%0 Journal Article
%T Peripartum outcomes and immune responses after SARS-CoV-2 infection in the third trimester of pregnancy.
%A Shen Q
%A Dong S
%A Shah NK
%A Liang Y
%A Wang J
%A Shan YH
%A He J
%J BMC Pregnancy Childbirth
%V 24
%N 1
%D 2024 Jul 24
%M 39048938
%F 3.105
%R 10.1186/s12884-024-06707-5
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women during the third trimester resulted in overall adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to non-infected controls and a unique humoral and cellular response at delivery. In this study we aimed to assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on maternal/neonatal peripartum outcomes andimmunological profiles.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>In this study, we recruited 304 SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnant women and 910 SARS-CoV-2 non-infected pregnant women who were admitted for delivery. Peripartum and neonates' outcomes response to SARS-CoV-2 infection were analyzed. Furthermore, we characterized the antibody and cytokines profile in SARS-CoV-2 infected maternal blood (MB) and cord blood (CB). We also assessed routine laboratory tests and liver function tests in MB before labor. Unpaired T test, Mann-Whitney test and Spearman test were used to analyze the data.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnant women were significantly associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm labor (13.8% vs. 9.5%, p = 0.033) and meconium-stained amniotic fluid (8.9% vs. 5.5%, p = 0.039). The risk of low birth weight (< 2500 g) (10.5% vs. 6.5%, p = 0.021) and Apgar score < 8 at 1-minute (9.2% vs. 5.8%, p = 0.049) significantly increased in newborns from COVID-19 positive mothers than their counterparts. Our results showed that antibodies were increased in adverse-outcome SARS-CoV-2 infected mothers and their neonates, and abnormal proportion of immune cells were detected in SARS-CoV-2 infected mothers. While the immune response showed no difference between adverse-outcome infected pregnant women and normal-outcome infected pregnant women. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 infection during the third trimester of pregnancy induced a unique humoral and cellular response at delivery.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>SARS-CoV-2 infection closer to delivery could incline to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, the utmost care is required for SARS-CoV-2 infected pregnant women and their newborns.<BR><B>BACKGROUND: </B>The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the First Hospital of Jilin University with the approval code number 23K170-001, and informed consent was obtained from all enrolled patients prior to sample collection.