Changes in the blood flow in the uterine and umbilical arteries during the second trimester of pregnancy in exacerbation of bronchial asthma associated with reactivation of cytomegalovirus infection

Aim. To evaluate changes in blood flow in the uterine and umbilical arteries in the second trimester of gestation in women with exacerbation of bronchial asthma associated with reactivation of cytomegalovirus infection (CMVI).

Materials and methods. Using Doppler analysis, 115 patients were examined at 21-24 weeks of pregnancy, uncomplicated and complicated by exacerbation of mild to moderate asthma of cytomegalovirus etiology. The first group was represented by 30 seronegative women with uncomplicated pregnancy. The second group included 30 patients with mild asthma in the stage of exacerbation associated with CMVI, leading to chronic compensated placental insufficiency. The third group consisted of 30 patients with exacerbation of moderate asthma caused by CMVI reactivation, which initiated the development of chronic compensated placental insufficiency. The fourth group consisted of 25 women with moderate asthma in the acute stage against the background of the acute phase of CMVI, leading to the formation of chronic subcompensated placental insufficiency.

Results. In women in the second group, in comparison with the first group, the following changes were determined: in the right uterine artery, the systolic-diastolic ratio (SDR) was, respectively, 2.75±0.07 and 2.04±0.03 rel. units (р<0.001), pulsation index (PI) – 1.15±0.04 and 0.76±0.02 rel. units (p<0.001), resistance index (RI) – 0.63±0.01 and 0.51±0.01 rel. units (p<0.001); in the left uterine artery, SDR was, respectively, 2.84±0.09 and 1.98±0.05 rel. units (p<0.001), PI – 1.20±0.05 and 0.74±0.03 rel. units (p<0.001), RI – 0.64±0.01 and 0.49±0.01 rel. units (p<0.001); in the absence of statistically significant differences in the indicators of SDR in the umbilical artery – 3.62±0.09 and 3.41±0.06 rel. units, respectively (р>0.05), PI – 1.23±0.03 and 1.19±0.03 rel. units (p>0.05) and RI – 0.73±0.01 and 0.70±0.01 rel. units (p>0.05). In the third group, in comparison with the second one, vascular resistance did not differ significantly in the right, left uterine arteries and the umbilical cord artery. In patients of the fourth group, in contrast to the third one, higher values of resistance to blood flow were observed: in the right uterine artery – SDR (3.41±0.07 and 2.87±0.07 rel. units, p<0.001), PI (1.48±0.07 and 1.18±0.03 rel. units, p<0.001), RI (0.70±0.01 and 0.65±0.01 relative units, p<0.001); in the left uterine artery – SDR (3.33±0.11 and 2.88±0.09 rel. units, p<0.01), PI (1.45±0.05 and 1.19±0.05 rel. units, p<0.001), RI (0.70±0.01 and 0.68±0.01 rel. units, p<0.01); and also in the umbilical artery – SDR (4.39±0.13 and 3.65±0.12 rel. units, p<0.001), PI (1.45±0.04 and 1.24±0.03 rel. units, p<0.001), RI (0.79±0.01 and 0.72±0.01 rel. units, p<0.001).

Conclusion. In the pathogenesis of reduced blood flow in the basin of the uterine and umbilical arteries in women with exacerbation of moderately severe asthma of cytomegalovirus etiology, leading to the development of chronic subcompensated placental insufficiency, compared with uterine cord hemodynamics in asthma in the acute stage, caused by reactivation of CMVI in the second trimester of gestation, which initiates the formation of a chronic compensated form of placental dysfunction in the third trimester of pregnancy, an important role is played by viral stimulation of vasoconstrictor responses.

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