Effects of exposure to multiple metallic elements in the first trimester of pregnancy on the risk of preterm birth.

Exposure to certain heavy metals has been demonstrated to be associated with a higher risk of preterm birth (PTB). However, studies focused on the effects of other metal mixtures were limited. A nested case‒control study enrolling 94 PTB cases and 282 controls was conducted. Metallic elements were detected in maternal plasma collected in the first trimester using inductively coupled plasma‒mass spectrometry. The effect of maternal exposure on the risk of PTB was investigated using logistic regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, restricted cubic spline (RCS), quantile g computation (QGC) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). Vanadium (V) and arsenic (As) were positively associated with PTB risk in the logistic model, and V remains positively associated in the multi-exposure logistic model. QGC analysis determined V (69.42%) and nickel (Ni) (70.30%) as the maximum positive and negative contributors to the PTB risk, respectively. BKMR models further demonstrated a positive relationship between the exposure levels of the mixtures and PTB risk, and V was identified as the most important independent variable among the elements. RCS analysis showed an inverted U-shape effect of V and gestational age, and plasma V more than 2.18 µg/L was considered a risk factor for shortened gestation length. Exposure to metallic elements mixtures consisting of V, As, cobalt, Ni, chromium and manganese in the first trimester was associated with an increased risk of PTB, and V was considered the most important factor in the mixtures in promoting the incidence of PTB.

Sex-Specific Alterations in Placental Proteomics Induced by Intrauterine Hyperglycemia.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with intrauterine hyperglycemia induces a series of changes in the placenta, which have adverse effects on both the mother and the fetus. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the placenta in GDM and its gender differences. In this study, we established an intrauterine hyperglycemia model using ICR mice. We collected placental specimens from mice before birth for histological observation, along with tandem mass tag (TMT)-labeled proteomic analysis, which was stratified by sex. When the analysis was not segregated by sex, the GDM group showed 208 upregulated and 225 downregulated proteins in the placenta, primarily within the extracellular matrix and mitochondria. Altered biological processes included cholesterol metabolism and oxidative stress responses. After stratification by sex, the male subgroup showed a heightened tendency for immune-related pathway alterations, whereas the female subgroup manifested changes in branched-chain amino acid metabolism. Our study suggests that the observed sex differences in placental protein expression may explain the differential impact of GDM on offspring.

A mutual comparison of pregnancy outcomes between different conception modes: a propensity score matching based retrospective cohort study.

Background: Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been reported to have negative effects on maternal and neonatal health. Ovulation induction (OI) was reported to be associated with alteration of epigenetic modification of mice embryos, and extinguishing the influence of ovulation induction and in vitro operations on maternal and neonatal health will bring benefits for reducing side effects. The present study aimed to determine whether ovulation induction alone and ART are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and whether ART could induce a higher risk than ovulation induction alone. Methods: A total of 51,172 cases with singleton live birth between Jan 2016 and May 2019 at the International Peace Maternal and Child Health Hospital were included in this study. Conception modes documented during registration were classified into natural conception (NC), OI, and ART. Pregnancy outcomes of the three groups with balanced baseline characteristics by propensity score matching were compared. The relative risks of maternal and neonatal outcomes were calculated by logistic regression analysis. Results: Compared with natural conception, infertility treatments are associated with gestational diabetes (OI: OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.31-2.27; ART: OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.26-2.20), preeclampsia/eclampsia (OI: OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.03-3.36; ART: OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.26-3.92). Even if gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, and placental problems were adjusted, infertility treatments are associated with birth before 37 weeks (OI: OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.28-3.12; ART: OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.08-2.69), low birth weight (OI: OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.23-3.91; ART: OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.05-3.45), and SGA (OI: OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.20-4.87; ART: OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.28-5.11). ART but not OI is associated with a higher risk of birth before 34 weeks (OR:3.12, 95% CI 1.21-8.05). By comparing the OI group with the ART group, we only found that ART could induce a higher ratio of placental problems (5.0%, 26/518 vs 2.1%, 11/519, p<0.05). Conclusion: Both OI and ART are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. ART induced comparable negative effects with OI on gestational complications, birth weight, and premature birth (<37 weeks). However, ART resulted in a higher risk of placental problems than group NC and OI. The incidence of birth before 34 weeks of gestation in the ART group tends to be higher than in the OI group, but not statistically significant. The side effects of ART may originate from OI.

