Determination of organic pollutants in meconium and its relationship with fetal growth. Case control study in Northwestern Spain.

OBJECTIVES: Antenatal exposure to organic pollutants is a leading public health problem. Meconium is a unique matrix to perform prenatal studies because it enables us to retrospectively evaluate fetal exposure accumulated during the second and third trimester. The aim of the present study was to evaluate associations between organic pollutant levels in meconium and birth weight in NW Spain. METHODS: In this study, we quantify the concentrations of 50 organic pollutants together with the total values of the most important chemical groups in meconium using gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers were detected with the highest levels in meconium from small for gestational age newborns. It was estimated that several congeners were statistically significant (p<0.05). However, organophosphorus pesticides attained higher concentrations in newborns with an appropriate weight. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of transplacental transfer can be confirmed. Prenatal exposure to organic pollutants was associated with a decrease in birth weight and, therefore, organic pollutants could have an impact on fetal growth. Nevertheless, these results need validation in larger sample sized studies.

Association between placenta concentrations polybrominated and polychlorinated biphenyls and gestational diabetes mellitus: a case-control study in northwestern Spain.

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants begins in uterine life. The study was conducted to evaluate associations between gestational diabetes mellitus and the presence of persistent organic pollutants in placenta samples. They were derived from a birth cohort study in Ourense (NW Spain). Selective pressurized liquid extraction methodologies were used to determine targeted persistent organic pollutants in placenta samples. Cleanup of extracts was performed by solid-phase extraction using EZ-POP cartridges and detection by gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Statistical calculations were performed by comparing the values obtained in the case and control groups. Statistical significance was considered as p < 0.050. Results: The concentrations of several congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) presented lower levels in the placentas of expectant mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus when comparing them to the control cohort. This difference was statistically significant. It was revealed that this association was independent of obesity, age, parity, amenorrhoea at birth, or a family history of diabetes mellitus. To the best of our knowledge, this paper reported an inverse relationship between PBDE and PCB levels in placenta and gestational diabetes mellitus for the first time. We believe this may open a door to future studies in this field.

Prenatal exposure to organic pollutants in northwestern Spain using non-invasive matrices (placenta and meconium).

Human exposure to environmental organic pollutants (OPs) begins in the uterine life period by trans-placental transfer. Epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated the vulnerability of human fetuses and infants to the effects of OPs because of their rapid growth and organ development, cell differentiation, and immaturity of metabolism. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prenatal exposure to OPs characterized by different physicochemical properties using non-invasive biological samples (meconium and placenta). A total of 88 placenta and 53 meconium samples were collected in Ourense, a city located in northwestern Spain, at the delivery and after birth from mothers and their infants from the University Hospital of Ourense, respectively. Selective pressurized liquid extraction (SPLE) methodologies were used to determine the targeted OPs in the selected biological samples. Cleanup of extracts was performed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) using EZ-POP cartridges and detection by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (QqQ-MS/MS). The targeted OPs were detected with the following mean level total concentration order polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) > organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) > non-dioxin like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDLPCBs) > pyrethroids (PYRs) > polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) > dioxin like polychlorinated biphenyls (DLPCBs) > organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) for placenta and ΣNDLPCBs > ΣPAHs > ΣOCPs > ΣPYRs > ΣOPPs > ΣDLPCBs > ΣPBDEs for meconium, respectively. Significant correlations (p < .050) between the socio-demographic characteristics of the selected population (mother's parity, age, weight increase during pregnancy, place of living and smoking habits) and log transformed concentration of some of the targeted OPs (OCPs, PBDEs, PYRs, OPPs and PAHs) were detected. The results obtained shown the complementary information given by both biological samples selected. Nevertheless, additional research will be needed to gain an understanding of the trans-placental transfer of OPs, to choose the best biological matrix to evaluate the prenatal exposure to OPs in a correct way and to know their health implications.

Gestational diabetes: maternal programming / Diabetes gestacional: programming materno

Background: Gestational diabetes has been identified as a long-term risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Objectives: Based on the current scientific evidence, our objective was to increase our knowledge of the importance of gestational diabetes in women's future health. Material and methods: Retrospective study by searching for original articles and systematic reviews published in the databases PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library between 1999 and 2018. The key words used for the search were as follows: "Gestational diabetes mellitus and long-term consequences", "previous gestational diabetes mellitus", "gestational diabetes after delivery", "postpartum followup of women with gestational diabetes", "history of gestational diabetes mellitus", "after gestational diabetes mellitus", and "gestational diabetes and postpartum risk". The highest levels of evidence were selected. Results: We found 472 articles on gestational diabetes and its long-term effects on the mother. The articles were reviewed, and those with the lowest level of scientific evidence and all duplicate references were ruled out. Conclusions: There is sufficient clinical evidence linking gestational diabetes with subsequent development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. It is still not possible to determine from gestation which patients are most likely to have long-term complications. There is sufficient evidence that diabetes mellitus can be prevented. This is not the case for cardiovascular disease

