Papers by Maria Laura Costa do Nascimento
BioMed Research International, 2019
Background. Our aim was to describe the steps in planning, implementing, and running a multicentr... more Background. Our aim was to describe the steps in planning, implementing, and running a multicentre cohort study of maternal and perinatal health using a high-quality biobank comprised of maternal serum, plasma, and hair samples collected from five sites in Brazil. The Preterm SAMBA study, conducted by the Brazilian Network for Studies on Reproductive and Perinatal Health, was an innovative approach used to identify women at higher risk for preterm birth. It is also of great importance in the study of other maternal and perinatal complications in the context of Brazil, which is a middle-income country. Methods. We described phases of planning, implementing, and running the Preterm SAMBA study, a multicentre Brazilian cohort study of low-risk nulliparous pregnant women, to validate a set of metabolite biomarkers for preterm birth identified in an external cohort. Procedures and strategies used to plan, implement, and maintain this multicentre preterm birth study are described in detai...
Frontiers in immunology, 2017
During pregnancy, immune cells infiltrate the placenta at different stages of fetal development. ... more During pregnancy, immune cells infiltrate the placenta at different stages of fetal development. NK cells and macrophages are the most predominant cell types. These immune cells play pleiotropic roles, as they control spiral artery remodeling to ensure appropriate blood supply and maintain long-term tolerance to a true allograft; yet, they must be able to mount appropriate immune defenses to pathogens that may threaten the fetus. Whether the same cell type accomplishes all these tasks or if there are dedicated subsets remains controversial. Here, we identify and characterize two distinct subsets of myeloid cells that differ in their pro-inflammatory/regulatory capacity. While one subset predominantly produces the immune-modulating cytokine IL-10, the second subset has superior capacity to secrete pro-inflammatory mediators, such as IL-1β and IL-6. The putative regulatory myeloid cells also express high levels of inhibitory receptors and their ligands, including programmed cell death...
ABSTRACTZika virus (ZIKV) has the ability to cross placental and brain barriers, causing congenit... more ABSTRACTZika virus (ZIKV) has the ability to cross placental and brain barriers, causing congenital malformations in neonates and neurological disorders in adults. However, the pathogenic mechanisms of ZIKV-induced neurological complications in adults and congenital malformations remain unknown. Gas6 is a soluble TAM receptor ligand able to promote flavivirus internalization and downregulation of immune responses. Here we demonstrate high Gas6 levels in the serum of patients with neurological complications which correlated with downregulation of genes associated with the type I IFN responses as consequence of Socs1 upregulation. Gas6 gamma-carboxylation is essential for ZIKV replication in monocytes, the main source of this protein. Gas6 also facilitates ZIKV replication in adult immunocompetent mice enabled susceptibility to transplacental infection and congenital malformations. Our data thus indicate that ZIKV promotes the upregulation of its ligand Gas6, which contributes to vira...
Anais do Congresso de Iniciação Científica da Unicamp, 2017
Resumo O armazenamento de tecido placentário, com coleta sistemática, poderá ampliar a possibilid... more Resumo O armazenamento de tecido placentário, com coleta sistemática, poderá ampliar a possibilidade de pesquisa translacional na área. Uma complicação que tem chamado a atenção mundialmente é a epidemia por zika vírus (ZIKV) e associação com microcefalia e malformações fetais. Ainda não se sabe os mecanismos de transmissão transplacentária e a coleta destas placentas é uma necessidade, para colaborar com a investigação clínica e diagnóstico de casos suspeitos e também, para possibilitar estudos visando a compreensão da fisiopatologia da doença. Outra prioridade em obstetrícia, com papel central da placenta e etiologia ainda pouco esclarecida é a Préeclâmpsia, doença que acomete até 10% de todas as gestações, sendo uma das principais causas de morbidade e mortalidade materna no Brasil. Para possibilitar a investigação da fisiopatologia destas condições e futuramente de demais doenças, a criação de um biobanco de placenta no CAISM representa um passo importante.
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Papers by Maria Laura Costa do Nascimento