Biallelic variants in RBM42 cause a multisystem disorder with neurological, facial, cardiac, and musculoskeletal involvement.

Here, we report a previously unrecognized syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder associated with biallelic loss-of-function variants in the RBM42 gene. The patient is a 2-year-old female with severe central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities, hypotonia, hearing loss, congenital heart defects, and dysmorphic facial features. Familial whole-exome sequencing (WES) reveals that the patient has two compound heterozygous variants, c.304C>T (p.R102*) and c.1312G>A (p.A438T), in the RBM42 gene which encodes an integral component of splicing complex in the RNA-binding motif protein family. The p.A438T variant is in the RRM domain which impairs RBM42 protein stability in vivo. Additionally, p.A438T disrupts the interaction of RBM42 with hnRNP K, which is the causative gene for Au-Kline syndrome with overlapping disease characteristics seen in the index patient. The human R102* or A438T mutant protein failed to fully rescue the growth defects of RBM42 ortholog knockout ΔFgRbp1 in Fusarium while it was rescued by the wild-type (WT) human RBM42. A mouse model carrying Rbm42 compound heterozygous variants, c.280C>T (p.Q94*) and c.1306_1308delinsACA (p.A436T), demonstrated gross fetal developmental defects and most of the double mutant animals died by E13.5. RNA-seq data confirmed that Rbm42 was involved in neurological and myocardial functions with an essential role in alternative splicing (AS). Overall, we present clinical, genetic, and functional data to demonstrate that defects in RBM42 constitute the underlying etiology of a new neurodevelopmental disease which links the dysregulation of global AS to abnormal embryonic development.

Effect of transvaginal Lactobacillus supplementation on reversing lower genital tract dysbiosis and improving perinatal outcomes in PCOS patients after IVF-FET: a study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Significant lower genital tract (LGT) dysbiosis and an associated lower rate of clinical pregnancy after in vitro fertilization-frozen embryo transfer (IVF-FET) among polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients have been previously reported by our group. We aimed to assess whether transvaginal Lactobacillus supplementation can reverse LGT dysbiosis and further improve perinatal outcomes in PCOS patients after IVF-FET. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a protocol for a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial in China. Women diagnosed with PCOS who are undergoing IVF-FET treatment will be recruited. Allocation to the intervention/control arms at a ratio of 1:1 will be executed by an electronic randomization system. Participants in the intervention arm will receive the live Lactobacillus capsule vaginally for 10 consecutive days before embryo transfer, while those in the control arm will receive standard individualized care. The primary outcomes will be the clinical pregnancy rate, implantation rate, and live birth rate. 16S rRNA sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry will be conducted to evaluate the LGT microbiome and systemic metabonomics before and after the intervention. A sample of 260 participants will provide 95% power to detect a 20% increase in the rate of clinical pregnancy (α = 0.025, one-tailed test, 15% dropout rate). A total of 300 participants will be recruited. DISCUSSION: This is the first large and multicenter randomized controlled trial aimed at assessing the efficacy of transvaginal Lactobacillus supplementation on restoring the LGT microbiome and improving perinatal outcomes in PCOS patients after IVF-FET. This pragmatic trial is promising for increasing the rates of clinical pregnancy and live birth in PCOS patients after IVF-FET. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical review approval was obtained from the Medical Research Ethics Committees of the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (15 October 2020, GKLW 2020-29). To maximize dissemination, these findings will be reported in open access publications in journals with high impact, and oral and poster conference presentations will be performed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR ChiCTR2000036460. Registered on 13 September 2020, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=59549 .

Follicle-stimulating hormone orchestrates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion of pancreatic islets.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is involved in mammalian reproduction via binding to FSH receptor (FSHR). However, several studies have found that FSH and FSHR play important roles in extragonadal tissue. Here, we identified the expression of FSHR in human and mouse pancreatic islet ß-cells. Blocking FSH signaling by Fshr knock-out led to impaired glucose tolerance owing to decreased insulin secretion, while high FSH levels caused insufficient insulin secretion as well. In vitro, we found that FSH orchestrated glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in a bell curve manner. Mechanistically, FSH primarily activates Gαs via FSHR, promoting the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) and calcium pathways to stimulate GSIS, whereas high FSH levels could activate Gαi to inhibit the cAMP/PKA pathway and the amplified effect on GSIS. Our results reveal the role of FSH in regulating pancreatic islet insulin secretion and provide avenues for future clinical investigation and therapeutic strategies for postmenopausal diabetes.

