Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Fetal Body Composition In Twins And Singletons, Jessica L Gleason, Wesley Lee, Zhen Chen, Kathryn A Wagner, Dian He, William A Grobman, Roger B Newman, Seth Sherman, Robert Gore-Langton, Edward Chien, Luis Goncalves, Katherine L Grantz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: An emerging paradigm attributes third-trimester fetal growth deceleration in uncomplicated twin pregnancies to an evolutionary adaptive process. Evaluating longitudinal fetal soft-tissue development may provide important insights into differential fetal growth trajectories between twins and singletons.

Objective: To compare twin vs singleton lean and fat tissue growth across pregnancy.

Design, setting, and participants: Prospective cohort study of dichorionic twins and singletons with serial ultrasound scans to chart fetal growth (2009-2013) and collect fetal volume data to measure fat and lean tissue (2015-2019) in 12 US clinical centers. Participants were individuals with singleton (n = 2802 enrolled) and twin (n = …

Placenta Accreta Spectrum, Present And Future: The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health And Human Development Workshop Summary, Christina M Duzyj, Brett D Einerson, Yalda Afshar, Karin A Fox, Antonio F Saad, Daniela A Carusi, Christina L Herrera, Deirdre J Lyell, Alfred Z Abuhamad, Michaela K Farber, Anne C Roberts, Sebastian R Hobson, Loic Sentilhes, Baha M Sibai, Koji Matsuo, Kristen Terlizzi, Scott A Shainker, Robert M Silver, Helena C Bartels, Thomas D Shipp, Marilyn Huang, Alison G Cahill, Jason D Wright, George R Saade, Monica Longo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorder poses significant risks to maternal health, given the complexities of screening, diagnosis, and management. To address these challenges, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) hosted a workshop on June 10-11, 2024, bringing together expert health care professionals, researchers, stakeholders, and patient advocates to identify knowledge gaps, with an overarching goal of informing future research and best practices for PAS. Key discussions revolved around the resources and infrastructure needed to advance screening, diagnosis, and clinical management of PAS, alongside ways to enhance collaboration across disciplines. Participants considered strategies to …

Implementation Of An Opt-Out And Rapid Point-Of-Care Syphilis Testing Program For Pregnant Patients Presenting To The Emergency Department, Irene Stafford, Carrie Bakunas, Joe Haydamous, Ana Mosqueda, Jeffrey D Klausner, Leandro Mena, Sean C Blackwell

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Adult and congenital syphilis rates are rising in the United States. The aim of this pre- and post-implementation study was to determine whether implementation of an opt-out laboratory-based and rapid syphilis point-of-care testing program in the emergency department (ED) improves the detection and treatment of syphilis during pregnancy in a high-prevalence region.

Methods: This pre- and post-implementation study was conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX. During the pre-implementation phase (November 1, 2023-February 29, 2024), pregnant patients presenting to the ED underwent laboratory-based syphilis testing using the reverse algorithm only when clinically indicated. In the …

Mollusc And Crustacean Consumption In The First 1000 Days: A Scoping Review, Brietta M Oaks, Emmanuel A Gyimah, Eliza Kleban, Kathleen Ragsdale, Lora L Iannotti

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mollusc and crustacean consumption in the first 1000 d may improve maternal and child health by providing essential nutrients. However, in some contexts, molluscs and crustaceans have been associated with allergies and environmental contamination, potentially leading to adverse health and development outcomes. It is unclear whether the health benefits of consuming molluscs and crustaceans, collectively classified as shellfish in nutrition, are outweighed by the potential risks to pregnant women and children. We conducted a scoping review (PROSPERO: CRD42022320454) in PubMed, Scopus and EBSCO Global Health of articles published between January 2000 and March 2022 that assessed shellfish consumption during pregnancy, …

