomes of Non-Primary Maternal Cytomegalovirus Infection: A 15-Year Experience.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate perinatal outcomes in case of non-primary maternal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of pregnant women with active CMV infection referred to our unit over a 15-year period (January 2000 to December 2014). Non-primary infection was diagnosed on the basis of the results of confirmatory serological and virological tests (avidity test, immunoblotting, real-time PCR-DNA). The vertical transmission rate and the percentage of symptomatic congenital infection were determined in this group of patients. RESULTS: A total of 205 pregnant women were enrolled. Congenital infection occurred in 7 (3.4%) fetuses/neonates. Symptomatic disease was present at birth in 3 of the 7 congenitally infected neonates (1.5%). Two out of 3 symptomatic newborns presented a pathologic second-trimester ultrasound scan. CONCLUSION: Maternal immunity offers substantial protection against intrauterine transmission of CMV infection, but not against disease once the fetus is infected.

Automated Measurement of the Angle of Progression in Labor: A Feasibility and Reliability Study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper was to assess the feasibility and reliability of a new automated method for the measurement of the angle of progression (AoP) in labor. METHODS: AoP was assessed using two-dimensional transperineal ultrasound by two operators in 52 women in active labor to evaluate intra- and interobserver reproducibility. The intermethod agreement between automated and manual techniques was analyzed by means of the intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman method. RESULTS: Automated measurements were feasible in all cases. Automated assessments correctly depicted the pubic symphysis and fetal head in 133 (85.3%) out of 156 on first assessments and in all 156 after repeating measurements once in case of incorrect first evaluation. The automated technique showed good intra- and interobserver reproducibility and very good agreement with the manual technique. AoP measured by the automated method were significantly wider than those done by the manual technique (119 ± 20° vs. 130 ± 20°, p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Automated assessment AoP is feasible and reproducible. However, measurements performed by the automated software are significantly different from those resulting from the previously published manual technique. In the light of our data, the automated technique does not seem ready yet for clinical use, and the AoP should be exclusively measured by the previously suggested manual technique.

Sonographic evaluation of the fetal spine position and success rate of manual rotation of the fetus in occiput posterior position: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate whether sonographic (US) diagnosis of the fetal spine position could increase the success rate of manual rotation of the fetal occiput (MRFO) in second-stage arrest in persistent occiput posterior position (OPP). METHODS: In this randomized controlled parallel single-center trial, 58 nulliparous in second-stage arrest of labor with fetus in cephalic presentation and OPP diagnosed by US were randomly assigned to group A where the fetal spine position was not known by the operator or to group B where the operator knew it. The main outcome was the success of MRFO in the two groups. Secondary outcomes were perineal injuries, blood loss, duration of expulsive period, and neonatal APGAR at 5 minutes. RESULTS: A priori knowledge of the spine position improves the success of the MRFO (41.4% group A versus 82.8% group B, p value < 0.001), the percentage of spontaneous deliveries (27.6% group A versus 69% group B, p value = 0.01), and maternal outcome (intact perineum and blood loss). No differences were detected on the neonatal side. CONCLUSIONS: MRFO is a safe and useful procedure that should be performed in second-stage arrest in OPP. A better performance was observed when supported by the US knowledge of the spine position. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:472-476, 2017.

Systematic review on first trimester three-dimensional placental volumetry predicting small for gestational age infants.

OBJECTIVE: A systematic review and pooled analysis was carried out to estimate (i) the reference values and (ii) the potential value of measuring the first-trimester 3D-placental volume (PV) for predicting small for gestational age (SGA) infants. METHOD: A comprehensive literature search for relevant studies was conducted using the PubMed and Web of Knowledge databases. A simulation model was generated to calculate the detection rate (DR) of the PV for SGA infants. A random variable was generated having the same number of cases, and the same means and standard deviation as those reported in the articles considered for the analysis. RESULTS: For the evaluation of the normal values of PV, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. Four also produced an equation for PV estimation at 11 to 14 weeks. The weighted mean PV [±standard error of mean (SEM)] of 7519 cases was 59.40 ± 1.533 mL. For the estimation of PV performance in predicting SGA, five studies were included. The DR of the PV was 24.7% (19.3-30.1) at a 10% false-positive rate. CONCLUSION: The mean PV estimation of the studies analyzed was burdened by a high degree of heterogeneity. Instead, discordant results were reported for the possible prediction of SGA infants using PV. Surprisingly, just two articles reported the DR for SGA infants and also had proper statistical power. The discriminatory ability of using PV alone for predicting SGA appears to be modest, but could successfully be integrated into a multivariable screening method for SGA infants.

Maternal plasma mRNA species in fetal heart defects: a potential for molecular screening.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the hypothesis that aberrant placental mRNA genes related to cardiogenesis can be detected in maternal plasma at the second trimester of pregnancy. METHODS: NanoString technology was used to identify aberrant genes, comparing 39 women carrying a fetus with a congenital heart defect (CHD) to 31 controls at 19-24 weeks of gestation. The genes with differential expression were subsequently tested using real time polymerase chain reaction. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to combine all the mRNA species with discriminant ability for CHD. A multivariable receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve having the estimated discriminant score as an explanatory variable was generated. RESULTS: Six genes with differential expression, namely FALZ, PAPP-A, PRKACB, SAV1, STK4 and TNXB2, were found. The ROC curve yielded a detection rate of 66.7% at a false positive rate of 10%. A higher discriminant score (>75(th) centile) was reached for 14 CHD cases (82.4%) and only 1 control (5.8%). Two cases (11.8%) of heart rhythm disorders also yielded a discriminant score value >75(th) centile. CONCLUSION: These data represent a step forward in the screening of CHDs. Additional studies are needed to detect more mRNAs with discriminant ability and to move the first trimester screening.