Noninvasive Evaluation of Fetal Zygosity in Twin Pregnancies Involving a Binary Analysis of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms.

Twin pregnancy constitutes significant risks for maternal and fetal health, which is usually detected by ultrasound examination at early gestation. However, the imaging-based approach may not accurately identify all twins confounded by practical or clinical variables. The analysis of fetal cell-free DNA in noninvasive prenatal screening assays can completement the ultrasound method for twin detection, which differentiates fraternal or identical twins based on their distinct genotypes. Here, a new noninvasive prenatal screening employing high-coverage next-generation sequencing for targeted nucleotide polymorphisms was developed for detection of zygosity and determination of fetal fraction in twin pregnancies. This method utilizes a binary analysis of both the number and allelic fraction of fetus-specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms to infer the zygosity. In 323 samples collected from 215 singleton, 90 dizygotic, and 18 monozygotic twin pregnancies, all 90 dizygotic twins were correctly detected, with a 100% sensitivity and a 100% specificity. In addition, this method can detect complex pregnancies, such as egg donors, contamination, and twins with complete hydatidiform mole. The fetus-specific fetal fraction change was monitored in nine dizygotic twin pregnancies, which demonstrated highly variable dynamics of fetal cell-free DNA turnover up to 7 weeks after twin reduction. Overall, this study provides a new noninvasive prenatal screening strategy for the accurate identification of twin zygosity and quantification of fetal fraction, which has important clinical implications for the management of twin pregnancies.

Carrier burden of over 300 diseases in Han Chinese identified by expanded carrier testing of 300 couples using assisted reproductive technology.

BACKGROUND: Expanded carrier screening (ECS) has become a common practice for identifying carriers of monogenic diseases. However, existing large gene panels are not well-tailored to Chinese populations. In this study, ECS testing for pathogenic variants of both single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy number variants (CNVs) in 330 genes implicated in 342 autosomal recessive (AR) or X-linked diseases was carried out. We assessed the differences in allele frequencies specific to the Chinese population who have used assisted reproductive technology (ART) and the important genes to screen for in this population. METHODOLOGY: A total of 300 heterosexual couples were screened by our ECS panel using next-generation sequencing. A customed bioinformatic algorithm was used to analyze SNVs and CNVs. Guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology were adapted for variant interpretation. Pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) SNVs located in high homology regions/deletions and duplications of one or more exons in length were independently verified with other methods. RESULTS: 64.83% of the patients were identified to be carriers of at least one of 342 hereditary conditions. We identified 622 P/LP variants, 4.18% of which were flagged as CNVs. The rate of at-risk couples was 3%. A total of 149 AR diseases accounted for 64.05% of the cumulative carrier rate, and 48 diseases had a carrier rate above 1/200 in the test. CONCLUSION: An expanded screening of inherited diseases by incorporating different variant types, especially CNVs, has the potential to reduce the occurrence of severe monogenic diseases in the offspring of patients using ART in China.

Sperm morphological abnormalities in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease are associated with the Hippo signaling pathway via PC1.

Background: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a hereditary kidney disorder mostly caused by mutations in PKD1 or PKD2 genes. Here, we report thirteen ADPKD males with infertility and investigated the sperm morphological defects associated with PC1 disruption. Methods: Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed to detect PKD1 variants in patients. Sperm morphology was observed by immunostaining and transmission electron microscopy, and the sperm motility was assessed using the computer-assisted sperm analysis system. The Hippo signaling pathway was analyzed with by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting in vitro. Results: The ADPKD patients were infertile and their sperm tails showed morphological abnormalities, including coiled flagella, absent central microtubules, and irregular peripheral doublets. In addition, the length of sperm flagella was shorter in patients than in controls of in in. In vitro, ciliogenesis was impaired in Pkd1-depleted mouse kidney tubule cells. The absence of PC1 resulted in a reduction of MST1 and LATS1, leading to nuclear accumulation of YAP/TAZ and consequently increased transcription of Aurka. which might promote HDAC6-mediated ciliary disassembly. Conclusion: Our results suggest the dysregulated Hippo signaling significantly contributes to ciliary abnormalities in and may be associated with flagellar defects in spermatozoa from ADPKD patients.