Preterm Birth Increases Susceptibility To Hyperglycemia Induced Glomerular Alterations In Male Mice, Aleksandra Cwiek, Kevin M Bennett, Edwin J Baldelomar, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of progressive chronic kidney disease in adults in the United States. However, the impact of preterm birth on the progression of DKD has not been studied. The goal of this project was to determine the effect of preterm birth on kidney health after exposure to hyperglycemia. CD-1 pups born preterm (19 days post conception (dpc)) and term (20 dpc) were studied, and outcomes of the male mice were reported. Preterm and term mice were treated with streptozotocin at six weeks to induce hyperglycemia. Body weight and blood sugar were monitored. Histologic, molecular, …

Cenobamate Use In Pregnancy: A Case Report, Tiara Paul, Maromi Nei

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

A Review Of Medical Ethics In Orthopaedic Surgery: Current Foci And Future Considerations, Ryan X Lam, Zhi Mei Sonia He, Ruhi Thapar, Maggie Wang, Dion G Birhiray, Matthew Milad, Lara Ouellette, Umar Ghilzai, Tucker J Cushing, M Brent Price, Brenden B Ronna, Omar H Atassi, Christopher H Perkins, John R Dawson, William M Granberry, Melvyn A Harrington, Douglas R Dirschl, Lorenzo R Deveza

Library Staff Publications

Medical ethics education is a required component of orthopaedic surgery resident training per the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) guidelines, although no standardized curriculum currently exists.

Beyond the 4 principles of bioethics (autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice), additional ethical concepts relevant to orthopaedic care include utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, moral intuitionism, microethics, and narrative ethics.

Ethical themes identified in the literature relevant to orthopaedic surgery include the ethics involved in medical decision-making, use of new technologies, caring for vulnerable patients, performing high-stakes procedures, the impacts of trainee status on patient care, and patient attitude regarding conflict of interest.

Ethical …

A Comparative, Quantitative Analysis Of Birth Outcomes Among Women With Intellectual Or Developmental Disabilities, Jocelyn T. Reddix

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Women who are pregnant or planning to give birth deserve equitable resources, respect, and assurances to ensure a healthy and safe pregnancy, including women of childbearing age who are diagnosed with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). These women are more likely to experience negative perinatal, delivery, and postpartum health outcomes (Tarasoff et al., 2020). Healthcare providers, clinicians, and the family and friends of those with IDD must understand the impact and implications of the prenatal and postpartum journey for this group of women. This comparative research examined 2021 birth outcomes of women in the United States with IDD compared to …

Evaluation Of Immediate Postpartum Long-Acting Reversible Contraception For Reducing Short Interval Pregnancies, Andrew Grover, Md, Molly Haas, Bs, Amanda Ricard, Do, Heather Cunningham, Md, Joanne N. Quiñones, Amanda Flicker, Md

Health Equity and Quality Improvement (HEQI) Summit

Objective

• Short interval pregnancy (SIP): any pregnancy that occurs within 18 months of a previous delivery or pregnancy loss.
• SIP is associated with increased risk of gestational diabetes, placenta accreta spectrum,1preterm birth, low birth weight, and small size for gestational age.²
• Long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and subdermal implants offer solutions to the limitations of daily oral contraception. Despite these options, 45% of U.S. pregnancies in 2011 were unintentional.³

While immediate postpartum LARC has been shown to be effective for mitigating unintended pregnancy, implementation of programs providing access to this contraceptive option have …

Sedentary Behavior And Light-Intensity Physical Activity During Pregnancy And Cardiovascular Health: A Science Advisory From The American Heart Association, Kara H. Whitaker, Bethany Barone Gibbs, Marie-France Hivert, Nour Makarem, Elizabeth Moxley, Jason Vaught, Kelly R. Evenson

Faculty Scholarship-Nursing

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans supports sitting less and moving more. Growing evidence suggests that a waking behavior profile with less sedentary behavior and more light-intensity physical activity is associated with more favorable cardiovascular health. Remarkably, little is known about how these behaviors relate to cardiovascular health during pregnancy. The purpose of this American Heart Association science advisory is to describe the existing evidence on devicemeasured sedentary behavior and light-intensity physical activity in relation to cardiovascular health during pregnancy and to make specific calls to action for future research to improve health outcomes and to promote health equity. Outcomes …

