Objective: To study associations between the first-trimester maternal determinants of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activation and telomere length (TL) in pregnancies conceived natural and after IVF/ICSI.
Methods: In 145 pregnancies of the Rotterdam Periconception cohort renin, prorenin and aldosterone concentrations were measured in maternal blood at 9 weeks gestational age (GA). TL was measured by qPCR at 20 weeks GA.
Results: A significantly negative correlation was found between renin and TL, which was attenuated for prorenin but not observed for aldosterone. Maternal TL was significantly shorter in pregnancies conceived after in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) compared to natural pregnancies.
Conclusion: The negative association between first-trimester maternal renin and maternal TL, and the shorter maternal TL in women after IVF/ICSI treatment compared to natural pregnancies, substantiates the role of excessive RAAS activation.
Keywords: Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system; aging; inflammation; oxidative stress; telomere length.