Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 25, 2026

Disruption of the Mouse Blood-Brain Barrier by Small Extracellular Vesicles from Hypoxic Human Placentas
05:31

Disruption of the Mouse Blood-Brain Barrier by Small Extracellular Vesicles from Hypoxic Human Placentas

Published on: January 26, 2024

Pre-eclampsia and peripartum cardiomyopathy in molar pregnancy: clinical implication for maternally imprinted genes

M-H Billieux1, P Petignat, A Fior

  • 1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology : the Official Journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
|April 6, 2004
PubMed

Molar pregnancies are associated with increased maternal complications, notably pre-eclampsia, but peripartum cardiomyopathy has been rarely observed. Here we report on a 34-year-old woman, gravida 2 para 1, who presented to our obstetric clinic for routine screening at 16 weeks of gestation. Elevated maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and free beta-human chorionic gonadotropin were observed. Amniocentesis revealed a triploid constitution (69,XXX) and ultrasound examination showed growth restriction, fetal anomalies, placentomegaly and a total placenta previa. On admission at 18 weeks' gestation, the patient developed vaginal bleeding and pre-eclampsia. She underwent a Cesarean delivery and 6 h later developed congestive heart failure requiring intensive care support. Molecular analysis of the conceptus and parental DNA demonstrated an excess of paternal genomic contribution. The over-representation of the paternal chromosome complement may support the role of genomic imprinting in the clinical course of this case.

More Related Videos

Microsatellite DNA Genotyping and Flow Cytometry Ploidy Analyses of Formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded Hydatidiform Molar Tissues11:54

Microsatellite DNA Genotyping and Flow Cytometry Ploidy Analyses of Formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded Hydatidiform Molar Tissues

Published on: October 20, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
Pathophysiology of Diabetes01:20

Pathophysiology of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The four categories of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, other specific types of diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...
Animal Mitochondrial Genetics02:59

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics

Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy01:29

Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by asymmetric left ventricular hypertrophy without ventricular dilation. It is more common in men and is typically diagnosed in young, athletic adults.EtiologyHCM is primarily genetic and is caused by mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins. Researchers have identified over 1400 mutations across at least 11 different genes. Among these, the most frequently occurring mutations are found in the...
Mitral Valve Prolapse I: Introduction01:27

Mitral Valve Prolapse I: Introduction

IntroductionThe mitral valve, one of the heart's four valves, regulates blood flow. These valves have flaps that open and close to direct blood properly through the heart and body. During each heartbeat, the flaps open for blood to pass through and seal shut to prevent backflow. Specifically, the mitral valve opens to allow blood flow from the heart's upper left chamber to the lower left chamber. It then closes securely as the lower left chamber contracts to pump blood to the body, preventing...