Understanding Host-pathogen Interaction in the Respiratory Mucosa During Pregnancy
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Pregnancy Related
- Sponsor
- Washington University School of Medicine
- Enrollment
- 48
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Expression of viral entry factors
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 4 months ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The clinical presentation of the ongoing coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic in pregnant women is unique with more asymptomatic infection, higher morbidity when symptomatic, yet without a difference in mortality rate. This is strikingly different from the high mortality observed during the past influenza A pandemics. Though both influenza A virus (IAV) and SARS-CoV-2 are single-stranded RNA viruses, the exquisite vulnerability of pregnant women to influenza A but not COVID-19 remains a mystery. Our objective, therefore, is to determine the mechanisms that predispose pregnant women to severe influenza A but confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection by examining the viral entry factors and innate immune response mechanisms in the nasal epithelium of pregnant vs. non-pregnant age-matched women.
Investigators
Arvind Palanisamy
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Washington University School of Medicine
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Healthy, uncomplicated pregnant subjects in the third trimester ((≥ 28 ≤ 41 weeks' gestation)
- •Healthy non-pregnant adult female volunteers between the ages of 18 - 45 years.
- •Between 18-45 years old
- •Able to provide consent
Exclusion Criteria
- •Patients in labor
- •Critically ill patients needing intubation and mechanical ventilation
- •Patients with fever or influenza-like illness
- •H/o epistaxis or rhinosinusitis
- •Nasal polyposis and deviated nasal septum
- •Preeclampsia and chronic hypertension
- •Use of anti-hypertensives
- •Ongoing seasonal allergy
- •H/o asthma
- •Recent recovery from SARS-CoV-2 or influenza A infection (≤ 4 weeks)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Expression of viral entry factors
Time Frame: Dec 2021
Secondary Outcomes
- Expression of genes involved in innate immune response and host-pathogen interaction(Dec 2021)