Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40383676›Full record

ArticlePlacenta2026

Placental Privilege: Evidence of organ resilience in severe COVID-19 in pregnancy.

Pietro Presicce, Marco Morselli, Anhyo Jeong, Marie Altendahl, Guadalupe Martinez, Giorgia Del Vecchio, Sherin U Devaskar, Matteo Pellegrini, Yalda Afshar, Suhas G Kallapur

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Placenta, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

10 authors.

Pietro PresicceDivisions of Neonatology and Developmental Biology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Marco MorselliDepartment of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability (S.C.V.S.A.), University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Anhyo JeongDivision of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Marie AltendahlDivision of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Guadalupe MartinezDivision of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Giorgia Del VecchioDivisions of Neonatology and Developmental Biology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Sherin U DevaskarDivisions of Neonatology and Developmental Biology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Matteo PellegriniDepartment of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences - Collaboratory at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
Yalda AfsharDivision of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
Suhas G KallapurDivisions of Neonatology and Developmental Biology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: skallapur@mednet.ucla.edu.

Funding

REPRODUCTIVE SCIENTIST TRAINING PROGRAMK12HD000849 · NICHD · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Danny J Schust · 1988 to 2026
$33.2M
Transcriptomics and biomarkers of fetal neuroinflammationR01HD098389 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI KALLAPUR, SUHAS · 2019 to 2023
$3.8M
NICHD NIH HHS K12 HD000849NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD098389Wellcome Fund K12 HD000849 (YA)Wellcome Fund R01 HD98389 (SK)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCOVID-19 infection in pregnancy is associated with preterm birth and an increased risk of severe disease, needing intensive care admission for management of maternal multi-organ failure. The placenta, a fetal organ, functions as a barrier at the maternal interface and expresses the SARS-CoV-2 viral receptors. However, placental infection and transplacental transfer of virus are rare, suggesting placental resistance to viral infection. Here, we seek to determine the impact of severe COVID-19 infection on maternal, newborn, and placental outcomes.

methodsA prospectively recruited cohort of pregnant COVID-19 patients (n = 204) at a quaternary perinatal academic center were retrospectively analyzed. During pregnancy umbilical artery (UA) Doppler assessment was performed to assess placental function. At delivery, maternal and fetal outcomes were assessed, with paired maternal peripheral blood and placenta samples collected (n = 26) for bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Post-sequencing analysis with single cell deconvolution and pathway analysis was performed.

resultsMaternally-indicated preterm births were more frequent in severe, but not asymptomatic or mild/moderate COVID-19 infection. In severe COVID-19 infection, UA Doppler assessment was normal. Rates of fetal growth restriction and placenta:birth weight ratios were similar between groups. RNA-seq showed a distinct adaptive immune activation signature in peripheral blood while placental transcripts showed no significant changes in immune cell types.

conclusionDespite multi-organ failure, severe COVID-19 did not significantly impact placental function and transcriptomics with iatrogenic preterm birth indicated for maternal-indications.

Indexed as

COVID-19PlacentaPregnancy Complications, InfectiousPremature BirthAdultFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornPregnancyPregnancy OutcomeProspective StudiesRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2Umbilical ArteriesCOVID-19Immune changesNICUOrgan dysfunctionPlacentaPregnancy

Identifiers

PMID40383676
PMCPMC13596039

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.