PLOS ONE · 4 authors, 3 centres
This summary was generated by AI from a single paper. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not clinical advice. Verify against the source before acting on it.
This scoping review of 27 studies synthesized evidence on molecular and cellular mechanisms linking SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy to placental damage. The central finding is that infection is associated with perturbations in the ACE2 pathway, inflammatory mediators, and mitochondrial function in placentas.
This was a scoping review conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, synthesizing 27 primary studies (mostly case-control and cohort designs) that analyzed molecular and/or cellular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-mediated placental outcomes. The review focused on studies examining gene expression, protein expression, and cell physiology in placental tissue. The main findings indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy is associated with perturbations in the ACE2 pathway, altered inflammatory mediators and immune cell populations, and mitochondrial dysfunction within the placenta. These changes are proposed as potential mechanisms for the placental damage observed in infected pregnancies. Limitations include the exclusion of grey literature and non-English studies, which may introduce bias. The implications suggest these pathways are key areas for future research to clarify the link between infection, placental lesions, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
