Adverse pregnancy outcome and connective tissue disease: why is there a link?

Connective tissues are one of the four main tissue types in humans that are extensively present in the body. They are characterized by cells embedded in an extracellular matrix (ECM) composed of a ground substance and three main types of protein fibers— collagen, elastic, and reticular fibers. The ground substance of connective tissues can range from a watery and jelly-like consistency to mineralized and hard. The wide variety of cells in the connective tissues include fibroblasts,...

Connective tissue develops from the mesoderm of a developing embryo and consists of cells, fibers, and ground substance: a gel-like material containing large complexes of carbohydrates and proteins. Connective tissue was first identified as a separate tissue family in the 18th century, and Johannes Peter Muller coined the term connective tissue.
Fat cells (adipocytes), smooth muscle cells (myoblasts), and bone cells (osteoblasts) are some connective tissue cell types. Some immune system cells...

During early development, the embryo forms two types of connective tissues— the mesenchyme and mucoid connective tissue.
The mesenchyme is the first connective tissue that emerges in the developing embryo. It consists of loosely arranged multipotent mesenchymal cells and reticular fibers in the extracellular matrix. This loose arrangement allows easy migration of cells, which is essential for germ layer positioning, patterning, and organ morphogenesis during embryonic development.

Unlike epithelial tissue, which is composed of cells closely packed with little or no extracellular space in between, connective tissue cells are dispersed in a matrix. This extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of fibrous proteins like collagen, elastin, and fibronectin in a ground substance consisting of interstitial fluid, cell adhesion proteins, and proteoglycans. The proteoglycans form a gel-like material in the spaces between cells and provide hydration, buffering, binding, and force...

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is a multidisciplinary field that examines how psychological factors, particularly stress, interact with the immune system and impact physical health. Research in PNI has shown that chronic or traumatic stress can disrupt both the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. These disruptions contribute to serious health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases.
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...

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...