title: Impact of early- and late-onset preeclampsia on features of placental and newborn vascular health.
abstract: Offspring exposed to preeclampsia (PE) show an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. We hypothesize that this is mediated by a disturbed vascular development of the placenta, umbilical cord and fetus. Therefore, we investigated associations between early-onset PE (EOPE), late-onset PE (LOPE) and features of placental and newborn vascular health.
  
  
  
  We performed a nested case-control study in The Rotterdam Periconceptional Cohort, including 30 PE pregnancies (15 EOPE, 15 LOPE) and 218 control pregnancies (164 uncomplicated controls, 54 complicated controls including 28 fetal growth restriction, 26 preterm birth) and assessed macroscopic and histomorphometric outcomes of the placenta and umbilical cord.
  
  
  
  A significant association was observed between PE and a smaller umbilical vein area and wall thickness, independent of gestational age and birth weight. In EOPE we observed significant associations with a lower weight, length and width of the placenta, length of the umbilical cord, and thickness and wall area of the umbilical vein and artery. These associations attenuated after gestational age and birth weight adjustment. In LOPE a significant association with a larger placental width and smaller umbilical vein wall thickness was shown, independent of gestational age and birth weight.
  
  
  
  Our study suggests that PE is associated with a smaller umbilical cord vein area and wall thickness, independent of gestational age and birth weight, which may serve as a proxy of disturbed cardiovascular development in the newborn. Follow-up studies are needed to ultimately predict and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in offspring exposed to PE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Emilie M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alex J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Eggink
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anniek
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reijnierse
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martina A M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kerkhof
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pathology, Reinier de Graaf Hospital, Reinier de Graafweg 5, 2625 AD Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ronald R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: de Krijger
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anton J M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Roks
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Irwin K M
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.affiliation: Erasmus Optical Imaging Centre (OIC), Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alex L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Nigg
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paul H C
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Eilers
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eric A P
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Steegers
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: r.steegers@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Régine P M
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Steegers-Theunissen
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Placental dimensions; Preeclampsia; Umbilical cord vasculature; Vascular wall thickness