INTRODUCTION: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), originally an antimalarial drug, is currently used to treat multiple disorders, especially rheumatic diseases. Given its good efficacy and safety, HCQ is widely administered in pregnant patients. However, the safety profile of HCQ during pregnancy remains controversial due to limited research. In addition, HCQ has been reported to reduce preeclampsia in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and could potentially alleviate the symptom of preeclampsia. However, the clinical profile and molecular mechanism of HCQ in preeclampsia is yet to be fully understood. METHOD: We reviewed the literature on HCQ treatment in pregnancy with rheumatic diseases and preeclamp-sia in PubMed and Web of Science. We also discussed the safety of long-term therapy with HCQ during pregnancy. RESULTS: HCQ mainly modulates autoimmune response through inhibition of lysosomal function, toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-mediated oxidative stress and autophagy. Benefits of HCQ in treating rheumatic diseases, including antiphospholipid syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome during pregnancy, has been demonstrated in clinics. In particular, multiple clinical guidelines recommend HCQ as an indispensable therapeutic drug for pregnant patients with SLE. Additionally, it may potentially function in preeclampsia to improve clinical symptoms. CONCLUSION HCQ is effectively used for rheumatic diseases during pregnancy. The benefits of HCQ treatment in rheumatic diseases outweigh the risk of adverse reactions it induces in pregnant women.
Humans ; Hydroxychloroquine/pharmacology* ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Antirheumatic Agents/pharmacology* ; Rheumatic Diseases/drug therapy* ; Pregnancy Complications/drug therapy* ; Pre-Eclampsia/prevention & control* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/drug therapy* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome/drug therapy* ; Sjogren's Syndrome/drug therapy*

Preeclampsia (PE) is a unique complication of pregnancy that affects the health of the mother and the infant. Intestinal flora plays an important regulatory role in human body's metabolism and immunity and is associated with many diseases. Studies have shown that the development and progression of PE can lead to alterations in intestinal flora in the mother and are even closely associated with the colonization and development of intestinal flora in the offspring. This article reviews related studies on the effect of PE on maternal-infant intestinal flora, so as to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of maternal and infant complications associated with PE.
Female ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Infant ; Pre-Eclampsia/prevention & control* ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVETo estimate the effect of early intervention with aspirin for prevention of preeclampsia in high-risk women.

METHODSA systematic review and meta-analysis were performed based on the principles and methods of Cochrane systematic reviews. Electronic databases were searched for randomized trials comparing aspirin with either placebo or no aspirin. Studies were included when meeting the inclusion criteria that the participants were pregnant women at a high risk of preeclampsia and started aspirin therapy at 16 gestational weeks or earlier, which were assessed by two independent reviewers. Meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manger 5.3 software.

RESULTSA total of 5 studies involving 860 participants were included in the final analysis. In the high-risk women, early use of aspirin showed an OR of 0.35 (95% CI 0.17-0.75) for preventing pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), 0.75 (95% CI 0.47-0.98) for preeclampsia, 0.53 (95% CI 0.29-0.98) for intrauterine growth retardation, and 0.20 (95% CI 0.08-0.48) for preterm birth; the average birth weight in aspirin intervention group was 107.15 g (95% CI 76.13-138.18, P<0.001) more than that in the control group.

CONCLUSIONIn high-risk pregnancies, early aspirin intervention starting before 16 weeks of gestation can prevent PIH, preeclampsia, IUGR, and preterm birth and help to increase the birth weight.

Aspirin ; therapeutic use ; Birth Weight ; Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pre-Eclampsia ; prevention & control ; Pregnancy ; Premature Birth ; prevention & control ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

ABNORMALITIES during pregnancy are regarded as pathological pregnancy. Early detection of anomalies is urgent to take measures as soon as possible to prevent serious pregnancy complications. Procoagulant-anticoagulant imbalance is often the pathological basis of many pathological pregnancy conditions, leading to a hypercoagulable state. We compared the thromboelastographic parameters between pathological pregnancy and normal pregnancy patients, evaluated the value of thromboelastography in early detecting pathological pregnancy and predicting postpartum hemorrhage.
Diabetes, Gestational ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Postpartum Hemorrhage ; blood ; prevention & control ; Pre-Eclampsia ; blood ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic ; blood ; Thrombelastography ; methods ; Venous Thrombosis ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical value of the preeclampsia risk assessment system, and to explore the preventive effect of Qiju Dihuang Oral Liquid (QDOL) on preeclampsia patients.

METHODSTotally 2 000 pregnant women in the gestational week 16 -20 were equally assigned to Group A and Group B by randomized sampling. Their preeclampsia incidence was respectively assessed by preeclampsia risk assessment system and mean arterial pressure method. Of them, 200 pregnant women at predicted high risk of preeclampsia were assigned to the control group and the treatment group, 100 in each group. All received routine treatment. Patients in the treatment group additionally took QDOL, 10 mL each time, twice daily; 2 consecutive weeks per month for totally 2 weeks; lasting for six consecutive courses or ending according to the therapeutic course. The incidence was observed and compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe predicted coincidence rate of the risk assessment system was 72.3%, higher than that of mean arterial pressure method (50.5%, P < 0.05). The incidence rate of the treatment group was 32.0%, lower than that of the control group (46.0%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe preeclampsia risk assessment system was more accurate. QDOL could lower the incidence of preeclampsia as intervention.

Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Phytotherapy ; Pre-Eclampsia ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: It is uncertain whether preeclampsia (PE) is caused by pre-existing factors or by pregnancy itself. We want to answer this important question in public health by conducting a large pre-conception cohort in China. METHODS: A prospective and pre-conception cohort study with a target recruitment of 5000 couples who plan to have a baby within 6 months was performed and their conception, delivery, and postpartum were followed up in Liuyang county, Hunan Province of P. R. China. RESULTS: A total of 1915 young couples have been recruited into this unique pre-conception cohort till now. In general, both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure decreased in early second trimester from pre-conception level but increased in third trimester and at delivery. CONCLUSION The proposed pre-conception cohort study will have important theoretical and practical implications on the prevention of PE and its associated cardiovascular disease risks.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Pre-Eclampsia ; etiology ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Prospective Studies ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDUp to date, there is few satisfactory pharmacotherapy, except for aspirin and heparin, to stop the preeclampsia progression. Although the mechanism of preeclampsia is poorly understood, it has been proven to be associated with coagulation activation. Researches on prophylactic and therapeutic application of anticoagulants may benefit the clinical aspects of preeclampsia individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Danshensu on maternal syndrome in phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine (PS/PC) microvesicle induced-mouse model.

METHODSSixty-six preeclampsia-like pregnant mice, induced by PS/PC microvesicle administration, were randomly divided into six groups. From days 5.5 to 16.5 of pregnancy, each group was respectively treated as follows: a) mice in group C (n = 12, control group) were injected with 100 microl of filtered phosphate-buffered saline into the tail vein every day; b) group PE (n = 15, preeclampsia model group) were injected in the same way with 100 microl of filtered PS/PC vesicle suspension; c) group H (n = 9, group treated with heparin) were injected with 1 unit heparin together with PS/PC vesicle suspension; d) group A (n = 10, group treated with aspirin) were injected with 20 microg/g aspirin-DL lysine as well; e) group LD (n = 10, group treated with low-dose Danshensu) were injected with 10 microg/g Danshensu; and f) group HD (n = 10, group treated with high-dose Danshensu) were injected with 30 microg/g Danshensu. Systolic blood pressure, total urinary protein levels, blood tests for some hemostatic function parameters (mean platelet counts, plasma antithrombin III activity (AT-III), D-D dimmer levels, and thrombin time), fibrin deposition by phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin staining, and thrombomodulin expression by immunohistochemistry staining in placentas were examined as indices for maternal syndrome.

RESULTSHeparin showed significant effects on maternal syndrome of preeclampsia such as hypertension and proteinuria, and different doses of Danshensu also presented the certain effects. High-dose Danshensu and aspirin all demonstrated better effects than low-dose Danshensu on decreasing blood pressure to normal level, while high-dose Danshensu demonstrated better effects than aspirin and low-dose Danshensu on decreasing proteinuria to normal level. As to Danshensu's effects on hemostatic function, high- and low-dose Danshensu's marked effects on increasing the plasma AT-III activity were the same as that of aspirin and inferior to that of heparin. High-dose Danshensu's better effect on elevating the platelet counts was superior to low-dose Danshensu and aspirin. Low-dose Danshensu's obvious effect on decreasing D-D levels was close to heparin and superior to high-dose Danshensu and aspirin. High- and low-dose Danshensu's significant effects on reduced thrombin time level are same to heparin. Different anticoagulants all played improvement roles in placental fibrin depositions, but heparin and high-dose Danshensu's roles on lowering thrombomodulin expression in placentas were superior to low-dose Danshensu and aspirin. However, anticoagulant function of high-dose Danshensu was still inferior to heparin. We found long-term use of heparin and aspirin, in spite of low-dose administration, could raise the risk of bleeding such as placental abruption and intestinal hemorrhage. But no any side effect was observed in mice treated with different doses of Danshensu in our study.

CONCLUSIONSDanshensu has proven to be effective and safe in ameliorating the prognosis of maternal syndrome in a preeclampsia mouse model. We suggest long-term provision of low-dose Danshensu in pregnancy, leading to an improvement of preeclampsia syndrome with considerable maternal safety.

Animals ; Anticoagulants ; therapeutic use ; Aspirin ; therapeutic use ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Heparin ; therapeutic use ; Lactates ; therapeutic use ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Phosphatidylcholines ; adverse effects ; Phosphatidylserines ; adverse effects ; Placenta ; metabolism ; Pre-Eclampsia ; chemically induced ; prevention & control ; Pregnancy ; Random Allocation ; Thrombomodulin ; metabolism