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61 active trials for Preeclampsia

Cardiac and Immune Cell Function in Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a multi-system vascular disease which affects 2-5% of pregnancies. It is also a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease later in life and a number of functional and structural cardiac changes have been found in this population of patients. In mouse models disruption of a group of immune cells, neutrophils, has led to alteration of the placenta and offspring consistent with those seen in preeclampsia. These mice also have an abnormal cardiac function and structure (Nadkarni et al 2016). The investigators hypothesis that this may also occur in humans. This study aims to intimately link the maternal immunological and vascular components of cardiac dysfunction in women preeclampsia. The investigators hypothesise that in preeclampsia activated neutrophils may affect maternal immune system thus leading to myocardial injury and altered cardiac function. The study intends to identify the mechanisms by which the maternal immune system (focusing on neutrophil and T-cell subsets) affects cardiac function in women with preeclampsia. Specific aims to be addressed are: Aim 1: To correlate specific neutrophil phenotype(s) and function to cardiac function in women with preeclampsia during pregnancy Aim 2: To test whether specific activated neutrophil phenotype persists postpartum and whether this neutrophil phenotype correlates with cardiac function in women with preeclampsia postpartum The study population will comprise of 3 groups: Normotensive pregnant (~33 patients) Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH; New-onset hypertension after 20 weeks without proteinuria; ~33 patients) Preeclampsia (~34 patients) Cardiac function will be evaluated using cardiovascular magnetic resonance, echocardiography and cardiac markers in the blood. The participants immune system will be assessed from blood samples looking at the immune cells, hormone levels and inflammatory and non-inflammatory mediators. The secondary research objective is to investigate whether changes in the immune system and cardiac function in participants is persistent after delivery. Therefore participants will have scans and blood tests both antenatally and at 3 months postnatally. By identifying key changes in immune cell type and function with cardiac abnormalities in women with preeclampsia, data obtained from this study could provide novel insight into how the maternal immune system influences cardiac changes in normal and preeclamptic pregnancies. Identifying such links could pave the way for future therapeutic targets.

Start: November 2020
Low Doses of Aspirin in the Prevention of Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE) is a morbid and potentially lethal complication of pregnancy and is more common in women with specific risk factors. Aspirin (ASA) is currently the only prophylactic therapy for preeclampsia in high-risk women to be recognized by the US Preventive Task Force and should be initiated early in the second trimester of pregnancy, before 16 weeks of gestation. However, currently there is no literature comparing various low-dose ASA formulations in the risk reduction of PE. In the United States, the currently available low-dose ASA is over the counter and is found in 81mg tablets. Therefore, when clinicians initiate therapy with low dose ASA, they may prescribe 1 or 2 tablets of 81mg aspirin per day depending on personal preference and cannot be assisted by evidence to guide their decision.This study aims to determine the incidence of preterm PE or PE with severe features in women taking either 81mg or 162mg in a randomized setting, from a single center. The investigators hypothesize that the information gained from this trial will permit a more accurate sample size calculation for a larger clinical trial powered to accept or reject our testing hypothesis. If our hypothesis is rejected and 162mg of daily ASA is not associated with a lower incidence of severe or preterm PE compared to 81mg, this may be due to lack of power to detect a smaller effect. The investigators would then evaluate the feasibility and results and determine whether a larger trial is reasonable.

Start: October 2019
The Correlation Between Immunological Reaction of the Seminal Fluid in the Mother's Blood and Pregnancy Complications

It is known that if there isn't an efficient exposure to the paternal antigens before conception, there is an increased risk for the pre-eclampsia (PE) cascade and other pregnancy complications to take place. It is possible that maternal immune system that doesn't develop tolerance to the paternal antigens that the seminal fluid carries, doesn't developed an adequate immune tolerance to the trophoblast cells and due to that, they are being under greater attack during placentation. Thus, the cells don't go through a normal differentiation, don't perform normal pseudo-vasculogenesis and the PE cascade is more likely to be carried out. Both the maternal immune system and the paternal alloantigens have a role in the development of PE. Although the specific etiology remains unclear and can be only hypothesized. In this study the investigators aim is to try and prove that there is a difference in the immunological reactions to semen prior to conception and that these changes are related to PE and/or other obstetric complications. Hence the investigators aim to study the immune response to semen of women that will be exposed to the culprit semen for the first time compare to women that have been exposed to a culprit semen more than once previously (namely more than 1 insemination prior to the time of evaluation). After that, in a prospective cohort study the investigators would follow those women through their pregnancies and check for different pregnancy outcomes. In this manner, the investigators are hoping to create a screening tool that will help to predict pregnancy and fetal complications before conception related to maternal immune responses of paternal antigens.

Start: November 2020