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Biechele, G.* ; Koliogiannis, V.* ; Rennollet, P.* ; Prester, T.* ; Schulz, E.* ; Kolben, T.* ; Jegen, M.* ; Hübener, C.* ; Hasbargen, U.* ; Flemmer, A.* ; Dietrich, O.* ; Burkard, T.* ; Schinner, R.* ; Dinkel, J.* ; Muenchhoff, M.* ; Hintz, S.* ; Delius, M.* ; Mahner, S.* ; Ricke, J.* ; Hilgendorff, A. ; Stöcklein, S.

Preserved prenatal lung growth assessed by fetal MRI in the omicron-dominated phase of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Eur. Radiol., DOI: 10.1007/s00330-024-11031-9 (2024)
Publ. Version/Full Text DOI PMC
Open Access Gold (Paid Option)
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OBJECTIVES: With SARS-CoV-2 evolving, disease severity and presentation have changed due to changes in mechanisms of entry and effector site as well as due to effects of vaccination- and/or infection-acquired immunity. We re-assessed fetal lung pathology in pregnancies with uncomplicated SARS-CoV-2 infections during the late, omicron-dominated pandemic phase to inform disease understanding and pregnancy consultation. METHODS: In this case-control study, fetal lung volumes were assessed by fetal MRI in 24 pregnancies affected by mild maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during the omicron-dominated pandemic phase with prevailing immunity through vaccination and/or prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: Fetal lung volumes (normalized to estimated fetal weight) in 24 pregnancies (GA 33.3 ± 3.8, 12 female fetuses) following mild, uncomplicated SARS-CoV-2 infection did not differ significantly from both, published reference values (96.3% ± 22.5% of 50th percentile reference values, p = 0.43), or fetal lung volumes of a site-specific, non-COVID control group (n = 15, 94.2% ± 18.5%, p = 0.76). Placental assessment revealed no group differences in thrombotic changes or placental heterogeneity (p > 0.05, respectively), and fetal lung volume did not correlate with placental heterogeneity when adjusting for gestational age at scan (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Assessment of fetal lung volume by MRI revealed unaffected lung growth in pregnancies affected by uncomplicated SARS-CoV-2 infection in the omicron-dominated pandemic phase in the presence of prevailing hybrid immunity. This finding contrasts sharply with the observed reduction in fetal lung volume following maternal alpha-variant infection in the pre-vaccination era and might reflect tropism- as well as immunity-related effects. KEY POINTS: Question: Is fetal lung development affected by mild maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during the omicron-dominated phase of the pandemic? FINDINGS: Fetal lung volume in 24 affected pregnancies did not differ significantly from published reference values or fetal lung volumes in 15 site-specific, non-COVID-affected control pregnancies. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Preserved fetal lung volume following mild maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during the omicron-dominated phase contrasts with previous findings of reduced volume in unvaccinated pregnancies during the alpha-dominated pandemic phase. These observations might reflect tropism- as well as immunity-related effects.
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Publication type Article: Journal article
Document type Scientific Article
Corresponding Author
Keywords Covid ; Fetal Mri ; Lung Development ; Omicron ; Sars-cov-2; Pregnancy Outcomes; Variant; Weight
ISSN (print) / ISBN 0938-7994
e-ISSN 1432-1084
Journal European Radiology
Publisher Springer
Publishing Place One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, Ny, United States
Non-patent literature Publications
Reviewing status Peer reviewed
Institute(s) Lung Health and Immunity (LHI)
Grants Projekt DEAL
Stiftung AtemWeg (LSS AIRR)
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative 'Mapping the Pediatric Inhalation Interface: Nose, Mouth, and Airways'
Bavarian Ministry for Science and Art
German Research Fund (DFG, Research Training Group GRK2338)
German Center for Lung Research (DZL, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany (BMBF)
Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, Munich, Germany
Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, Germany
Helmholtz Association