Association of circulating endothelin and noradrenaline with increased calcium‐channel binding sites in the placental bed in pre‐eclampsia

Ferreira-de-Almeida, J; Amenta, Francesco; Cardoso, Filomena; Polónia, Jorge

doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.1998.tb09944.x

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Similar data were found by others (1003). This is of particular interest in the present context since noradrenaline is well established as highly growth stimulatory to Gram-negative microorganisms [e.g., Ref.…”

Section: Metabolomic Biomarkerssupporting

confidence: 92%

A Dormant Microbial Component in the Development of Preeclampsia

Kell

Kenny

2016

Front. Med.

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Preeclampsia (PE) is a complex, multisystem disorder that remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnancy. Four main classes of dysregulation accompany PE and are widely considered to contribute to its severity. These are abnormal trophoblast invasion of the placenta, anti-angiogenic responses, oxidative stress, and inflammation. What is lacking, however, is an explanation of how these themselves are caused. We here develop the unifying idea, and the considerable evidence for it, that the originating cause of PE (and of the four classes of dysregulation) is, in fact, microbial infection, that most such microbes are dormant and hence resist detection by conventional (replication-dependent) microbiology, and that by occasional resuscitation and growth it is they that are responsible for all the observable sequelae, including the continuing, chronic inflammation. In particular, bacterial products such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), also known as endotoxin, are well known as highly inflammagenic and stimulate an innate (and possibly trained) immune response that exacerbates the inflammation further. The known need of microbes for free iron can explain the iron dysregulation that accompanies PE. We describe the main routes of infection (gut, oral, and urinary tract infection) and the regularly observed presence of microbes in placental and other tissues in PE. Every known proteomic biomarker of “preeclampsia” that we assessed has, in fact, also been shown to be raised in response to infection. An infectious component to PE fulfills the Bradford Hill criteria for ascribing a disease to an environmental cause and suggests a number of treatments, some of which have, in fact, been shown to be successful. PE was classically referred to as endotoxemia or toxemia of pregnancy, and it is ironic that it seems that LPS and other microbial endotoxins really are involved. Overall, the recognition of an infectious component in the etiology of PE mirrors that for ulcers and other diseases that were previously considered to lack one.

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Section: Metabolomic Biomarkerssupporting

confidence: 92%

A Dormant Microbial Component in the Development of Preeclampsia

Kell

Kenny

2016

Front. Med.

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“…An interesting early study [935] found that venous plasma noradrenaline was raised by 67% in pre-eclamptics vs controls. Similar data were found by others [936]. This is of particular interest in the present context since noradrenaline is well established as highly growth stimulatory to Gram-negative microorganisms (e.g.…”

Section: Metabolomic Biomarkerssupporting

confidence: 90%

A Dormant Microbial Component in the Development of Pre-Eclampsia¹

Kell

Kenny

2016

Preprint

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Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a complex, multi-system disorder that remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnancy. Four main classes of dysregulation accompany PE, and are widely considered to contribute to its severity. These are abnormal trophoblast invasion of the placenta, anti-angiogenic responses, oxidative stress, and inflammation. What is lacking, however, is an explanation of how these themselves are caused.We here develop the unifying idea, and the considerable evidence for it, that the originating cause of PE (and of the four classes of dysregulation) is in fact microbial infection, that most such microbes are dormant and hence resist detection by conventional (replication-dependent) microbiology, and that by occasional resuscitation and growth it is they that are responsible for all the observable sequelae, including the continuing, chronic inflammation. In particular, bacterial products such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), also known as endotoxin, are well known as highly inflammagenic and stimulate an innate (and possibly trained) immune response that exacerbates the inflammation further. The known need of microbes for free iron can explain the iron dysregulation that accompanies PE. We describe the main routes of infection (gut, oral, urinary tract infection) and the regularly observed presence of microbes in placental and other tissues in PE. Every known proteomic biomarker of “pre-eclampsia” that we assessed has in fact also been shown to be raised in response to infection. An infectious component to PE fulfils the Bradford Hill criteria for ascribing a disease to an environmental cause, and suggests a number of treatments, some of which have in fact been shown to be successful.PE was classically referred to as endotoxaemia or toxaemia of pregnancy, and it is ironic that it seems that LPS and other microbial endotoxins really are involved. Overall, the recognition of an infectious component in the aetiology of PE mirrors that for ulcers and other diseases that were previously considered to lack one.Insight, innovation, integrationMany descriptors of pre-eclampsia are widely accepted (e.g. abnormal trophoblast invasion, oxidative stress, inflammation and altered immune response, and anti-angiogenic responses). However, without knowing what causes them, they do not explain the syndrome. The Biological Insight of this manuscript is that there is considerable evidence to the effect that each of these phenomena (hence PE) are caused by the resuscitation of dormant bacteria that shed (known and potent) inflammagens such as LPS, often as a consequence of iron availability. PE is thus seen as a milder form of sepsis. The Technological Innovations come from the use of molecular markers (of microbes and omics more generally, as well as novel markers of coagulopathies) to measure this. The Benefit of Integration comes from bringing together a huge number of disparate observations into a unifying theme.

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“…Some evidence implicate endothelial cell injury as a basic pathogenic mechanism in NMPM resulting in impaired synthesis of vasodilators and a possible increase in production of vasoconstructors like ET 13 . The potent vasoconstrictor action of ET, together with elevated maternal plasma levels of ET and high levels of ET in umblical vessels and fetal blood 6,9 , 14−17 have been reported in pre‐eclampsia. In another study Zunker et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%