Enhanced common blood test could predict adverse outcomes in pregnancy, study suggests

FINDINGSA blood test commonly used to detect fetal genetic abnormalities can be modified to help predict complications associated with pregnancy before any symptoms develop, according to UCLA researchers and colleagues.Theirpreliminary study isthe first to link certain cell-free nucleic acids — genetic material shed from the placenta into the mother’s blood —to adverse outcomes in pregnancy, including ischemic placental disease and gestational diabetes,and to show that analyzing blood for such cell-free DNA signaturescould potentially predict these serious complications.The researchers found that during the first and early second trimesters, placenta-specific DNA increased among those women who went on to develop gestational diabetes. They also identified several differently expressed genes and created a model with a predictive value for adverse pregnancy outcomes.BACKGROUNDAlthough the analysis of genetic material in mothers ’ blood has been used to screen for genetic abnormalities in pregnancy,this is the first time these specific methods of screening for cell-free DNA signatures have been used as a means of providing a more accurate prediction.The research points to a promising approach that could improve outcomes for mothers and their babies using existing technologies, said the study ’s lead author, Dr. Sherin Devaskar, physician-in-chief of UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital and a distinguished professor of pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCL...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news