title: Biological markers of stress in pregnancy: associations with chronic placental inflammation at delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the association between biomarkers of chronic stress during pregnancy and chronic placental inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  African-American and Caucasian pregnant women were recruited between May 2008 and July 2009. Blood samples were collected between 14 and 226/7 weeks and between 28 and 326/7 weeks of gestation. Samples were analyzed for serum C-reactive protein (CRP), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Placentas were collected at delivery and evaluated for chronic inflammation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Placentas were available from 88 of the 112 women enrolled in the study. EBV antibody levels were significantly higher during both the second and third trimester in women whose placentas demonstrated chronic villitis. CRP values also were significantly higher during the third trimester when chronic villitis was present. No association between placental chronic inflammation and CRH or ACTH was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic placental inflammation is associated with elevated serum EBV antibody and CRP levels during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA. linda-ernst@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Grobman
authors.forename: Kaitlin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: McDade
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Holl
authors.forename: Ann E B
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Borders
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002824:Chorionic Villi; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D003656:Decidua; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000097:blood; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015415:Biomarkers; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone