Pre-Eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy that can lead to significant health complications for both the mother and the fetus. Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) occurs when significant amounts of bacteria are present in the urinary tract without causing symptoms such as burning, pain, or fever. Research suggests that persistent, asymptomatic bacterial growth can stimulate inflammatory responses and endothelial dysfunction, which may contribute to or worsen pre-eclampsia. However, local data regarding how frequently this condition occurs among pre-eclamptic women in Assiut remains limited. The primary purpose of this cross-sectional study is to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria among pregnant women diagnosed with pre-eclampsia admitted to or attending the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Women's Health Hospital, Assiut University. The study also aims to identify the specific bacterial species responsible for these infections, assess their antibiotic susceptibility profiles, and evaluate potential sociodemographic and clinical risk factors. Enrolled participants will be asked to complete a structured interview questionnaire regarding their medical history, obstetric history, and sociodemographic details. Each participant will provide a single clean-catch midstream urine sample for quantitative urine culture and microbiological analysis. Positive culture results will be communicated to the treating clinical team to guide targeted antibiotic management.

This study focuses on elucidating the changes of hemodynamics assessed by USCOM and respiratory mechanics assessed by impedance oscillometry (IOS) over the course of pregnancy and the postpartum period. Additionally, to understand how these changes over the course of gestation relate to the development of preeclampsia.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy frequently fail to resolve at delivery. A substantial proportion of women remain hypertensive at the six-week postnatal review, postpartum eclampsia occurs days to weeks after birth, and a minority show persisting renal dysfunction. Attendance at postnatal follow-up is nonetheless poor and specialist resources are limited, so a simple bedside test that identified the women whose cardiovascular recovery is incomplete would allow surveillance to be targeted. Ophthalmic artery Doppler is non-invasive, takes about five minutes and requires only a linear transducer already present in obstetric units. Its antenatal performance is well characterised, but a systematic review by this group (PROSPERO CRD420261488689) identified only three studies in thirty years addressing the postpartum period, two of which included a normotensive comparator, totalling 131 women. None reported a threshold or any measure of diagnostic accuracy, and none recorded antihypertensive treatment at the time of scanning. This prospective cohort study will measure ophthalmic artery Doppler indices at four timepoints between delivery and three months in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and in normotensive controls, and will determine whether the peak systolic velocity ratio measured 24 to 48 hours after delivery predicts persistent hypertension at the six-week postnatal review.

The objective of this research project is to conduct a single-site pilot trial to assess the feasibility and effect of low-dose aspirin to augment vascular recovery in the immediate postpartum period after preeclampsia through two specific aims: 1) to pilot test the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial of postpartum low dose aspirin vs. placebo, and 2) to assess the effect of postpartum aspirin on endothelial function and blood pressure. Our central hypothesis is that postpartum administration of low-dose aspirin following preeclampsia will be feasible, improve endothelial function, and lower BP at 6 months postpartum. Subjects will undergo 3 study visits involving BP measurements, blood draws, questionnaires, and/or microiontophoresis. Up to 60 adult subjects will be enrolled at Magee-Women's Hospital.

Background: Pregnancy imposes significant physical demands, with complications like gestational diabetes (GDM) and pre-eclampsia posing serious risks. Nutrition is crucial for mitigation, but accessing reliable guidance remains challenging. This study evaluates the feasibility of an AI chatbot providing nutritional guidance for managing these conditions. Methods: In a quasi-experimental design, 100 pregnant women will self-select into either the intervention group (n=50, using an AI chatbot) or control group (n=50, receiving standard care). The primary outcome is usability measured by the System Usability Scale (SUS) at 12 weeks, with an expected mean difference of ≥13 points. Secondary outcomes include technology acceptance (Technology Acceptance Model), user engagement, information accuracy, and changes in dietary knowledge/behaviors. Quantitative data will be analyzed using intention-to-treat and t-tests. Semi-structured interviews with 20 participants will explore user experiences through thematic analysis. Expected Results: The AI chatbot is anticipated to demonstrate superior usability and high user acceptance (TAM \>5.0/7), with improvements in dietary knowledge and behavior. Qualitative findings will provide insights into benefits, barriers, and engagement factors. Conclusion: This study will establish an evidence base on AI chatbot feasibility and acceptance for prenatal nutrition, informing tool optimization and future large-scale trials.

