Analysis of cheek swabs taken from pregnant women revealed a potential epigenetic biomarker for preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition that often leads to preterm births. While a clinical trial is needed to confirm the results, a study offers hope that a simple test can be developed to identify preeclampsia earlier in pregnancy.
Currently preeclampsia is usually identified by symptoms, such as abnormally high blood pressure, which only appear in the second trimester of pregnancy. Sometimes the condition can go undetected until it becomes an emergency.
"If we have a biomarker for the susceptibility of preeclampsia, then there are some clinical management practices in the first trimester and early second trimester that could delay a preterm birth," said corresponding author Michael Skinner, a Washington State University biologist. The researchers found that the mothers with preeclampsia had 389 epigenetic modifications to areas known as DNA methylation regions. These modifications were not found in mothers without the condition. Also, this set of modifications had only a 15% overlap with epigenetics of the other mothers who experienced preterm birth but did not have the condition, indicating that these are epigenetic modifications specifically related to preeclampsia.
"Preterm birth, which is now more than 10% of all pregnancies, is causing to a large degree, the later-life health issues of every one of those preterm individuals," said Skinner."This is not only an issue for the individuals involved, but potentially a general health issue, and these types of steps forward could really have a big impact in reducing the disease burden on our population.
Epigenetics Pregnancy And Childbirth Teen Health Diseases And Conditions Medical Topics Chronic Illness Gynecology
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