Placental findings in non-hypertensive term pregnancies and association with future adverse pregnancy outcomes: a cohort study

Alisse Hauspurg; Emily K Redman; Vanessa Assibey-Mensah; W Tony Parks; Arun Jeyabalan; James M Roberts; Janet M Catov

doi:10.1016/j.placenta.2018.12.008

Placental findings in non-hypertensive term pregnancies and association with future adverse pregnancy outcomes: a cohort study

Placenta. 2018 Dec 15:74:14-19. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2018.12.008. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Authors

Alisse Hauspurg¹, Emily K Redman², Vanessa Assibey-Mensah³, W Tony Parks⁴, Arun Jeyabalan³, James M Roberts³, Janet M Catov⁵

Affiliations

¹ Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 300 Halket Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, 204 Craft Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address: janickia@upmc.edu.
² Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 300 Halket Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
³ Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 300 Halket Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh, 204 Craft Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
⁴ Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA.
⁵ Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 300 Halket Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

PMID: 30594310
DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2018.12.008

Abstract

Introduction: Women with adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) have excess risk of later life cardiovascular disease (CVD) perhaps related to an underlying high-risk vascular phenotype. We sought to determine if placental evidence of maternal malperfusion in uncomplicated pregnancies is associated with an increased risk of APOs in subsequent pregnancies.

Methods: 536 women with more than one delivery and an initial uncomplicated pregnancy with placental pathology examination between 2008 and 2012 were included. APOs (small for gestational age, preterm delivery, or preeclampsia) were identified for each delivery. Multivariable log-binomial regression was used to estimate the risk of an APO in a subsequent pregnancy associated with MVM lesions in index pregnancy with adjustment for covariates.

Results: Placental pathology from the initial pregnancy was compared between women with no APO in any pregnancy (-APO/-APO; n = 403) and women with an initial uncomplicated pregnancy and a subsequent adverse outcome (-APO/+APO; n = 133). Women with MVM lesions had an increased risk of an APO in a subsequent pregnancy relative to women with no MVM lesions after adjusting for covariates (aOR = 1.61; 95%CI = 1.06-2.46). Decidual vasculopathy was found in 13/133 (9.8%) of -APO/+APO women compared with 16/403 (4.0%) of -APO/-APO women, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.51 (95% CI = 1.31-4.80).

Discussion: MVM lesions found in placentas in uncomplicated pregnancies are associated with an increased risk of an adverse outcome in a subsequent pregnancy. Placental evidence of vascular malperfusion could offer a novel approach to risk stratification for subsequent pregnancy complications and perhaps future CVD.

Keywords: Adverse pregnancy outcomes; Decidual vasculopathy; Placental pathology; Preeclampsia; Preterm birth; Small for gestational age.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Female
Humans
Pennsylvania / epidemiology
Placenta / pathology*
Placenta / physiopathology
Placental Circulation*
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Outcome / epidemiology*
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Young Adult