Introducción: La diabetes gestacional se ha identificado como factor de riesgo a largo plazo para el desarrollo de diabetes mellitus tipo 2, hipertensión arterial crónica, síndrome metabólico y enfermedad cardiovascular. Objetivos: En base a la evidencia científica actual profundizar en el conocimiento de la transcendencia para la salud futura de la mujer que ha padecido una diabetes gestacional. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo mediante la búsqueda de artículos originales y revisiones sistemáticas publicados en las bases de datos: PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect y Biblioteca Cochrane entre los años 1999 y 2018. Se incluyeron, en los diferentes motores de búsqueda, las siguientes asociaciones de palabras clave: "Gestational diabetes mellitus and long-term consequences", "previous gestational diabetes mellitus", "Gestational diabetes after delivery" "postpartum followup of women with gestational diabetes", "History of gestational diabetes mellitus", "after gestatio-nal diabetes mellitus", "gestational diabetes and postpartum risk". Se seleccionaron los de mayor nivel de evidencia. Resultados: Se encontraron 472 artículos que relacionan la diabetes gestacional y sus efectos maternos a largo plazo, se procedió a su revisión y se descartaron los de menor nivel de evidencia científica y todas aquellas referencias duplicadas. Conclusiones: Existe suficiente evidencia clínica que relaciona la Diabetes gestacional con el desarrollo posterior de diabetes mellitus tipo 2, hipertensión arterial crónica, síndrome metabólico y enfermedad cardiovascular. Todavía no es posible determinar desde la gestación cuales son las pacientes con mayor probabilidad de complicaciones a largo plazo. Existe suficiente evidencia que la diabetes mellitus se puede prevenir, no así de las enfermedades cardiovasculares

Morbilidad y mortalidad a largo plazo en mujeres con antecedente de desprendimiento prematuro de placenta normoinserta / Long-term morbidity and mortality in women with a history of premature placental abruption normoinserta

Resumen OBJETIVOS: Analizar las consecuencias a largo plazo del desprendimiento prematuro de placenta normoinserta, principalmente la incidencia de enfermedad cardiovascular y secundariamente otras causas de morbilidad y mortalidad (diabetes, neoplasias o trastornos psiquiátricos). MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio de casos y controles, con recolección retrospectiva de datos de pacientes embarazadas que acudieron al Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense entre 1996 y 2008. El criterio de inclusión en el grupo casos fue el antecedente de desprendimiento prematuro de placenta normoinserta. El grupo control lo integraron pacientes con parto anterior y posterior al grupo de casos y que no habían sufrido desprendimiento de placenta. Las historias clínicas se analizaron mediante la recolección de datos de la "gestación índice" y se realizó el seguimiento a largo plazo para establecer el diagnóstico de hipertensión arterial, diabetes mellitus, enfermedad cardiovascular, neoplasias o alteraciones psiquiátricas. Para el análisis estadístico se requirió el programa SPSS15.0. Se consideró estadísticamente significativo el valor de p < 0.05. RESULTADOS: Se estudiaron 198 mujeres: 66 en el grupo de casos y 132 en el grupo control. Durante el seguimiento (15.8 ± 3.58 años), la incidencia de diabetes mellitus y dislipidemia fue mayor en el grupo de casos, pero sin significación estadística. No se encontraron diferencias en la incidencia de hipertensión arterial, síndrome metabólico, enfermedad cardiovascular ni trastorno ansioso-depresivo. En el grupo de casos se encontró una alta tasa de enfermedad neoplásica. CONCLUSIONES: No existe relación entre desprendimiento prematuro de placenta y enfermedad cardiovascular. Se carece de una explicación que justifique la alta tasa de patología tumoral en este grupo de pacientes.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To analyze if women with a history of premature placental abruption have a long-term increase in morbidity and mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Case-control study with retrospective data collection of pregnant women from the Hospital University Complex of Ourense between 1996 and 2008. The criteria for inclusion in the case group were the history of placental abruption. The control group was constituted by the women with previous and subsequent delivery to the case group and who had not presented placental abruption. The clinical histories were analyzed with data collection of the index pregnancy and a long-term follow-up was carried out to detect the subsequent diagnosis of arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, as well as neoplastic and psychiatric pathology. The statistical study was carried out using the SPSS15.0 computer program. Values of p < 0,05 were considered significant results. RESULTS: A total of 198 women were studied, of which 66 belong to the case group and 132 to the control group. In the follow-up period (15,8±3,58 years) the incidence of diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia was higher in the case group, but without statistical significance. No differences were found in the incidence of hypertension, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease or anxiety-depressive illness. In the case group, a high rate of oncological pathology was found. CONCLUSIONS: We found no relationship between the history of placental abruption and cardiovascular disease. We lack an explanation that justifies the high rate of tumor pathology in this group of women.