19 Mar SRI 2024: Icahn Mt. Sinai Researchers Study Intricate Immune Changes Before and During Pregnancy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. DeBolt
Chelsea A DeBolt, MD
Assistant Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Significant immunological shifts, systemically and at the maternal-fetal interface, are required for a successful pregnancy. Yet, there is a paucity of comprehensive data investigating the systemic immune changes within the same individual transitioning from the non-pregnant to pregnant state.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: We found 109 differentially expressed genes in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy compared to prior to pregnancy with neutrophil activation and regulation of interferon and interleukin-1 pathways.
Pre-pregnancy obesity (BMI >30) was associated with increased gene expression in the TLR and inflammasome pathways.
Independent of pre-pregnancy obesity, there was an increase in neutrophils and decrease in memory T and naïve B cell subsets in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Within the same individual transitioning from a non-pregnant to pregnant state, intricate immune modulation unfolds, including changes in inflammatory mechanisms and immune cell dynamics.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a results of this study?
Response: Future work with larger sample sizes investigating not only systemic but local immune changes at the maternal-fetal interface is crucial to discern which ones may result in increased maternal health risks or promote increased vulnerability to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
I have no disclosures.
Citation: Research presented at the research at the 71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) in Vancouver, Canada from March 12-16 2024.
Revealing the complexity of immunobiological shifts from non-pregnant to pregnant state
Poster Session II Location: Exhibit Hall B, Convention Level – East
Presenter: Chelsea A, DeBolt, MD, Assistant Professor in the Raquel and Jaime Gilinski Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at Mount Sinai
• Significant immunological shifts, systemically and at the maternal-fetal interface, are required for a successful pregnancy. As immune perturbations are emerging as pivotal drivers of adverse maternal health, explaining how normal pregnancy alters maternal immunity is imperative. This study performed RNA sequencing in individuals prior to pregnancy and again at 16-24 weeks’ gestation, for a comparison analysis of expressed genes. The researchers examined the same individual transitioning from a non-pregnant to pregnant state, to reveal intricate immune modulation including changes in inflammatory mechanisms and immune cell dynamics. There future work will investigate these shifts to discern which ones may result in increased maternal health risks (i.e. infection) or promote increased vulnerability (i.e. obesity) to adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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Last Updated on March 19, 2024 by Marie Benz MD FAAD