Relationship Between Maternal Plasma Retinol And Provitamin A Carotenoids With Fetal And Infant Kidney Development, Anum Akbar

Theses & Dissertations

Vitamin A plays a critical role in fetal organ development. Studies suggest that maternal vitamin A deficiency affects fetal nephron numbers, potentially leading to smaller kidney sizes and an increased risk of chronic kidney disease later in life. However, human studies exploring maternal vitamin A's impact on fetal kidney development lack longitudinal data and within-cohort comparisons. Furthermore, the influence of provitamin A carotenoids (α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin) on kidney size remains unexplored. This dissertation addresses these gaps by analyzing relationships between maternal and cord plasma retinol and provitamin A carotenoid concentrations with fetal and infant kidney sizes. Our prospective cohort …

New First Trimester Circulating Angiogenic Biomarkers In Predicting Early-Onset And Late-Onset Fetal Growth Restriction: A Case-Control Study, Xiaoyi Bai, Wei Li, Wenjing Ding, Oi Ka Chan, Maran Bo Wah Leung, So Ling Lau, Daljit Singh Sahota, Chi Chiu Wang, Tak Yeung Leung

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: First trimester prediction of fetal growth restriction (FGR) remain suboptimal. We aimed to search for new circulating angiogenic biomarkers for improvement.

Methods: This case-control study compared 73 singleton pregnancies with early or late-onset FGR based on Delphi consensus and 73 matched normal controls. Their maternal serum samples stored during 11-13 weeks were retrieved for measurement of 36 angiogenic biomarkers by MILLIPLEX® human angiogenesis magnetic bead panels. Those biomarkers that showed significant differences between the study groups were further analysed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results: In the early-onset FGR group, log10MoM of soluble neuropilin-1 (sNRP-1: 0.08 ± 0.11 …

Multi-Parametric Quantitative Evaluation Of Murine Cervical Remodeling During Pregnancy And Postpartum, Yan Yan, Jose Galaz, Joshua Marvald, Tanzy Love, Steven Yellon, Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, Mohammad Mehrmohammadi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cervical remodeling during pregnancy is a critical process that, if untimely, can lead to complications such as preterm birth (PTB). This study introduces a novel multi-parametric approach combining non-invasive imaging modalities to quantify cervical tissue changes during pregnancy and postpartum in a murine model. By integrating ultrasound-based measurements of cervical length, photoacoustic imaging of the collagen-to-water ratio, and elastography for tissue elasticity alongside histological assessments, this method provides a comprehensive evaluation of cervical remodeling. The findings reveal that combining these parameters significantly improves the accuracy of gestational age prediction compared to individual measurements, with a tri-parametric model achieving 85.3% prediction …

Covid-19 Infection History As A Risk Factor For Early Pregnancy Loss: Results From The Electronic Health Record-Based Southeast Texas Covid And Pregnancy Cohort Study, Micaela N Sandoval, Michelle R Klawans, Mackinsey A Bach, Jennifer Mikhail, Edward A Graviss, Tru Cao, Jacqueline G Parchem, Junaid Husain, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection before or during pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes are still largely unknown. We hypothesized that COVID-19 in early pregnancy is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly miscarriage.

Methods: We examined the relationship between COVID-19 and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, and preterm delivery in a large, retrospective, electronic health record (EHR)-based cohort, from 2019 to 2023. Generalized estimating equation modeling was performed to identify risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Study exposures included COVID-19 before pregnancy, COVID-19 during pregnancy, age, race/ethnicity, comorbidity burden, and neighborhood-level social vulnerability.

