PubMed

• Vaginal microbes alter epithelial transcriptomic and epigenomic modifications providing insight into the molecular mechanisms for susceptibility to adverse reproductive outcomes November 28, 2023
  The cervicovaginal microbiome is highly associated with women's health with microbial communities dominated by Lactobacillus spp. being considered optimal. Conversely, a lack of lactobacilli and a high abundance of strict and facultative anaerobes including Gardnerella vaginalis , have been associated with adverse reproductive outcomes. However, the molecular pathways modulated by microbe interactions with the cervicovaginal […]
  Michal Elovitz
• Regulatory T cell adoptive transfer alters uterine immune populations, increasing a novel MHC-II^low macrophage associated with healthy pregnancy October 30, 2023
  Intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) - fetal loss after 20 weeks - affects 6 pregnancies per 1,000 live births in the United States, and the majority are of unknown etiology. Maternal systemic regulatory T cell (Treg) deficits have been implicated in fetal loss, but whether mucosal immune cells at the maternal-fetal interface contribute to fetal loss […]
  Emma L Lewis
• Cervicovaginal Microbial-Immune State and Group B Streptococcus Colonization in Pregnancy August 9, 2023
  CONCLUSION: Pregnant individuals with CV microbiota characterized by CST IV-A and CST II had significantly elevated risk of GBS RV colonization in the third trimester compared with those with CST I, and β-defensin-2 was an effect modifier of the association between CST IV-A and GBS RV+ status. Future research should investigate if manipulation of the […]
  Jennifer A McCoy
• Intrauterine colonization with Gardnerella vaginalis and Mobiluncus mulieris induces maternal inflammation but not preterm birth in a mouse model July 26, 2023
  CONCLUSIONS: Despite inducing an immune response, intrauterine infusion of live G. vaginalis or M. mulieris is not sufficient to induce sPTB in our mouse model. These results suggest that ascension of common vaginal microbes into the uterine cavity alone is not causative for sPTB.
  Andrea Joseph
• Impact of exposure to air pollution on cervicovaginal microbial communities June 24, 2023
  CONCLUSION: PM(2.5) was associated with CST IV, a risk factor for sPTB. Additionally, PM(2.5) exposure may partially explain racial differences in the prevalence of CST IV. Further research is warranted to discover how environmental exposures affect microbial composition and perpetuate racial health disparities.
  Inumidun H Oyebode
• The impact of postpartum social support on postpartum mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic June 2, 2023
  Social support is an influential component of postpartum recovery, adjustment, and bonding, which was disrupted by social distancing recommendations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports on changes in the availability of social support for postpartum women during the pandemic, investigates how those changes may have contributed to postpartum mental health, and probes how […]
  Lauren K White
• Questioning the fetal microbiome illustrates pitfalls of low-biomass microbial studies January 25, 2023
  Whether the human fetus and the prenatal intrauterine environment (amniotic fluid and placenta) are stably colonized by microbial communities in a healthy pregnancy remains a subject of debate. Here we evaluate recent studies that characterized microbial populations in human fetuses from the perspectives of reproductive biology, microbial ecology, bioinformatics, immunology, clinical microbiology and gnotobiology, and […]
  Katherine M Kennedy
• Intrauterine Inflammation Leads to Select Sex- and Age-Specific Behavior and Molecular Differences in Mice January 8, 2023
  Sex-specific differences in behavior have been observed in anxiety and learning in children exposed to prenatal inflammation; however, whether these behaviors manifest differently by age is unknown. This study assesses possible behavioral changes due to in utero inflammation as a function of age in neonatal, juvenile, and adult animals and presents potential molecular targets for […]
  Ana G Cristancho
• Clinician-reported childbirth outcomes, patient-reported childbirth trauma, and risk for postpartum depression August 28, 2022
  Childbirth trauma is common and increases risk for postpartum depression (PPD). However, we lack brief measures to reliably identify individuals who experience childbirth trauma and who may be at greater prospective risk for PPD. To address this gap, we used data from a racially diverse prospective cohort (n=1082). We collected survey data during pregnancy and […]
  Rebecca Waller
• Changes in preterm birth during the COVID-19 pandemic by duration of exposure and race and ethnicity August 16, 2022
  CONCLUSION: We detected no overall pandemic effects on PTB, but potential indirect benefits for some patients which could widen disparities remains possible.
  Anne M Mullin
• Gardnerella vaginalis alters cervicovaginal epithelial cell function through microbe-specific immune responses August 3, 2022
  CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show microbe-specific effects on CV epithelial function. Altered epithelial barrier function through cell death and immune-mediated mechanisms by G. vaginalis, but not L. crispatus, indicates that host epithelial cells respond to bacteria-associated signals, resulting in altered epithelial function and ultimately CV disease. Additionally, distinct immune signatures associated with Gardnerella […]
  Lauren Anton
• Maternal immune response and placental antibody transfer after COVID-19 vaccination across trimester and platforms June 28, 2022
  The availability of three COVID-19 vaccines in the United States provides an unprecedented opportunity to examine how vaccine platforms and timing of vaccination in pregnancy impact maternal and neonatal immunity. Here, we characterize the antibody profile after Ad26.COV2.S, mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2 vaccination in 158 pregnant individuals and evaluate transplacental antibody transfer by profiling maternal and […]
  Caroline G Atyeo
• Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Nondiabetic Patients with an Elevated Early Pregnancy HbA1c June 16, 2022
  CONCLUSION: In our urban population, an elevated early HbA1c was associated with spontaneous preterm birth in nondiabetic patients KEY POINTS: · In nondiabetic patients, early pregnancy HbA1c was associated with selected adverse outcomes.. · Rates of preterm birth, pregnancy-induced hypertension, cesarean section, and macrosomia were higher in patients with an elevated HbA1c.. · The relationship […]
  Whitney R Bender
• Prospective Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk 10 Years After a Hypertensive Disorder of Pregnancy June 16, 2022
  CONCLUSIONS: We found a 2.4-fold increased risk of hypertension 10 years after HDP. Differences in noninvasive measures of CV risk were driven mostly by the hypertension diagnosis, regardless of HDP history, suggesting that the known long-term risk of CVD after HDP may primarily be a consequence of hypertension development.
  Lisa D Levine
• Lipid metabolism in the cervicovaginal space during pregnancy June 9, 2022
  No abstract
  Kristin D Gerson