We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
INTEGRA BIOSCIENCES AG

Download Mobile App




Events

09 Apr 2024 - 12 Apr 2024
15 Apr 2024 - 17 Apr 2024
23 Apr 2024 - 26 Apr 2024

Listeria May Pose Serious Threat Early in Pregnancy

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 01 Mar 2017
Print article
Image: In pregnant women, Listeria monocytogenes can cause miscarriage, as well as early pregnancy, stillbirth, and premature labor (Photo courtesy of the CDC).
Image: In pregnant women, Listeria monocytogenes can cause miscarriage, as well as early pregnancy, stillbirth, and premature labor (Photo courtesy of the CDC).
From their study of how Listeria affects the fetus, researchers suggest that infection with Listeria monocytogenes likely poses a greater risk of miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy than has been appreciated.

"Listeria has been associated with adverse outcomes in pregnancy, but particularly at the end of pregnancy," said senior author Ted Golos, of University of Wisconsin-Madison, "What wasn't known with much clarity before this study is that it appears it's a severe risk factor in early pregnancy."

"The problem with this organism is not a huge number of cases. It's that when it is identified, it's associated with severe outcomes," said co-author Charles Czuprynski, professor at UW-Madison. Pregnant women are warned to avoid many of the foods that can harbor Listeria, and severe outcomes have resulted in a zero-tolerance regulatory policy for Listeria in ready-to-eat foods.

But Listeria infection in pregnancy may go unnoticed; the few recognizable symptoms are nearly indistinguishable from the discomfort most newly pregnant women feel. Yet "it has a profound impact on the fetus," said Prof. Golos, "That's familiar now because we've been talking about the same difference in Zika virus."

For the study, Sophia Kathariou, professor at North Carolina State University, provided a strain of Listeria that caused miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature delivery in at least 11 pregnant women in 2000. Four pregnant rhesus macaques at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center were fed doses of the Listeria comparable to what one might encounter in contaminated food. Lead author Bryce Wolfe, a UW-Madison graduate student, monitored the speed and progression of Listeria's spread.

"What's particularly striking about the work Bryce did is the detailed information we now have about the organism," said Prof. Czuprynski, "she tracked it being shed in feces and showing up in the bloodstream. They did ultrasound analysis of the fetus, and could then show events in terms of where the organism was preceding fetal demise."

None of the monkeys showed obvious signs of infection before their pregnancies came to abrupt ends. But in tissue samples taken after each monkey experienced intrauterine fetal death, Wolfe found Listeria had invaded the placenta. "In that region there's a rich population of specialized immune cells, and it is exquisitely regulated," said Wolfe, "When you introduce a pathogen into the midst of this, it's not very surprising that it's going to cause some sort of adverse outcome disrupting this balance."

The researchers suggest the inflammation caused by the maternal immune response affects the placenta, preventing it from protecting the fetus. "It should be a barrier," said Prof. Golos, "But we're hypothesizing that the maternal immune system's attempt to clear the bacteria actually results in collateral damage to the placenta that then allows the bacteria to invade the fetus."

The results suggest Listeria (and perhaps other pathogens) may be the culprit in some miscarriages that usually go without diagnosed cause, but the bacteria's stealth and speed may still make it hard to control. "There are effective antibiotics available. It is treatable," said Wolfe, but "the fetus may be infected by the time anyone realizes the mother was infected."

The researchers plan to further investigate progression of infection and the maternal immune response to intracellular pathogens in pregnancy, in hope that such basic knowledge would help battle this and similar dangers, such as Zika virus.

The study, by Wolfe B et al, was published February 21, 2017, in the journal mBio.

Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
One Step HbA1c Measuring System
GREENCARE A1c
Complement 3 (C3) Test
GPP-100 C3 Kit
New
Gold Member
TORCH Panel Rapid Test
Rapid TORCH Panel Test

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: Reaching speeds up to 6,000 RPM, this centrifuge forms the basis for a new type of inexpensive, POC biomedical test (Photo courtesy of Duke University)

POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection

Exosomes, tiny cellular bioparticles carrying a specific set of proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, play a crucial role in cell communication and hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics.... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: MOF materials efficiently enrich cfDNA and cfRNA in blood through simple operational process (Photo courtesy of Science China Press)

Blood Circulating Nucleic Acid Enrichment Technique Enables Non-Invasive Liver Cancer Diagnosis

The ability to diagnose diseases early can significantly enhance the effectiveness of clinical treatments and improve survival rates. One promising approach for non-invasive early diagnosis is the use... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The low-cost portable device rapidly identifies chemotherapy patients at risk of sepsis (Photo courtesy of 52North Health)

POC Finger-Prick Blood Test Determines Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Neutropenia, a decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections), is a frequent side effect of certain cancer treatments. This condition elevates the risk of infections,... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The OvaCis Rapid Test discriminates benign from malignant epithelial ovarian cysts (Photo courtesy of INEX)

Intra-Operative POC Device Distinguishes Between Benign and Malignant Ovarian Cysts within 15 Minutes

Ovarian cysts represent a significant health issue for women globally, with up to 10% experiencing this condition at some point in their lives. These cysts form when fluid collects within a thin membrane... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.