Results: In the …

Maternal Food Insecurity And Adverse Birth Outcomes, Narysse Nicolet, Amrita Bhagia, Katie Ziegler, Lacey Mccormack, Amy Elliott, Christine Hockett

Scholarship Pathways Program

Background: Despite being a high-income country, the United States faces persistent food insecurity (FI), disproportionately affecting women of reproductive age. This study investigates the association between prenatal FI and adverse birth outcomes, specifically birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA), among a diverse cohort of pregnant individuals in South Dakota.

Methods: A longitudinal analysis was conducted using data from 1,478 mother-infant pairs enrolled in the Safe Passage Cohort of the ECHO study. Prenatal FI was assessed using a modified USDA Household Food Security Questionnaire. Birth outcomes were analyzed using both univariate and multivariate regression models, adjusting for maternal sociodemographic and …

Podium Talk: Postpartum Hemorrhage In The Absence Of Traditional Risk Factors: A Clinical Perspective, Daniel R. York, Allison Tresner, Christian Edwards, Lisandra Chinea

Research Day

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality that accounts for 27% of all maternal deaths worldwide. While most cases occur immediately postpartum, delayed onset hemorrhage can present critical management challenges and jeopardize maternal treatment outcomes. We report the case of a 20-year-old female who underwent an uncomplicated, augmented vaginal delivery with a Cook Cervical Ripening Balloon (CCRB). The estimated blood loss at delivery was approximately 200 cc. However, around six hours later, the patient became unresponsive, exhibiting signs of significant PPH, she was evaluated at bedside, and by then, she had expelled approximately 2 L …

Meningococcal Sepsis In Pregnancy: A Case Of Neisseria Meningitidis Bacteremia In The First Trimester, Tiffany Pittman, Madison Morgan, Monica Drummond, Allison Tresner

Research Day

Introduction:

Meningococcal sepsis caused by Neisseria meningitidis is a rare but life-threatening infection, especially in pregnant women, where the risk of rapid deterioration can occur. The diagnosis of sepsis due to N. meningitidis in early pregnancy is particularly challenging due to limited treatment options that are safe for both mother and fetus. This case highlights the clinical course, diagnosis, and management of Neisseria meningitidis bacteremia in an 8-week pregnant woman, providing valuable insights for clinicians treating systemic infections in pregnancy.

Case Presentation:

A 29-year-old female, gravida 4 para 2012, at 8 weeks and 6 days gestation with no other contributory …

Relationship Between Maternal Iron Indices In The Second Trimester With Cord Blood Iron Indices And Pregnancy Outcomes: A Prospective Cohort Study, J.P. Akshaykirthan, Manjunath S. Somannavar, M.S. Deepthy, Umesh Charantimath, S. Yogeshkumar, Amaresh Patil, Mrutyunjaya B. Bellad, Richard Derman, Shivaprasad S. Goudar

Global Health Articles

Background/Objectives: Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy poses risks to mothers and infants. This study aimed to correlate maternal iron indices in the second trimester with cord blood indices and pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was nested within the RAPIDIRON Trial (Reducing Anaemia in Pregnancy in India) at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Karnataka, India. A total of 292 pregnant women with moderate anemia who received oral iron supplementation were enrolled from April 2021 to May 2023. Maternal iron indices were measured at multiple time points and correlated with cord blood indices and pregnancy outcomes.

Results: Increased hemoglobin levels were …

Literature Review: Prazosin Used For Ptsd In Pregnancy, Afshan Khan, Natali Sharma, Rebekah M. Dietrich, Martin Forsberg

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects 3–4% of pregnant and postpartum individuals and is associated with complications such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and postpartum depression. Pharmacologic treatment options during pregnancy are limited by concerns about fetal safety.

Methods: A literature review was conducted focusing on studies reporting maternal or neonatal outcomes following prazosin exposure in pregnancy.

Results: One observational study of 11 pregnancies found 54.5% had uneventful outcomes, with rates of preterm birth, miscarriage, and preeclampsia similar to the general population. Hypotension and limited lactation data remain concerns.

