This is a research study designed to help identify preeclampsia in pregnant women earlier, and possibly lead to better treatment for women preeclampsia.
There is a paucity of biomarkers to predict preeclampsia and for predicting the severity of preeclampsia. This study was designed to identify novel biomarkers for both the prediction of preeclampsia in previously normal pregnancies and for the prediction of the severity of preeclampsia in preeclamptic women. The investigators plan to perform targeted testing for markers that the investigators predict based on their findings or based on available published evidence and the investigators also plan testing for novel markers using various approaches such as proteomics, lipidomics and genomics. The targeted markers will include Aquaporin 4 (AQP4), soluble aquaporin fragments, chemokines, and halogenated fatty acids in the plasma and/or spinal fluid. Aquaporin fragments and AQP4 have been hypothesized to correlate with severe headaches which are complications of severe preeclampsia. The investigators found in their murine studies that there is a correlation between the presence of halogenated fatty acids in the plasma and elevated blood pressure in a murine model of preeclampsia. The approaches will complement the targeted analyses to identify novel markers that have not been predicted yet.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
126
Up to three maternal blood samples collected from each participant, cerebrospinal fluid collected from each participant during spinal or combined spinal/epidural anesthesia, one umbilical cord blood sample obtained from each participant, four placenta samples obtained from each placenta from each participant
Up to three maternal blood samples collected from each participant, cerebrospinal fluid collected from each participant during spinal or combined spinal/epidural anesthesia, one umbilical cord blood sample obtained from each participant, four placenta samples obtained from each placenta from each participant
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Aquaporin 4 protein fragments in maternal blood plasma
The investigators plan to perform targeted testing for markers that the investigators predict based on their findings or based on available published evidence
Time frame: Between hospital admission and prior to epidural or combined spinal/epidural anesthesia
S100B protein fragments in maternal blood plasma
The investigators plan to perform targeted testing for markers that The investigators predict based on their findings or based on available published evidence
Time frame: Between hospital admission and prior to epidural or combined spinal/epidural anesthesia
Aquaporin 4 protein fragments in cerebrospinal fluid
The investigators plan to perform targeted testing for markers that the investigators predict based on their findings or based on available published evidence
Time frame: At the time of spinal or combined spinal/epidural anesthesia
S100B protein fragments in cerebrospinal fluid
The investigators plan to perform targeted testing for markers that the investigators predict based on their findings or based on available published evidence
Time frame: At the time of spinal or combined spinal/epidural anesthesia
Aquaporin 4 protein fragments in cord blood and placental samples
The investigators plan to perform targeted testing for markers that the investigators predict based on their findings or based on available published evidence
Time frame: Between delivery and 2 hours after delivery
S100B protein fragments in cord blood and placental samples
The investigators plan to perform targeted testing for markers that the investigators predict based on their findings or based on available published evidence
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Up to three maternal blood samples collected from each participant, cerebrospinal fluid collected from each participant during spinal or combined spinal/epidural anesthesia, one umbilical cord blood sample obtained from each participant, four placenta samples obtained from each placenta from each participant
Time frame: Between delivery and 2 hours after delivery
Fatty acids in maternal blood
The investigators plan to perform targeted testing for markers that the investigators predict based on their findings or based on available published evidence
Time frame: Between hospital admission and prior to epidural or combined spinal/epidural anesthesia
Fatty acids in cord blood and placental samples
The investigators plan to perform targeted testing for markers that The investigators predict based on their findings or based on available published evidence
Time frame: Between immediately post-delivery and 2 hours after delivery
Fatty Acids in cerebrospinal fluid
The investigators plan to perform targeted testing for markers that The investigators predict based on their findings or based on available published evidence
Time frame: during epidural or combined spinal/epidural anesthesia