Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Item

Molecular Markers in Maternal Blood Exosomes Allow Early Detection of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Sinard, John
Tatevosian, Gabriel
Merabova, Nana
D'Amico, Faith
Khader, Tarek
Bajwa, Ahsun
Gawlinski, Alina K.
... show 6 more
Citations
Altmetric:
Genre
Journal article
Date
2022-12-21
Advisor
Committee member
Department
Biomedical Education and Data Science
Biology
Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
Neurology
Permanent link to this record
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms24010135
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause developmental abnormalities (fetal alcohol spectrum disorders; FASD), including small eyes, face and brain, and neurobehavioral deficits. These cannot be detected early in pregnancy with available imaging techniques. Early diagnosis could facilitate development of therapeutic interventions. Banked human fetal brains and eyes at 9–22 weeks’ gestation were paired with maternal blood samples, analyzed for morphometry, protein, and RNA expression, and apoptotic signaling. Alcohol (EtOH)-exposed (maternal self-report) fetuses were compared with unexposed controls matched for fetal age, sex, and maternal race. Fetal brain-derived exosomes (FB-E) were isolated from maternal blood and analyzed for protein, RNA, and apoptotic markers. EtOH use by mothers, assessed by self-report, was associated with reduced fetal eye diameter, brain size, and markers of synaptogenesis. Brain caspase-3 activity was increased. The reduction in eye and brain sizes were highly correlated with amount of EtOH intake and caspase-3 activity. Levels of several biomarkers in FB-E, most strikingly myelin basic protein (MBP; r > 0.9), correlated highly with morphological abnormalities. Reduction in FB-E MBP levels was highly correlated with EtOH exposure (p < 1.0 × 10−10). Although the morphological features of FAS appear long before they can be detected by live imaging, FB-E in the mother’s blood may contain markers, particularly MBP, that predict FASD.
Description
Citation
Darbinian, N.; Darbinyan, A.; Sinard, J.; Tatevosian, G.; Merabova, N.; D’Amico, F.; Khader, T.; Bajwa, A.; Martirosyan, D.; Gawlinski, A.K.; et al. Molecular Markers in Maternal Blood Exosomes Allow Early Detection of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 135. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24010135
Citation to related work
MDPI
Has part
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol. 24, Iss. 1
ADA compliance
For Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation, including help with reading this content, please contact scholarshare@temple.edu
Embedded videos