Effect of Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer on the Metabolism of Children in Early Childhood.

BACKGROUND: As a routine procedure in assisted reproductive technology (ART), it is crucial to assess the safety of frozen and thawed embryo transfer (FET). We aimed to investigate the metabolic profile of children conceived through FET in their early childhood. METHOD: A total of 147 children between the age of 1.5 and 4 years old, conceived through FET or naturally conceived (NC), were recruited. A total of 89 children, 65 in the FET group and 24 in the NC group (matched with the FET group based on children's BMI) were included in the final statistical analysis of biochemical markers and metabolomics. RESULTS: Children conceived through FET had a lower level of fasting insulin level and HORM-IR and a higher level of fasting glucose and APOE as compared to children naturally conceived. Metabolomics showed that there were 16 small differential metabolites, mainly including amino acids, carnitines, organic acids, butyric, and secondary bile acid between two groups, which enriched in Nitrogen metabolism, Butanoate metabolism, Phenylalanine metabolism, and D-Arginine and D-ornithine metabolism pathways. CONCLUSION: Although the FET group had a significantly higher level of APOE and fasting glucose, it cannot yet be considered that children in the FET group had an obvious disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the potentially more active intestinal flora and lower carnitine levels of children in the FET group suggested by metabolomics are worth further exploration.

Serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels are associated with perinatal outcomes in women undergoing IVF/ICSI: A multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level has long been considered as a serum biomarker of ovarian reserve clinically, while emerging data suggest that serum AMH level may also predict pregnancy outcomes. However, whether pregestational serum AMH levels are related to perinatal outcomes among women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles is unknown. Objective: To explore the association between different AMH levels and perinatal outcomes in women with live births in IVF/ICSI. Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted among three different provinces in China, from January 2014 to October 2019. A total of 13,763 IVF/ICSI cycles with 5657 live-delivery pregnant women and 6797 newborns were recruited. Participants were categorized into three groups according to the <25th (low), 25 to 75th (average), and >75th (high) percentile of serum AMH concentration. Perinatal outcomes were compared among groups. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on the number of live births. Results: Among women with singleton deliveries, low and high AMH levels increased the risk of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) (aOR1 = 6.02, 95%CI: 2.10-17.22; aOR2 = 3.65, 95%CI:1.32-10.08) and decreased the risk of macrosomia (aOR1 = 0.65, 95%CI:0.48-0.89; aOR2 = 0.72, 95%CI:0.57-0.96), while low AMH reduced the risk of large for gestational age (LGA, aOR=0.74, 95%CI:0.59-0.93) and premature rupture of membrane (PROM, aOR=0.50, 95%CI:0.31-0.79)compared with the average AMH group. In women with multiple deliveries, high AMH levels increased the risks of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM, aOR=2.40, 95%CI:1.48-3.91) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH, aOR=2.26, 95%CI:1.20-4.22) compared with the average AMH group, while low AMH levels increased the risk of ICP (aOR=14.83, 95%CI:1.92-54.30). However, there was no evidence of differences in preterm birth, congenital anomaly, and other perinatal outcomes among the three groups in both singleton and multiple deliveries. Conclusions: Abnormal AMH levels increased the risk of ICP regardless of the number of live births for women undergoing IVF/ICSI, while high AMH levels increased the risks of GDM and PIH in multiple deliveries. However, serum AMH levels were not associated with adverse neonatal outcomes in IVF/ICSI. The underlying mechanism warrants further investigation.

Effects of Particulate Matter on the Risk of Gestational Hypertensive Disorders and Their Progression.

