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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Adult, Antibodies, Bacterial, Antigens, Bacterial, Female, Fetal Growth Retardation, Helicobacter Infections, Helicobacter pylori, Humans, Placenta, Pre-Eclampsia, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Infectious, Young Adult.
user
Do helicobacter pylori 's virulence and infection persistence define pre-eclampsia complicated by fetal growth retardation? Context: To better understand the pathogenic role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in pre-eclampsia (PE), and whether it is associated or not with fetal growth retardation (FGR). Maternal blood samples were collected from 62 consecutive pregnant women with a diagnosis of PE and/or FGR, and from 49 women with uneventful pregnancies (controls). Serum samples were evaluated by immunoblot assay for presence of specific antibodies against H. pylori antigens [virulence: cytotoxin-associated antigen A (CagA); ureases; heat shock protein B; flagellin A; persistence: vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA)]. Maternal complete blood count and liver enzymes levels were assessed at delivery by an automated analyzer. A significantly higher percentage of H. pylori seropositive women were found among PE cases (85.7%) compared to controls (42.9%, P < 0.001). There were no differences between pregnancies complicated by FGR without maternal hypertension (46.2%) and controls. Importantly, persistent and virulent infections (VacA/CagA seropositive patients, intermediate leukocyte blood count and aspartate aminotransferase levels) were exclusively associated with pre-eclampsia complicated by FGR, while virulent but acute infections (CagA positive/VacA negative patients, highest leukocyte blood count and aspartate aminotransferase levels) specifically correlated with PE without FGR.
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Our data strongly indicate that persistent and virulent H. pylori infections cause or contribute to PE complicated by FGR, but not to PE without feto-placental compromise. Final Decision: yes