Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40175706›Full record

ReviewClinical reviews in allergy & immunology2025

Maternal Immune Activation: Implications for Congenital Heart Defects.

Sixing Wang, Zilin Mei, Jin Chen, Kai Zhao, Ruize Kong, Lana McClements, Huiping Zhang, Aihua Liao, Chunyan Liu

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Fetal developmental trajectories following maternal immune activation are shaped by sex chromosome-gonadal interactions.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Sixing WangInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.
Zilin MeiInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.
Jin ChenInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.
Kai ZhaoInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.
Ruize KongDepartment of Vascular Surgery, NHC Key Laboratory of Healthy Birth and Birth Defect Prevention in Western China First People'S Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, PR China.
Lana McClementsSchool of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Huiping ZhangInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China. zhpmed@126.com.
Aihua LiaoInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China. aihua_liao@hust.edu.cn.
Chunyan LiuInstitute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China. lchy2019@hust.edu.cn.

Funding

2024 College Students' Innovative and Entrepreneurial Training Plan Program Project from Huazhong University of Science and Technology S202410487728Open Project of the NHC Key Laboratory of Healthy Birth and Birth Defect Prevention in Western China 2024XBYSKF004the 2024 Key Technology Partnerships Seed Funding Scheme from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and University of Technology Sydney 2018YFC1004300the National Key R&D Program of China 2018YFC1004304
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common major birth defects and one of the leading causes of death from congenital defects after birth. CHD can arise in pregnancy from the combination of genetic and non-genetic factors. The maternal immune activation (MIA) hypothesis is widely implicated in embryonic neurodevelopmental abnormalities. MIA has been found to be associated with the development of asthma, diabetes mellitus, and other diseases in the offspring. Given the important role of cardiac immune cells and cytokines in embryonic heart development, it is hypothesized that MIA may play a significant role in embryonic heart development. This review aims to stimulate further investigation into the relationship between MIA and CHD and to highlight the gaps in the knowledge. It evaluates the impact of MIA on CHD in the context of pregnancy complications, immune-related diseases, infections, and environmental and lifestyle factors. The review outlines the mechanisms by which immune cells and their secretome indirectly regulate the immuno-microenvironment of the embryonic heart by influencing placental development. Furthermore, the inflammatory cytokines cross the placenta to induce related reactions including oxidative stress in the embryonic heart directly. This review delineates the role of MIA in CHD and underscores the impact of maternal factors, especially immune factors, as well as the embryonic cardiac immuno-microenvironment, on embryonic heart development. This review extends our understanding of the importance of MIA in the pathogenesis of CHD and provides important insights into prenatal prevention and treatment strategies for this congenital condition.

Indexed as

Heart Defects, CongenitalAnimalsCytokinesFemaleHeartHumansPregnancyPregnancy ComplicationsCytokinesCongenital heart defectsEmbryonic cardiac immuno-microenvironmentEmbryonic heart developmentMaternal immune activationPregnancy complication

Identifiers

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.