Associations between particulate matter (PM) and gestational hypertensive disorders (GHDs) are well documented, but there is no evidence on the associations between PM and GHD progression, especially among those with assisted reproductive technology (ART) conceptions. To explore the effects of PM on the risk of GHDs and their progression among pregnant women with natural or ART conception, we enrolled 185,140 pregnant women during 2014-2020 in Shanghai and estimated the associations during different periods using multivariate logistic regression. During the 3 months of preconception, 10 µg/m3 increases in PM concentrations were associated with increased risks of gestational hypertension (GH) (PM2.5: aOR = 1.076, 95% CI: 1.034-1.120; PM10: aOR = 1.042, 95% CI: 1.006-1.079) and preeclampsia (PM2.5: aOR = 1.064, 95% CI: 1.008-1.122; PM10: aOR = 1.048, 95% CI: 1.006-1.092 ) among women with natural conception. Furthermore, for women with ART conceptions who suffered current GHD, 10 µg/m3 increases in PM concentrations in the third trimester elevated the risk of progression (PM2.5: aOR = 1.156, 95% CI: 1.022-1.306 ; PM10: aOR = 1.134, 95% CI: 1.013-1.270). In summary, women with natural conception should avoid preconceptional PM exposure to protect themselves from GH and preeclampsia. For women with ART conceptions suffering from GHD, it is necessary to avoid PM exposure in late pregnancy to prevent the disease from progressing.

Delivery and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women during the Shanghai lockdown: A retrospective analysis.

Objectives: Shanghai witnessed an unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 and experienced a strict lockdown from March 28, 2022 to May 31, 2022. Most studies to date are on the first lockdown after the outbreak in December 2019. This study aimed to examine the impact of lockdown on delivery and neonatal outcomes among uninfected pregnant women in the new phase of the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University. Pregnant women without COVID-19 who delivered from March 28, 2022 to May 31, 2022 (lockdown group) and the same period in 2021 (non-lockdown group) were recruited for this study. Logistic regression models and 1 : 1 propensity score matching (PSM) were used to assess the effect of lockdown on delivery outcomes. Results: A total of 2,962 patients were included in this study, 1,339 of whom were from the lockdown group. Compared with the non-lockdown group, pregnant women giving birth during lockdown had an increased risk of term prelabor rupture of membranes (TPROM) (aOR = 1.253, 95% CI: 1.026-1.530), and decreased risks of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) (aOR = 0.362, 95% CI: 0.216-0.606) and fetal malformation (aOR = 0.309, 95% CI: 0.164-0.582). The risk of large for gestational age (LGA) (aOR = 0.802, 95% CI: 0.648-0.992) and rate of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (aOR = 0.722, 95% CI: 0.589-0.885) also significantly declined. After 1 : 1 PSM, the impact of lockdown on the risk of TPROM (aOR = 1.501, 95% CI: 1.083-2.080), PPH (aOR = 0.371, 95% CI: 0.211-0.654), fetal malformation (aOR = 0.332, 95% CI: 0.161-0.684), LGA (aOR = 0.749, 95% CI: 0.594-0.945) and rate of admission to the NICU (aOR = 0.700, 95% CI: 0.564-0.869) all remained. There were no other delivery or neonatal outcomes affected by the lockdown after the COVID-19 outbreak. Conclusion: This study indicated a significant increase in the risk of term PROM, significant decreases in the risk of PPH, fetal malformation and LGA, and a marked decline in the rate of admission to the NICU during Shanghai Lockdown.

Parental mosaicism detection and preimplantation genetic testing in families with multiple transmissions of de novo mutations.

BACKGROUND: De novo mutations (DNMs) are linked with many severe early-onset disorders ranging from rare congenital malformation to intellectual disability. Conventionally, DNMs are considered to have an estimated recurrence rate of 1%. Recently, studies have revealed a higher prevalence of parental mosaicism, leading to a greater recurrence risk, resulting in a second child harbouring the same DNM as a previous child. METHODS: In this study, we included 10 families with DNMs leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes. DNA was extracted from tissue samples, including parental peripheral blood, parental saliva and paternal sperm. High-throughput sequencing was used to screen for parental mosaicism with a depth of more than 5000× on average and a variant allele fraction (VAF) detection limit of 0.5%. RESULTS: The presence of mosaicism was detected in sperms in two families, with VAFs of 2.8% and 2.5%, respectively. Both families have a history of multiple adverse pregnancies and DNMs shared by siblings. Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) and prenatal diagnosis were performed in one family, thereby preventing the reoccurrence of DNMs. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to report the successful implementation of PGT for monogenic/single gene defects in the parental mosaicism family. Our study suggests that mosaic detection of paternal sperm is warranted in families with recurrent DNMs leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes, and PGT can effectively block the transmission of the pathogenic mutation.

Associations between short-term and long-term exposure to particulate matter and preterm birth.