Conclusion: Early evidence suggests prazosin may be a relatively safe and …

Pain Management In Pregnant Women With Opioid Use Disorder: A Systematic Review, Adeena Javed

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) among pregnant individuals has risen significantly, posing challenges in managing labor and postpartum pain. Factors such as opioid tolerance, opioid-induced hyperalgesia, and concerns about relapse complicate analgesic strategies. Despite these complexities, evidence-based guidelines for pain management in this population remain limited.

Hypothesis: Pregnant women with OUD experience disparities in pain management during labor and postpartum periods, leading to suboptimal outcomes.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted, analyzing peer-reviewed studies from databases including PubMed and Embase. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies focusing on pain management in pregnant women with OUD. Data extraction focused on …

Relationship Between Maternal Mortality And Zip Code In New Jersey, Katarina Rusinak

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Maternal mortality remains a pressing public health concern in the United States, with significant disparities influenced by geography and social determinants of health. This study investigates the relationship between zip code-level factors and maternal mortality rates (MMR) in New Jersey (NJ), a state with demographic and socioeconomic diversity. Using data from the NJ Department of Health, CDC, and recent literature, I identified patterns correlating higher MMR with areas experiencing poverty, limited access to healthcare, and predominantly minority populations. Counties such as Essex, Union, and Cumberland—classified as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs)—exhibited particularly high vulnerability. These …

Comprehensive Analysis Of Racial Differences In Comorbidities And Prenatal Care Among Pregnant Women, Ryian Owusu, Kurt R. Wharton

Posters

• Research highlights that women of color face significantly higher risks of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality.¹

• Factors contributing to these disparities include: 2,3

• Access to healthcare

• Health literacy

• Education level • Community support

• Prenatal care plays a pivotal role in mitigating these risks by educating women on healthy lifestyles and identifying those at high risk for complications. 4

• Determining patient satisfaction with their prenatal care could greatly contribute in defining a link between prenatal care services and maternal-fetal outcomes. 4

Musculoskeletal Changes In Pregnancy: Implications For Long-Term Bone & Joint Health, Jaylyn Thompson, Clarence Julian Clark Ii, Nayarith Lopez, Aziza Ndaw

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Pregnancy and lactation represent significant physiological challenges to maternal skeletal health, with substantial implications for both short and long-term musculoskeletal integrity. Research emphasizes that lactation induces notable skeletal adaptations, with up to 10% bone mineral density loss occurring in trabecular-rich regions such as the spine and hip (1,5). While most women experience substantial recovery post-weaning, the research indicates that recovery patterns vary significantly, with some women experiencing incomplete restoration of bone mass, potentially compromising long-term skeletal strength (3).

The underlying mechanisms driving these changes are primarily hormonal, with elevated parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) and decreased estrogen levels during lactation facilitating …

The Relationship Of Peer Recovery Support Specialists And Recovery Of Perinatal Women With A Substance Use Disorder, Mary C. Talbot

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction: Substance use in pregnant and postpartum women is a growing issue in the United States. Drug use while pregnant can lead to birth defects, stillbirths, and problems providing positive parenting to their children. Many women with substance use disorders (SUD) feel extreme shame and stigma related to their substance use and have trouble accessing recovery-related treatment and other services. Peer recovery support treatment uses the lived experiences of individuals in current recovery from SUD to facilitate and support recovery in others. Purpose: The purpose of this review was to evaluate the impact of peer recovery support specialists on the …

Exercise As An Intervention For Postpartum Depression (Ppd), Kylie P. Mistretta

Honors Scholar Theses

Objective: To illustrate the applications of exercise for preventing the development of postpartum depression (PPD) and addressing associated risk factors identified in the literature. Data Sources: PubMed and EBSCO: Academic Search Premier were accessed using the search terms exercise OR physical activity OR yoga AND postpartum depression OR postnatal depression. A secondary search of PubMed was conducted using the search terms exercise AND pregnancy AND depression OR gestational diabetes OR weight gain OR sleep quality.

