Ábel Altorjay

Pregnancy does not affect fecal calprotectin concentration in healthy women

BACKGROUND/AIMS Noninvasive activity markers are extremely important in conditions, such as pregnancy, when endoscopy is not recommended. The aim of this prospective study was to determine fecal calprotectin (FC) concentrations in healthy non-pregnant and pregnant women and in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). MATERIALS AND METHODS Healthy pregnant and non-pregnant women and patients with active and inactive IBD were prospectively enrolled in this study. Demographic and clinical parameters and clinical disease activity scores in patients with IBD were recorded. Blood and stool samples of every patient were obtained to determine C-reactive protein and FC levels. FC levels were measured with a quantitative lateral flow assay. RESULTS One hundred and thirty-five subjects were enrolled in the study (24 non-pregnant and 48 pregnant healthy women, 40 non-pregnant patients with active IBD and 23 non-pregnant patients with inactive IBD). FC was significantly higher in active IBD patients than in pregnant (p<0.001) and non-pregnant healthy women (p<0.001). No difference could be detected in FC concentrations between pregnant and non-pregnant healthy women. CONCLUSION Since FC levels remained unchanged during pregnancy, it may be a useful noninvasive diagnostic tool in pregnancy for monitoring mucosal inflammation.

Use of placental vascularization indices and uterine artery peak systolic velocity in early detection of pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes, chronic or gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia at risk

Aim We aimed to investigate correlations between uterine artery peak systolic velocity (AUtPSV), and placental vascularization in groups of normal blood pressure (NBP) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (chronic hypertension (CHT), gestational hypertension (GHT) and preeclampsia (PE)) alone or in combination with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and hypothesized that AUtPSV rises when GDM complicates pregnancy hypertension. Methods Placental 3-dimensional power Doppler indices, such as vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI), and vascularization-flow index (VFI), and uterine artery peak systolic velocity (AUtPSV) were measured in CHT (N = 43), CHT+GDM (N = 15), GHT (N = 57), GHT+GDM (N = 23) and PE (N = 17) pregnancies, and compared to NBP (N = 109). Correlations were analyzed between vascularization indices, AUtPSV, pregestational BMI and adverse pregnancy outcome rates. Results In our results VI was higher in CHT (P = 0.010), while FI was lower in CHT (P = 0.009), GHT and PE (P = 0.001) compared to NBP. In case of VFI, significant difference was found between CHT and GHT (P = 0.002), and NBP and PE (P = 0.001). FI was found prognostic for umbilical pH and neonatal birth weight. Pre-gestational BMI was significantly higher in GHT+GDM compared to GHT, and in CHT+GDM compared to the CHT group. As for AUtPSV, significant difference was found between NBP and CHT (P = 0.012), NBP and CHT+GDM (P = 0.045), NBP and GHT+GDM (P = 0.007), NBP and PE (P = 0.032), and GHT and GHT+GDM (P = 0.048) groups. Conclusion Our study revealed that vascularization indices and AUtPSV show significant differences due to gestational pathology, and can be useful in detection of pregnancies at risk.

Evaluation of placental vascularization indices in monochorionic diamniotic and dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies

OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate and compare placental vascularization indices between monochorionic-diamniotic, dichorionic-diamniotic normal twin pregnancies, and normal singular pregnancies. We hypothesized that there is correlation between placental three-dimensional power Doppler vascularization indices and birth weight in case of twin pregnancies, and that normal singular pregnancies have higher placental vascularization indices than normal twin pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN Placental three-dimensional power Doppler vascularization indices, such as vascularization index, flow index, and vascularization-flow index were measured in monochorionic-diamniotic (N = 15) and dichorionic-diamniotic (N = 36) normal twin pregnancies, and in normal singular (N = 109) pregnancies. Correlations were analyzed between vascularization indices, and birth weight, APGAR score, umbilical pH, umbilical venous bicarbonate, lactate, and base excess. RESULTS Vascularization indices and birth weight were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in normal singular gestations (vascularization index = 10.36, flow index = 46.08, vascularization-flow index = 4.08, average birth weight = 3377 g at 38.2 weeks average gestational age) compared to monochorionic-diamniotic and dichorionic-diamniotic normal twin pregnancies. No significant differences were found in vascularization indices between monochorionic-diamniotic and dichorionic-diamniotic normal twins. There were no significant differences in APGAR score, umbilical pH, umbilical venous bicarbonate, lactate, and base excess between groups examined (p < 0.01). We found strong linear correlations between placental vascularization indices and birth weight in both twin groups. CONCLUSION Placental three-dimensional power Doppler vascularization indices seem appropriate for predicting birth weight in monochorionic-diamniotic and dichorionic-diamniotic normal twin pregnancies. Our pilot study revealed reference values for vascularization indices in case of twin pregnancies examined.

P05.03: Correlation between placental vascularisation indices and histological findings of placentas in pregnancy hypertension

males. (Mean fetal weight: 0,65g vs 0,84g, p<.001 at ED17,5 and 1,01g vs 1,14g, p=.02 at ED18,5). Measured by ultrasounds, uterine artery resistance index (RI) was higher in late gestation in transgenic group. (mean RI: 0,63 vs 0,58, p= .029). In 29 mice studied by BOLD MRI, change in T2* differed significantly between STOX 1 and wild type in placental inner layer (8.2 msec vs 5.8 msec; p < .025), placental outer layer (6.1 msec vs 3.07msec; p < .005), and fetal brain (5.29 msec vs 9.09 msec; P = .004). There was no significant difference in the fetal liver (2.42 msec vs 2.5 msec; P = .25). Conclusions: STOX1-overexpressing mice constitute a reliable model of PE. BOLD MRI has the potential to pick up placental changes in such mice pre-eclamptic pregnancies as compared to normal ones.