Despite the longstanding evidence on the effect of air pollutants on preterm birth (PTB), few studies have focused on its subtypes, including spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) and medically indicated preterm birth (miPTB). Most studies evaluated only the short-term or long-term effects of particulate matter (PM) on PTB. Thus, we designed this study, based on a cohort of 179,385 women, to evaluate both short- and long-term effects of PM with diameters ≤2.5 µm and ≤10 µm (PM2.5 and PM10) on PTB, sPTB and miPTB in Shanghai. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were applied to evaluate short-term effects. Lagged effects were identified using different lag structures. Exposure-response correlation curves were plotted using GAMs after adjustment for confounders. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated using logistic regression to estimate the long-term effect after adjustment for confounders. There was 5.67%, 3.70% and 1.98% daily incidence of PTB, sPTB, and miPTB on average. Every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10 was positively associated with PTB and sPTB at lag 2 day. The exposure-response curves (lag 2 day) indicated a rapid increase in sPTB for PM2.5 and a linear increase for PM10, in PTB for PM2.5 and PM10 at concentrations over 100 µg/m3. Regarding long-term exposure, positive associations were found between 10 µg/m3 increases in PM2.5 and PM10 in 3rd trimester and greater odds of sPTB (aOR: 1.042, 95% CI: 1.018-1.065, and 1.018, 95% CI:1.002-1.034), and during the 3 months before conception and miPTB (aOR: 1.023, 95% CI: 1.003-1.042, and 1.017, 95% CI: 1.000-1.036). Acute exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 at lag 2 day and chronic exposure in 3rd trimester was significantly associated with sPTB, while miPTB was related to chronic exposure during the 3 months before pregnancy. These findings indicate that susceptibility windows of PM exposure can be influenced by different underlying etiologies of PTB.

A PPARG Splice Variant in Granulosa Cells Is Associated with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: We explored whether there are splice variants (SVs) of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARG) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients and its relationship with clinical features and KGN cell functions. METHODS: We performed a study involving 153 women with PCOS and 153 age-matched controls. One type of PPARG SV was detected by SMARTer RACE. The correlations between PPARG SV expression levels, clinical features, and KGN cell functions were analyzed. The effect of the PPARG SV on the expression of important genes in metabolism-related pathways was explored by PCR array. RESULTS: The expression of the PPARG SV in PCOS patients was significantly higher than that in the controls. Clinical features were more significant in the PCOS group with the SV. Compared with overexpression of PPARG, the overexpression of the PPARG SV inhibited the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of KGN cells in vitro. The genes related to the PPARG SV were mainly involved in lipid metabolism. CONCLUSION: While granulosa cells contribute greatly to the development of follicles, our results suggest that the identified PPARG SV may regulate cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis in granulosa cells, which could partially explain the mechanisms of ovulation dysfunction in PCOS. Further investigation of the utility of this PPARG SV as a biomarker for PCOS is warranted.

The association between alteration of maternal lipid levels and birthweight at term: A within-family comparison.

Context: Maternal lipid levels affect birthweight and the long-term health of the offsprings. However, this association could be influenced by genetic and other common factors. Objective: This work aimed to explore the relationship between maternal lipid levels and birthweight of two pregnancies in the same mother. Methods: In this population-based cohort study, 705 women and their 1 410 offsprings were included. From an initial sample of women with more than one singleton birth in the database, we made the following exclusions: missing data for pre-pregnancy BMI, pregnancy weight gain, birthweight and lipid values; maternal age less than 19 or older than 44 years old; gestational age < 37 weeks or > 41weeks, gestational diabetes mellitus/diabetic. In the second and third trimesters, serum samples were collected for the determination of fasting total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Then we assessed the association between maternal lipids and birthweight. Results: Infants of women whose 2nd-trimester TC increased by 10th-20th percentile (-0.92~-0.56 mmol/L) from 1st to 2nd pregnancy were 239.69 (62.32~417.06) g lighter at birth than were infants of women those of 40th-50th percentile (-0.20~-0.03 mmol/L). Parity, gestational age, neonatal gender, maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, maternal weight gain, and 3rd-trimester TC and HDL-C were all associated with higher birth weight. Every unit increase in TC in the third trimester increases birthweight by 53.13 (14.32 ~91.94) g. Conclusion: Maternal TC level is associated with birthweight independent of shared genes. TC may be used to guide diet and predict birthweight combined with ultrasound and other indicators.

