Exosome Cargo From Preeclamptic Patients Mediates Endothelial Dysfunction, Subsequent Cardiovascular Remodeling, and the Preeclamptic Phenotype
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Summary
Although extensively studied, the cause of preeclampsia remains uncertain other than it is thought that the placenta plays a critical role in the development of preeclampsia. Recent data revealed that exosomes released from the placenta could cause preeclampsia by transporting specific cargo responsible for the pathophysiological changes associated with the systemic disease. By isolating these exosomes from maternal blood and placental tissue in patients diagnosed with preeclampsia and studying their biochemical, cellular and molecular mechanism in an animal model, the investigators hope to elucidate the critical role that exosomal cargo plays in the development of preeclampsia and cardiovascular remodeling. This will be accomplished by obtaining patient samples from volunteers delivering at the Women and Infants Center and taking the samples to the lab for quantification, characterization, and identification of key functional roles through in/ex vivo, in vitro, and profiling studies. The investigators believe this work will be valuable as hope exists to define the functional role exosomes play in the development of preeclampsia that leads to cardiovascular remodeling. Data from this study will shed more light on the functional role of exosomal cargo in normal and pathological pregnancies and point towards novel therapeutic intervention strategies for preeclampsia associated with cardiovascular disease.
Description
Study Update: In evaluating the contents of the exosome cargo, we have discovered two important biomarkers - vasorin and angiotensin - are inversely correlated in preeclamptic vs. healthy patients. The angiotensin to vasorin (ANG/VASN) ratio is low in healthy patients vs. elevated in preeclamptic patients. We would like to extend this study to collect more samples in an effort to further explore this biomarker relationship in exosome cargo. The device is the VENDYS-II device (Endothelix, Palo Alto, CA). It is a device approved by the FDA to measure vascular reactivity using non-invasive means…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–45 years
- Sex
- Female
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion 1. Preeclampsia patients: Age ≥ 18 years; Diagnosis of preeclampsia with severe features: 1. BP ≥160/110 after 20 weeks gestation AND ≥300 mg/day proteinuria or protein/creatinine ratio of 0.3 mg/dL; OR 2. BP ≥160/110 after 20 weeks gestation with any of the following co-conditions: platelet count less than 100,000 X 109/L, AST/ALT enzymes elevated to twice the upper limit of normal, serum creatinine ≥1.1 mg/dL or a doubling of the creatinine from baseline, pulmonary edema, new-onset headache, and/or visual disturbances. 2. Control patients: Age ≥ 18 years; no diagnosis of pr…
Interventions
- OtherSample collection
Blood, urine, placental samples, and the patient's vascular reactivity will be collected from each person enrolled in this study.
Location
- University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, Alabama