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of aerobic (AE), resistance (RE), and combination (AERE) exercise throughout pregnancy on selected maternal and fetal/neonatal physiological variables in women at-risk for preeclampsia. The central hypothesis of this project is that exercise will decrease severity and occurrence of preeclampsia symptoms, thus improving maternal, pregnancy, and birth outcomes. Aim 1. Determine the influence of different exercise modes during pregnancy at risk of preeclampsia on maternal cardiometabolic health. Aim 2. Determine the most effective exercise mode in pregnancy at risk of preeclampsia on improving birth and infant health outcomes.

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the effects of early initiation of double low-dose aspirin in pregnant women. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does this dose and timing of aspirin reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia compared to standard recommendations? Does this dose and timing of aspirin reduce the risk of pregnancy loss compared to standard recommendations? Participants will begin taking at no later than 6 weeks 6 days gestational age, either 162mg of aspirin through delivery or placebo until 12 weeks and then 81mg of aspirin through delivery.

This study aims to assess and analyze volume status in preeclamptic patients and compare these parameters with those of normotensive pregnant ones based on the change in internal jugular vein ultrasound-based indices.

Preeclampsia is a serious high blood pressure condition that can develop during pregnancy. It is one of the leading causes of death and illness for mothers and babies in Africa. Doctors find it hard to tell which women with high blood pressure in pregnancy will go on to become seriously ill, because the tests available today are not accurate enough and are often not available in local clinics. Two proteins in the blood, called sFlt-1 and PlGF, may help predict who is at risk. The balance between them (the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio) has been useful in other parts of the world, but it has not been properly tested in African women. New rapid tests can measure these proteins at the clinic in minutes, using a small blood or urine sample, without a large laboratory. This study will look at how well these tests work in African women. Researchers will do two things. First, they will work out the result levels that best predict whether a woman will or will not develop severe preeclampsia in the following weeks, using a well-established laboratory test as the standard for comparison. Second, they will check how closely the rapid clinic tests match that laboratory standard. The study will also look at what these tests cost and whether using them could save money for families and health services. The study will include about 1,106 pregnant women at large maternity hospitals in Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Tanzania. Women may join if they are between 23 and 37 weeks pregnant with one baby and their care team suspects preeclampsia, for example because of raised blood pressure, protein in the urine, or symptoms such as headache, swelling or vision changes. Taking part does not change a woman's medical care in any way. Women will attend their usual pregnancy visits, plus study visits at 1 week, 2 weeks and 4 weeks, at delivery, and about 4 weeks after birth. At these visits the study team will record health information and collect blood and urine samples. About 15 ml of blood (around one tablespoon) is collected at each visit. The test results are not used to make any decisions about a woman's treatment. Doctors and nurses caring for her will not see them, and neither will she. All treatment decisions stay with her own healthcare team. Routine tests such as blood counts and liver tests are shared with her care team as usual. The results of this study may help clinics in Africa spot dangerous preeclampsia earlier, so mothers and babies can be treated in time.

Pre-eclampsia (PET) is a condition characterised by high blood pressure and damage to other organs, and is a leading cause of maternal and fetal complications such as fetal growth restriction (FGR). Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) involves abnormal blood sugar levels during pregnancy and can have both short and long-term impacts on the health of the mother and child. Both conditions are linked to placental dysfunction but the precise mechanisms behind these links remain unclear. A major focus of this study is on extracellular vesicles (EVs) which are tiny, bubble-like particles released by the placenta into the mother's and baby's bloodstreams. These EVs act as messengers, carrying proteins, lipids and genetic material that can influence how cells function, even in parts of the body far from the placenta. Notably, the number and content of these EVs change in conditions like PET and GDM, suggesting they may play a role in the development of these complications. This single-site, observational, laboratory study aims to investigate how these EVs contribute to maternal health and disease. To enable analysis across different physiological and pathological conditions pregnant participants with healthy pregnancies, pregnancies predisposed to PET and pregnancies complicated by GDM, FGR and PET will be recruited alongside healthy non-pregnant controls. Recruitment will be from the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford (who fund the research). Demographic and clinical data will be collected as well as blood, urine, breath, voice, placenta, umbilical cord, umbilical cord blood, amniotic fluid and/or uterine vein blood samples. Through examining EV content and function, it is hoped a better understanding of their role in pregnancy complications will be gained, including their potential as non-invasive biomarkers for early detection and targeted treatments, improving outcomes for mothers and babies worldwide.

A randomized clinical trial to assess the efficiency of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) 150 mg/day started before 20 weeks of gestation in the prevention on maternal and fœtal complications in pregnant women with chronic hypertension.

Preeclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) are serious and frequent pathologies, specific to pregnancy. They represent 70 000 new cases a year, or 9% of pregnancies and cause 50,000 premature births per year in France. The consequences in terms of morbidity and perinatal morbidity and the medical and economic costs make it an issue public health. Pre-eclampsia associates maternal hypertension with dysfunction kidney. There is no cure for pre-eclampsia or IUGR vascular during pregnancy. These pathologies invariably evolve towards a maternal and / or fetal aggravation sometimes very fast. Primary prevention and secondary education and screening for these pathologies are still insufficient. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of these placental vascular pathologies is necessary for the development of supported medical, obstetric and pediatric that will improve the state of health maternal and neonatal

Preeclampsia, affecting 2-8% of pregnancies globally, is a leading hypertensive disorder in pregnancy. It is clinically characterized by elevated blood pressure (≥140/90 mmHg) after the 20th gestational week, often accompanied by proteinuria and systemic complications such as thrombocytopenia, liver dysfunction, and cerebral symptoms. This condition poses significant risks for both maternal and fetal health, increasing the likelihood of organ damage, preterm birth, and long-term cardiovascular and neurodevelopmental complications. Non-pharmacological interventions, including relaxation techniques, have been explored for symptom management. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) has shown efficacy in reducing stress, anxiety, and blood pressure. Recently, virtual reality (VR)-based relaxation techniques have gained attention for enhancing stress relief and improving health outcomes. This study aims to compare the effects of VR-based PMR with in-person PMR on maternal and fetal outcomes in preeclamptic pregnancies.

The aim of the study is to assess the accuracy of the automatic oscillometric BP measuring device at the brachial level, the WITHINGS BPM Pro 2, in pregnancy and pre-eclampsia

This study seeks to validate the hypothesis that nulliparous pregnant women after Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) are at high risk of preeclampsia and perinatal complications and represent a subgroup for which aspirin prophylaxis during pregnancy may be effective in the prevention of preterm preeclampsia and other perinatal adverse outcomes.

Pregnancy increases the risk of thrombosis. Placenta-mediated diseases are a risk factor for cardiovascular pathologies and can lead to maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality. It is essential to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of dysfunctions at the vascular-placental interface so that systemic vascular risk can be characterized and, ultimately, screened for, on the basis of new markers (targeted preventive management). Deregulated autophagy could be the starting point for cell death by apoptosis or necrosis leading to complications. The pathophysiological mechanisms involved in trophoblast apoptosis are incompletely described. This project follows on from the GrossAuTop-1 study, which investigated the intra- and inter-individual variability of autophagy and apoptosis activities in women during pregnancy. The aim of this project is to study autophagy and apoptosis activities specifically in women developing a placental vascular complication during pregnancy.

Study background High blood pressure during pregnancy is a worldwide health problem that can be dangerous to mothers and commonly causes premature birth and small babies. There is also growing evidence that mothers who suffer from high blood pressure in pregnancy, and their babies, have a higher risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease later in life. Previous studies have revealed detrimental changes in the structure and function of the heart and blood vessels of mothers, and their babies, who experience this common complication. These changes may explain their increased risk of later disease. The investigators have also learned through previous studies that tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), a molecule that has a role in blood vessel health, plays an important role in stabilising blood vessel function. Lower levels of BH4 are evident in both the placenta and the umbilical cord from mothers with high blood pressure. We, therefore, want to investigate how closely BH4 levels are related to clinical features of pre-eclampsia and whether altering levels of BH4, using a nutritional supplement, improves features of the disease such as blood vessel function. To do this, the investigators need to compare the levels of BH4 between mothers with pre-eclampsia, those taking the supplement and those without pre-eclampsia. The investigators also compare how the heart and blood vessels look and function in these groups using ultrasound methods, including echocardiography and fetal sonography. Study objectives CAREFOL-HT will assess how levels of BH4 differ in pregnant women with high blood pressure and if this is reflected in functional changes in the heart and blood vessels of these women. The investigators will also determine whether changing levels of BH4, using a tetrahydrofolate supplement (5-MTHF), changes blood vessel function.