Genetic deconvolution of fetal and maternal cell-free DNA in maternal plasma enables next-generation non-invasive prenatal screening.

Current non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) analyzes circulating fetal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in maternal peripheral blood for selected aneuploidies or microdeletion/duplication syndromes. Many genetic disorders are refractory to NIPS largely because the maternal genetic material constitutes most of the total cfDNA present in the maternal plasma, which hinders the detection of fetus-specific genetic variants. Here, we developed an innovative sequencing method, termed coordinative allele-aware target enrichment sequencing (COATE-seq), followed by multidimensional genomic analyses of sequencing read depth, allelic fraction, and linked single nucleotide polymorphisms, to accurately separate the fetal genome from the maternal background. Analytical confounders including multiple gestations, maternal copy number variations, and absence of heterozygosity were successfully recognized and precluded for fetal variant analyses. In addition, fetus-specific genomic characteristics, including the cfDNA fragment length, meiotic error origins, meiotic recombination, and recombination breakpoints were identified which reinforced the fetal variant assessment. In 1129 qualified pregnancies tested, 54 fetal aneuploidies, 8 microdeletions/microduplications, and 8 monogenic variants were detected with 100% sensitivity and 99.3% specificity. Using the comprehensive cfDNA genomic analysis tools developed, we found that 60.3% of aneuploidy samples had aberrant meiotic recombination providing important insights into the mechanism underlying meiotic nondisjunctions. Altogether, we show that the genetic deconvolution of the fetal and maternal cfDNA enables thorough and accurate delineation of fetal genome which paves the way for the next-generation prenatal screening of essentially all types of human genetic disorders.

Maternal lipid profile during early pregnancy and birth weight: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Elevated maternal serum lipid concentrations have been related to an adverse intrauterine environment and lead to abnormal birth weight. Objective: In this study, we aimed to explore the association between maternal lipid profiles during early pregnancy and birth weight with stratified pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). Methods: This retrospective cohort study was based on a large population from two major maternity centers in Shanghai, China. We included 57,516 women with singleton live birth between January 2018 and October 2020. All of the enrolled women had fasting lipid concentrations measured in early pregnancy. The primary outcomes were birth weight and risks of adverse birth outcomes, including macrosomia, large for gestational age (LGA), low birth weight (LBW), and small for gestational age (SGA). Results: Higher maternal concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density cholesterol (LDL-c) in early pregnancy were associated with increased birth weight. Ln transformed TG and levels exhibited a positive association with LGA and macrosomia (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.42 and OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.24, 1.52) and showed a negative relationship with SGA (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.85). High TG (>75th percentile, 1.67 mmol/L) group also showed higher risks of LGA and macrosomia (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.28 and OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.31) and decreased prevalence of SGA (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.83). Moreover, significant combined effects of pre-pregnancy BMI and lipid profiles on LGA and macrosomia were identified. Conclusions: Elevated maternal lipid profiles in early pregnancy are associated with higher birth weight and increased risks of LGA and macrosomia. We propose that serum lipid profiles in early pregnancy and pre-pregnancy BMI could serve as screening indexes for high-risk women.

LncRNA THOR promotes endometrial cancer progression through the AKT and ERK signaling pathways.

The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) THOR is highly conserved and expressed in various human cancer tissues, although its potential role and underlying mechanism in endometrial cancer (EC) remain unknown. This study aims to explore THOR's biological function and molecular mechanism in EC progression. THOR expression in EC tissues and cell lines was detected by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH). THOR expression based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and clinical sample analyses was significantly higher in EC tissues than normal tissues, and higher THOR levels were closely associated with poor overall survival in EC. Additionally, a positive correlation between ISH-detected THOR expression and pathological grade was observed. CCK-8, colony formation, and transwell migration and invasion assays revealed that THOR significantly enhances the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of EC cells. Moreover, IGF2BP1 protein expression and ERK and AKT protein phosphorylation levels in EC cells increased significantly with THOR overexpression in EC cells. In conclusion, our findings suggest that THOR promotes EC cell growth and invasion, and IGF2BP1-mediated AKT and ERK signaling pathways activation might be involved. Clinically, THOR is significantly expressed in EC, and high THOR expression correlates with poor prognosis, making it a potential prognostic marker for EC.