Investigating the impact of thyroid antibodies on placental and vascular function in clinical samples and immortalized placental cell lines — ASN Events
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  3. Investigating the impact of thyroid antibodies on placental and vascular function in clinical samples and immortalized placental cell lines

Investigating the impact of thyroid antibodies on placental and vascular function in clinical samples and immortalized placental cell lines (#505)

Rebecca Brady 1 , Sarah Steane 2 , Melanie Young 3 , Danielle Borg 4 , Vicki Clifton 5 , Kerry Richard 3 , James Cuffe 1
  1. University of Queensland, West End, QLD, Australia
  2. Child Health Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane
  3. Conjoint Internal Medicine Laboratory, Pathology Queensland, Brisbane
  4. Mater Research Institute, Brisbane
  5. Pregnancy and Development Group, Mater Research Institute, Brisbane
  1. Background:

Thyroid antibodies (TAbs) are present in up to 20% of reproductive aged women, including those with normal thyroid hormone concentrations (euthyroid). TAbs in euthyroid women are commonly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage and preterm birth. Despite this, there is minimal research investigating how TAbs impact maternal and placental health in pregnancy. This study therefore aimed to address this, using samples and data from the Queensland Family Cohort study.

  1. Methods:

Thyroid parameters were assessed at 24 and 36 weeks gestation. The relationship between TAb+ and key pregnancy parameters including vascular function, and placental and fetal morphometry, was examined (N=227). Qpcr was performed in placentas from a subset of participants to look at markers of placental growth (N=134). IgG was purified from TAb+ and control plasma and added to HTR8/SVneo and human umbilical vein endothelial cells to determine effects of TAbs on two cell types important for placental function.

  1. Results:

Prevalence of TAb+ was 8.3% in this cohort with low sample size, and was not associated with any pregnancy complications. TAb+ was associated with a modest reduction in blood pressure at 36 weeks gestation and a small but significant reduction in neonatal head circumference. TAb+ did not affect uterine and fetal blood flow, or other aspects of infant morphometry. Results from the in vitro analyses demonstrated that TAb+ impact trophoblast migration but not endothelial cell angiogenesis, but this was likely an effect of IgG exposure in general and not specific to TAbs.

  1. Conclusions:

Overall, our study was likely underpowered to detect significant associations between TAb+ and pregnancy complications, although TAb+ was associated with impacts to blood pressure and infant morphometry. Preliminary evidence for potential mechanisms linking TAb+ to poor pregnancy outcomes in the in vitro analyses may have clinical implications, but further research is required.