Presenting Author:

Abbi Lane-Cordova, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator:

Mercedes Carnethon, Ph.D.

Department:

Preventive Medicine

Keywords:

Pregnancy, vascular dysfunction, preterm birth, small for gestational age

Location:

Third Floor, Feinberg Pavilion, Northwestern Memorial Hospital

PH43 - Public Health & Social Sciences Women's Health Research

Pre-pregnancy Endothelial Dysfunction and Birth Outcomes

Background: Women who experienced preterm birth (PTB) and small for gestational age (SGA) deliveries have increased risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD). Endothelial dysfunction is a form of subclinical CVD that may be involved in PTB and SGA and may also contribute to maternal CVD later in life. Purpose: To. To determine whether biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction are associated with increased odds of PTB and/or SGA. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that higher levels of biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction (ICAM, VCAM, e-selectin, p-selectin) would be associated with higher odds of PTB/SGA. Methods: We included 235 women from the Coronary Artery Risk Development In Young Adults (CARDIA) study who were nulliparous at the Y7 exam, reported at least one live birth through Y25 exam, and had at least one endothelial biomarker measured at Y7. We tested for associations between individual endothelial biomarkers; ICAM, VCAM, e-selectin, and p-selectin, and a combined score representing total endothelial activation with incident PTB/SGA using Poisson regression, adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics at the exam immediately preceding the index birth. Results: At Y7, there was no statistically significant difference in unadjusted levels of individual biomarkers between women who did not report PTB or SGA (n=176) versus women who reported PTB or SGA (n=59); ICAM: 127 ± 2 and 131 ± 4 ng/ml, VCAM: 536 ± 11 and 479 ± 19 ng/ml, e-selectin: 25 ± 1 and 28 ± 2 ng/ml, and p-selectin: 24 ± 1 and 25 ± 2 ng/ml, respectively. Endothelial activation (neither individual biomarker nor total score) was not associated with increased odds of PTB/SGA in an adjusted model: IRR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.74, 1.39 for combined score. Findings were similar by race. Conclusions: Circulating markers of endothelial dysfunction among young adult women did not identify women who eventually developed PTB/SGA. This suggests that the maternal endothelial dysfunction that is believed to contribute to PTB/SGA delivery may not occur before the onset of pregnancy.