Abstract

A previous study suggested that fetal inheritance of chromosomally integrated human herpesvirus 6 (ici-HHV6) is associated with the hypertensive pregnancy disorder preeclampsia (PE). We aimed to study this question utilizing cord plasma samples (n = 1276) of the Finnish Genetics of Preeclampsia Consortium (FINNPEC) cohort: 539 from a pregnancy with PE and 737 without. We studied these samples and 30 placentas from PE pregnancies by a multiplex qPCR for the DNAs of all nine human herpesviruses. To assess the population prevalence of iciHHV-6, we studied whole-genome sequencing data from blood-derived DNA of 3421 biobank subjects. Any herpes viral DNA was detected in only two (0.37%) PE and one (0.14%) control sample (OR 2.74, 95% CI 0.25–30.4). One PE sample contained iciHHV-6B and another HHV-7 DNA. The control’s DNA was of iciHHV-6B; the fetus having growth restriction and preterm birth without PE diagnosis. Placentas showed no herpesviruses. In the biobank data, 3 of 3421 subjects (0.08%) had low level HHV-6B but no iciHHV-6. While iciHHV-6 proved extremely rare, both fetuses with iciHHV-6B were growth-restricted, preterm, and from a pregnancy with maternal hypertension. Our findings suggest that human herpesviruses are not a significant cause of PE, whereas iciHHV-6 may pose some fetal risk.

Details

Title
Fetal cord plasma herpesviruses and preeclampsia: an observational cohort study
Author
Häkkinen, Inka 1 ; Yazgeldi Gunaydin, Gamze 1 ; Pyöriä, Lari 2 ; Kojima, Shohei 3 ; Parrish, Nicholas 3 ; Perdomo, Maria F. 2 ; Wedenoja, Juho 4 ; Hedman, Klaus 2 ; Heinonen, Seppo 5 ; Kajantie, Eero 6 ; Laivuori, Hannele 7 ; Kere, Juha 8 ; Katayama, Shintaro 1 ; Wedenoja, Satu 9 

 University of Helsinki, Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Helsinki, Finland (GRID:grid.7737.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 0410 2071); Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland (GRID:grid.428673.c) (ISNI:0000 0004 0409 6302) 
 University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Virology, Helsinki, Finland (GRID:grid.7737.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 0410 2071) 
 Genome Immunobiology RIKEN Hakubi Research Team, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences and RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Yokohama, Japan (GRID:grid.7597.c) (ISNI:0000000094465255) 
 University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Helsinki, Finland (GRID:grid.7737.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 0410 2071) 
 University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki, Finland (GRID:grid.15485.3d) (ISNI:0000 0000 9950 5666) 
 Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Public Health Promotion Unit, Helsinki and Oulu, Finland (GRID:grid.14758.3f) (ISNI:0000 0001 1013 0499); Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, PEDEGO Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu, Finland (GRID:grid.412326.0) (ISNI:0000 0004 4685 4917) 
 Tampere University Hospital, Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tampere, Finland (GRID:grid.412330.7) (ISNI:0000 0004 0628 2985); Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Tampere, Finland (GRID:grid.502801.e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2314 6254); University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Medical and Clinical Genetics, Helsinki, Finland (GRID:grid.15485.3d) (ISNI:0000 0000 9950 5666) 
 Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland (GRID:grid.428673.c) (ISNI:0000 0004 0409 6302); Karolinska Institutet, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Huddinge, Sweden (GRID:grid.4714.6) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 0626) 
 University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki, Finland (GRID:grid.15485.3d) (ISNI:0000 0000 9950 5666); Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Information Services Department, Helsinki, Finland (GRID:grid.14758.3f) (ISNI:0000 0001 1013 0499) 
Pages
14605
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3072089717
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.