High blood pressure (BP) affects approximately 1 in 10 pregnancies. About half of women with high blood pressure in pregnancy develop a serious complication called preeclampsia, which kills over 70,000 women and 500,000 babies every year worldwide. Despite its devastating impact, scientists know little about preeclampsia prevention or treatment. Research has shown that preeclampsia results mainly from an abnormal attachment of the placenta to the lining of the womb. In the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, placental attachment depends on the release of hormones (for example, progesterone) by a gland in the ovary called the corpus luteum. Low blood levels of progesterone in early pregnancy are associated with a reduced chance of having a live baby and higher risk of miscarriage. Giving progesterone to women at risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy reduces their chance of developing preeclampsia by nearly 40%. These results highlight the crucial role of the corpus luteum in normal pregnancy, but there is a need for high-quality studies to identify women whose corpus luteum may be defective. Giving these women medicines to treat corpus luteal defects may lead to normal attachment of the placenta, reducing the risk of pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia. The investigators propose a study that will investigate whether ultrasound features of the corpus luteum and blood and urine levels of corpus luteal hormones may predict preeclampsia.

Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition that typically affects pregnant women after the 20th week of pregnancy, characterized by high blood pressure and damage to organs such as the kidneys and liver. Currently, treatment options are limited, which has prompted researchers to explore alternative approaches. One such promising alternative is dietary nitrate found in vegetables like beetroot, as nitrate can be converted into nitric oxide in the body, which helps lower blood pressure. This study aims to determine the acute effects of nitrate-rich beetroot juice on blood pressure, several blood and salivary markers in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnant. Furthermore, the study will assess fetal blood flow using Doppler ultrasound. We want to understand the kinetics of nitrate and nitric oxide metabolites and assess the temporal dependency of the hypotensive response. Through this investigation, we seek evidence of nitrate-enriched beetroot juice as an adjunct therapy in managing pre-eclampsia.

The aim of this prospective observational cohort study is to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms behind and risk of pre-eclampsia in women pregnant after fertility treatment with oocyte donation. The participants are included in of of two cohorts. One includes women pregnant after oocyte donation whereas the other includes women pregnant after IVF treatment with autologous oocytes. Participants will be followed throughout pregnancy with blood samples, blood pressure, clinical controls and ultrasound examinations. Clinical outcomes will be registered post-partum.

This trial is a pilot-scale, single institution randomized, placebo-controlled trial to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of administering dapagliflozin for cardiovascular risk reduction in the postpartum period. The target population is patients at high risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes within five years post-delivery. Eligible participants will be randomized to receive either: 1) dapagliflozin (10mg daily) for six months (DAPA group) or 2) an orally administered, daily placebo (Control group). The study hypothesizes: The dapagliflozin group will have higher cardiovascular risk reduction scores than the Control Group.

The investigators will collect omental tissue (research surgical excision) and placental tissue (standard of care clinical delivery) from both preeclamptic and non-preeclamptic women during their c-section and use these samples to study the blood vessels, specifically the expression/activation of the AT2R.

Preeclampsia is one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal death. It is a syndrome of pregnant women and is usually characterized by new onset of hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation. This disease is a multisystem disorder affects most maternal organs, predominantly the vascular, renal, hepatic, cerebral and coagulation systems. While hypertension is almost always a symptom of this disease, preeclampsia is not the same as essential hypertension. This is a single-center, randomized, open-label, 4 period, 3-way crossover, single dose fasted study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of four ascending doses of the EG-101 IV injection in healthy volunteers. Twenty-four subjects in total, with eight subjects randomly assigned to one of three different sequences for variation of doses under fasted conditions. Dosing duration is approximately 4 weeks and followed by the follow-up for each subject.

The goal of this clinical trial is to find out whether giving vitamin D to pregnant women who had pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy helps prevent the condition from coming back. The main question it aims to answer is: Does vitamin D supplementation reduce the chance of pre-eclampsia recurring in pregnant women with a history of pre-eclampsia? To answer this question, pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nishtar Hospital Multan will be invited to join the study. Participants will be randomly assigned to two equal groups: * Vitamin D group: will take 4,000 IU of oral vitamin D until 36 weeks of gestation. * Placebo group: will receive a pill identical in appearance, taste, and consistency but without vitamin D. While on the study medication, each woman will visit the clinic every two weeks. At each visit, her blood pressure will be measured, and if it is 140/90 mmHg or higher, a urine test will check for protein to identify pre-eclampsia as per hospital protocol. Any diagnosis of pre-eclampsia will lead to standard care, and the outcome will be recorded. At the end, researchers will compare how many women in each group developed recurrent pre-eclampsia. This study will help answer whether vitamin D supplementation can safely reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia returning in women with a prior history - a question important for improving pregnancy outcomes and maternal health.

The aim of this study is preliminary exploration of the effectiveness and duration of autologous decidual-like NK cells therapy in improving uterine NK cells dysfunction.