Browsing by Author "Hsu, Chaur-Dong"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Cellular immune responses in amniotic fluid of women with a sonographic short cervix
    (2020) Galaz, Jose; Romero, Roberto; Xu, Yi; Miller, Derek; Levenson, Dustyn; Para, Robert; Varrey, Aneesha; Hsu, Richard; Tong, Anna; Hassan, Sonia S.; Hsu, Chaur-Dong; Gomez-Lopez, Nardhy
    Objectives: A sonographic short cervix is one of the strongest predictors of preterm delivery. However, the cellular immune composition of amniotic fluid in women with a short cervix has not yet been described. Herein, we determined cellular and soluble immune responses in amniotic fluid from pregnant women with a mid-trimester asymptomatic short cervix.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Cellular immune responses in amniotic fluid of women with preterm clinical chorioamnionitis
    (2020) Galaz, Jose; Romero, Roberto; Xu, Yi; Miller, Derek; Slutsky, Rebecca; Levenson, Dustyn; Hsu, Chaur-Dong; Gomez-Lopez, Nardhy
    Objective Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Some preterm births are associated with clinical chorioamnionitis; yet, this condition has been poorly investigated. Herein, we characterized the amniotic fluid cellular immune responses in women with preterm clinical chorioamnionitis. Methods and subjects Amniotic fluid samples were obtained from women with preterm clinical chorioamnionitis and a positive or negative microbiological culture (n = 17). The cellular composition of amniotic fluid was evaluated using fluorescence microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and flow cytometry. Women without preterm clinical chorioamnionitis were also examined (n = 10). Results Amniotic fluid from women with preterm clinical chorioamnionitis and a positive culture had: (1) abundant neutrophils associated with viable and non-viable bacteria, (2) neutrophils performing phagocytosis, (3) neutrophils forming NETs, (4) increased numbers of neutrophils, monocytes/macrophages, and CD4+ T cells, and (5) high expression of IL-1 beta by neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages. Amniotic fluid from women with preterm clinical chorioamnionitis and proven infection tended to have fewer monocytes/macrophages and CD4+ T cells compared to those without chorioamnionitis. Conclusion We provide the first morphologic and phenotypic characterization of the cellular immune responses in the amniotic cavity of women with preterm clinical chorioamnionitis, a condition associated with adverse neonatal outcomes.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Clinical chorioamnionitis at term X: microbiology, clinical signs, placental pathology, and neonatal bacteremia implications for clinical care
    (2021) Romero, Roberto; Pacora, Percy; Kusanovic, Juan Pedro; Jung, Eunjung; Panaitescu, Bogdan; Maymon, Eli; Erez, Offer; Berman, Susan; Bryant, David R.; Gomez-Lopez, Nardhy; Theis, Kevin R.; Bhatti, Gaurav; Kim, Chong Jai; Yoon, Bo Hyun; Hassan, Sonia S.; Hsu, Chaur-Dong; Yeo, Lami; Diaz-Primera, Ramiro; Marin-Concha, Julio; Lannaman, Kia; Alhousseini, Ali; Gomez-Roberts, Hunter; Varrey, Aneesha; Garcia-Sanchez, Angel; Gervasi, Maria Teresa
    Objectives: Clinical chorioamnionitis at term is considered the most common infection-related diagnosis in labor and delivery units worldwide. The syndrome affects 5-12% of all term pregnancies and is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality as well as neonatal death and sepsis. The objectives of this study were to determine the (1) amniotic fluid microbiology using cultivation and molecular microbiologic techniques; (2) diagnostic accuracy of the clinical criteria used to identify patients with intraamniotic infection; (3) relationship between acute inflammatory lesions of the placenta (maternal and fetal inflammatory responses) and amniotic fluid microbiology and inflammatory markers; and (4) frequency of neonatal bacteremia.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Microbial burden and inflammasome activation in amniotic fluid of patients with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes
    (2020) Theis, Kevin R.; Romero, Roberto; Motomura, Kenichiro; Galaz, Jose; Winters, Andrew D.; Pacora, Percy; Miller, Derek; Slutsky, Rebecca; Florova, Violetta; Levenson, Dustyn; Para, Robert; Varrey, Aneesha; Kacerovsky, Marian; Hsu, Chaur-Dong; Gomez-Lopez, Nardhy
    Background: Intra-amniotic inflammation, which is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, can occur in the presence or absence of detectable microorganisms, and involves activation of the inflammasome. lntra-amniotic inflammasome activation has been reported in clinical chorioamnionitis at term and preterm labor with intact membranes, but it has not yet been investigated in women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (preterm PROM) in the presence/absence of detectable microorganisms. The aim of this study was to determine whether, among women with preterm PROM, there is an association between detectable microorganisms in amniotic fluid and intra-amniotic inflammation, and whether intra-amniotic inflammasome activation correlates with microbial burden.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Toward a new taxonomy of obstetrical disease: improved performance of maternal blood biomarkers for the great obstetrical syndromes when classified according to placental pathology
    (2022) Romero, Roberto; Jung, Eunjung; Chaiworapongsa, Tinnakorn; Erez, Offer; Gudicha, Dereje W.; Kim, Yeon Mee; Kim, Jung-Sun; Kim, Bomi; Kusanovic, Juan Pedro; Gotsch, Francesca; Taran, Andreea B.; Yoon, Bo Hyun; Hassan, Sonia S.; Hsu, Chaur-Dong; Chaemsaithong, Piya; Gomez-Lopez, Nardhy; Yeo, Lami; Kim, Chong Jai; Tarca, Adi L.
    BACKGROUND: The major challenge for obstetrics is the prediction and prevention of the great obstetrical syndromes. We propose that defining obstetrical diseases by the combination of clinical presentation and disease mechanisms as inferred by placental pathology will aid in the discovery of biomarkers and add specificity to those already known.