Study Selection: Studies selected for inclusion were peer-reviewed, published after January 2012, written in English, and relevant to the PPD risk factors examined. Only clinical …

Participant Personal Characteristics And Adherence To Oral Capsules: A Secondary Analysis Of A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial Of Antenatal Probiotics, Lisa Hanson, Kathlyn Albert, Emily Malloy, Maharaj Singh, Mikala Kallay, Ava Brandt, Courtney Morris, Diana Kleber, Marie Forgie

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Adherence to study interventions is critical to the conduct of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The relationships between participant characteristics and intervention adherence are understudied in pregnant populations. The purpose of this study was to conduct a secondary analysis of adherence to study capsules in a double-masked, placebo-controlled RCT of a probiotic intervention to reduce antenatal Group B Streptococcus colonization, in relationship to participant characteristics.

Methods

We analyzed the relationship between capsule adherence rates and demographic characteristics among 81 RCT participants. Categorical variables were reported using counts and percentages, and continuous variables were expressed as means along with their standard …

Maternal-Fetal Surgery For Myelomeningocele Longitudinal Follow-Up Model: Mitigation Of Care Fragmentation Through Care Coordination And Outcomes Reporting, Jonathan Castillo, Mary M Locastro, Romain Corroenne, Anjali Malhotra, Alexander Van Speybroeck, Grace Lai, Michael A Belfort, Magdalena Sanz Cortes, Heidi Castillo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose

Methods

Results

Maternal Dysbiosis Produces Long-Lasting Behavioral Changes In Offspring, Jacob Hudobenko, Claudia M Di Gesù, Patrick R Mooz, Joseph Petrosino, Nagireddy Putluri, Bhanu P Ganesh, Kristen Rebeles, Frank W Blixt, Venugopal R Venna, Louise D Mccullough

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Advanced maternal age (AMA) is defined as a pregnancy in a woman older than 35 years of age. AMA increases the risk for both maternal and neonatal complications, including miscarriage and stillbirth. AMA has also been linked to neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders in the offspring. Recent studies have found that age-associated compositional shifts in the gut microbiota contribute to altered microbial metabolism and enhanced inflammation in the host. We investigated the specific contribution of the maternal microbiome on pregnancy outcomes and offspring behavior by recolonizing young female mice with aged female microbiome prior to pregnancy. We discovered that pre-pregnancy colonization …

Early-Life Factors And Body Mass Index Trajectories Among Children In The Echo Cohort, Chang Liu, Katherine Rivera-Spoljaric, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Identifying atypical body mass index (BMI) trajectories in children and understanding associated, modifiable early-life factors may help prevent childhood obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize multiphase BMI trajectories in children and identify associated modifiable early-life factors.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study included longitudinal data obtained from January 1997 to June 2024, from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort, which included children aged 1 to 9 years with 4 or more weight and height assessments. Analyses were conducted from January to June 2024.

EXPOSURES: Prenatal exposure to substances and stress (smoking, alcohol, depression, anxiety), maternal characteristics (prepregnancy …

Regulation Of Tfeb In Human Placental Cytotrophoblasts And Syncytiotrophoblasts, A Mathew, J S Trausch-Azar, C Azar, M Schuetz, M R Mahjoub, A L Schwartz

2020-Current year OA Pubs

While cellular proteins exist in a dynamic state maintained by the balance of synthesis and degradation, there is a paucity of information on these processes in placental trophoblasts, including within cytotrophoblasts which differentiate into multi-nucleate syncytiotrophoblasts. TFEB, a transcription factor with a myriad of cellular activities, is one of the most abundant genes expressed in syncytiotrophoblasts compared to cytotrophoblasts. TFEB is localized to the nucleus of human BeWo differentiated syncytiotrophoblasts and to the cytoplasm of the undifferentiated cytotrophoblasts. Within both the cytotrophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts, TFEB exists in subcellular compartments as both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms and translocates between cytoplasm and …