Relação das características maternas e neonatais com o comprimento telomérico de células placentárias

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze the relationship between the telomere length of maternal placental cells and aspects related to pregnancy and the newborn (NB). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on the analysis of placental tissue samples collected in 2017 at the high-complexity maternity unit of São Vicente de Paulo Hospital, in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The analyzed samples were amplified using the PCR technique and processed by calculating the T/S ratio. The investigated variables included sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the patients—such as age, skin color, marital status, education level, number of pregnancies, presence of comorbidities, and type of delivery—as well as neonatal data: birth weight, 5-minute Apgar score, and need for admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Results: The sample consisted of 44 women, mostly white, multiparous, with partners, who had completed or partially completed primary education, had no comorbidities, and delivered via cesarean section. The preterm group had lower birth weights, lower 5-minute Apgar scores, and a greater need for NICU care. Term newborns showed shorter telomere lengths. No statistically significant association was found between telomere length, maternal characteristics, and neonatal outcomes. Conclusions: Among pregnancies with similar sociodemographic and clinical profiles, the finding of similar telomere length in the chorioamniotic membranes of both preterm and term births may reflect premature cellular senescence in preterm pregnancies—similar to the natural senescence process that occurs in full-term physiological gestation.