Emerging data connect diet, the gut microbiota and its metabolites in cardiometabolic disease. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are common and are a leading cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity. HDP likely share similar pathophysiology as cardiometabolic disease in non-pregnant people with a yet unrevealed role of diet and the gut microbiota, including systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Despite high biological plausibility that nutrition, the gut microbiota and its metabolites may play a role in health and disease in pregnancy, there is a paucity of data regarding these associations, thus limiting advancement of the field. Similar to the proposed pathogenesis for diet, gut microbiota and the microbial metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) in cardiovascular disease, we hypothesize that the interplay between maternal diet, the gut microbiota and its associated microbial metabolites play a mechanistic role in HDP. We propose to test this hypothesis in a racially-diverse US cohort to determine association with adverse pregnancy outcomes, specifically future development of HDP. We propose to prospectively collect plasma and urine TMAO throughout pregnancy from a cohort of 200 pregnant participants. Through 1) characterizing plasma and urine TMAO levels across each trimester of pregnancy, and 2) assessment of this microbial metabolite as a predictor of development of HDP, we have the potential to identify a biomarker that would allow us to identify people at risk of HDP early in pregnancy and provide new opportunities for therapeutic interventions to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Age range
18 Years – 45 Years
Sex
FEMALE
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TMAO level
Timeframe: 10-14 weeks gestation
TMAO level
Timeframe: 24-28 weeks gestation
TMAO level
Timeframe: Delivery