Who Needs a Second Dose of Exogenous Surfactant?

OBJECTIVE: To identify prenatal and postnatal risk factors associated with surfactant redosing. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, single-regional center study including all infants born from 24 + 0 to 31 + 6 weeks of gestation in the Marche Region, Italy, and admitted to a single level III regional NICU from January 1, 2004, to February 28, 2021. Clinical factors associated with surfactant redosing were identified through logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 1615 consecutive admissions, 662 infants were treated with exogenous surfactant: 462 (70%) received a single dose and 200 (30%) received more than 1 dose (25.5% two doses and 4.5% three doses). Risk of redosing was higher for infants born to mothers with hypertension in pregnancy (OR 3.95, P < .001), for small for gestational age (SGA) infants (OR 3.93, P < .001) and when the first surfactant dose was 100 mg/kg instead of 200 mg/kg (OR 4.56/4.61, P < .001). Infants with greater GA, delayed first surfactant administration, and milder respiratory distress syndrome had reduced risk of redosing. Infants who required multiple surfactant doses had a higher rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and mortality, as well as longer duration of respiratory support than patients that received 1 dose. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension in pregnancy and SGA status were found to be statistically and clinically significant predictors of surfactant redosing. Understanding the pathophysiology of these conditions requires further investigation.

Apelin and Visfatin Expression in Placental Tissue in Women With Preeclampsia and Overweight/Obesity.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is a multifunctional and multisystem disorder. Several factors favor the development of PE, including obesity. Cytokines are also expressed in the placenta, predisposing to local alterations that favor the development of distinct pathological processes, including PE. This study aimed to evaluate the apelin and visfatin mRNA expression in the placental tissue of women with preeclampsia and overweight/obesity and correlates with maternal and fetal variables. METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical study was performed with 60 pregnant women and their newborns. Clinical, anthropometric, and laboratory variables were collected. Placental tissue samples were obtained, and the apelin and visfatin mRNA expression levels were assessed by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: The main findings evidenced lower levels of apelin expression in overweight/obese women, accompanied by a negative correlation with BMI and pre-pregnancy weight; a higher expression of apelin was also observed in women with late PE and no personal history of PE. For visfatin levels, higher expression levels were observed in women with late PE and term delivery. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between visfatin levels and fetal anthropometric parameters, such as weight, length, and head circumference. CONCLUSION: Apelin levels were less expressed in overweight/obese women. Apelin and visfatin levels were correlated/associated with maternal-fetal variables.

Sodium nitrite attenuates hypertension-in-pregnancy and blunts increases in soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 and in vascular endothelial growth factor.

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-associated disorder characterized by hypertension with uncertain pathogenesis. Increases in antiangiogenic soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and reductions in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability have been observed in preeclamptic women. However, the specific mechanisms linking these detrimental changes to the hypertension-in-pregnancy are not clearly understood. In this regard, while recent findings have suggested that nitrite-derived NO formation exerts antihypertensive and antioxidant effects, no previous study has examined these responses to orally administered nitrite in hypertension-in-pregnancy. We then hypothesized restoring NO bioavailability with sodium nitrite in pregnant rats upon NO synthesis inhibition with N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) attenuates hypertension and high circulating levels of sFlt-1. Number and weight of pups and placentae were recorded to assess maternal-fetal interface. Plasma sFlt-1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and biochemical determinants of NO formation and of antioxidant function were measured. We found that sodium nitrite blunts the hypertension-in-pregnancy and restores the NO bioavailability, and concomitantly prevents the L-NAME-induced high circulating sFlt-1 and VEGF levels. Also, our results suggest that nitrite-derived NO protected against reductions in litter size and placental weight caused by L-NAME, improving number of viable and resorbed fetuses and antioxidant function. Therefore, the present findings are consistent with the hypothesis that nitrite-derived NO may possibly be the driving force behind the maternal and fetal beneficial effects observed with sodium nitrite during hypertension-in-pregnancy. Certainly further investigations are required in preeclampsia, since counteracting the damages to the mother and fetal sides resulting from hypertension and elevated sFlt-1 levels may provide a great benefit in this gestational hypertensive disease.

Resultados clínicos y perinatales de los embarazos con hipertensión arterial en un hospital de referencia de la VIII Región de Chile / Clinical and perinatal outcomes associated with hypertension syndrome in pregnancy

Objetivo: Conocer los resultados clínicos, bioquímicos y perinatales asociados al síndrome de hipertensión del embarazo (SHE) en el Hospital Herminda Martín de Chillan. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo de registros clínicos (n=416) con diagnóstico de SHE en el periodo 2006 a 2008. Los registros disponibles fueron divididos en tres grupos de acuerdo al nivel de presión arterial: Grupo I (n=124) <140/90 mmHg; Grupo II (n=98) ³ 140-159/³ 90-109 mmHg y Grupo III (n=41)³ 160/110 mmHg. Adicionalmente, un subgrupo (n=85) fue dividido considerando el percentil de distribución del nivel de ácido úrico materno en: SHE con niveles bajos (p75). Se analizaron y compararon los grupos estudiados y se correlacionó las variables estudiadas con los resultados perinatales. Resultados: La prevalence de SHE fue de 3,8 por ciento. Las mujeres del grupo II y III muestran peores resultados clínicos y neonatales que las mujeres del grupo I. El índice de masa corporal (IMC), la presión arterial materna y el nivel de ácido úrico están relacionados negativamente con la antropometría neonatal. Además, la antropometría neonatal fue menor en las mujeres con niveles más altos de ácido úrico, situación que no obedece a la severidad de la hipertensión o el IMC materno. Conclusión: La presencia de SHE esta asociada a mayor morbilidad materna y neonatal. Este estudio permitió detectar deficiencias (e.L, falta de cumplimiento en criterio diagnóstico) y hacer recomendaciones sobre probables marcadores de riesgo perinatal (e.L, nivel de ácido úrico).

Aims: To know the clinical and biochemical spectra and perinatal outcomes associated with syndrome of hypertension in pregnancy (HP) in the Herminda Martin Hospital from Chilian. Methods: It is a retrospective study using clinical records with HP diagnosis (N=416) during 2006 to 2008. The available records were divided in three different groups according with arterial blood pressure: Group I (n=124) <140/90 mmHg; Group II (n=98) ³ 140-159/³ 90-109 mmHg and Group III (n=41)³ 160/110 mmHg. Additionally, a subset (n=85) was divided considering the percentile of the uric acid level in the mother as: HP with low (p75th) uric acid levels. The studied groups were analyzed and compared each other and quantitative variables were correlated with perinatal outcomes. Results: The prevalence of HP was 3.8 percent. Women in the groups II and III showed worse clinical and neonatal outcomes compared with women in the group I. Body mass index (BMI), maternal blood pressure and uric acid levels were negatively correlated with neonatal anthropometry. Moreover, neonatal anthropometry was lower in women with high uric acid levels, a situation that was independent of maternal hypertension or BMI. Conclusion: Hypertension in pregnancy was associated with high maternal and neonatal morbidity. This study allowed identifies some weaknesses (e.i., lack of compliance in diagnosis criteria) as well as suggest the potential role of perinatal risk markers (e.i., uric acid levels).