Background
Preterm preeclampsia has a high rate of fetal death or disability. There is no treatment
to slow the disease, except delivery. Preclinical studies have identified proton pump
inhibitors as a possible treatment.
Objective
The purpose of this study was to examine whether esomeprazole could prolong pregnancy
in women who have received a diagnosis of preterm preeclampsia.
Study Design
We performed a double-blind, randomized controlled trial at Tygerberg Hospital in
South Africa. Women with preterm preeclampsia (gestational age 26 weeks+0 days to
31 weeks+6 days) were assigned randomly to 40-mg daily esomeprazole or placebo. The
primary outcome was a prolongation of gestation of 5 days. Secondary outcomes were
maternal and neonatal outcomes. We compared circulating markers of endothelial dysfunction
that was associated with preeclampsia and performed pharmacokinetic studies.
Results
Between January 2016 and April 2017, we recruited 120 participants. One participant
was excluded because of incorrect randomization, which left 59 participants in the
esomeprazole and 60 participants in the placebo group. Median gestational age at enrolment
was 29+4 weeks gestation. There were no between-group differences in median time from
randomization to delivery: 11.4 days (interquartile range, 3.6–19.7 days) in the esomeprazole
group and 8.3 days (interquartile range, 3.8–19.6 days) in the placebo group (3 days
longer in the esomeprazole arm; 95% confidence interval, –2.9–8.8; P=.31). There were no placental abruptions in the esomeprazole group and 6 (10%) in
the placebo group (P=.01, P=.14 adjusted). There were no differences in other maternal or neonatal outcomes or
markers of endothelial dysfunction. Esomeprazole and its metabolites were detected
in maternal blood among those treated with esomeprazole, but only trace amounts in
the umbilical cord blood.
Conclusion
Daily esomeprazole (40 mg) did not prolong gestation in pregnancies with preterm preeclampsia
or decrease circulating soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 concentrations. Higher
levels in the maternal circulation may be needed for clinical effect.
Key words
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: July 25, 2018
Accepted:
July 20,
2018
Received in revised form:
July 17,
2018
Received:
May 7,
2018
Footnotes
Supported by The Geoff and Helen Handbury Foundation , The Beischer Medical Foundation for Mothers and Babies , The Mercy Perinatal Foundation and The Kilvington Trust ; the National Health and Medical Research Foundation of Australia provided salary support to S.T. and B.W.M.; the University of Melbourne provided a CR Roper Fellowship (salary support) to N.J.H.; C.A.C. received the Discovery Academic Fellowship and the South African Medical Association PhD Bursary.
The funders had no role in the study design, the collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit this article for publication.
This trial is registered with the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, PACTR201 504000771349.
The authors report no conflict of interest.
Cite this article as: Cluver CA, Hannan NJ, van Papendorp E, et al. Esomeprazole to treat women with preterm preeclampsia: a randomized placebo controlled trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2018;219:388.e1-17.
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- ReplyAmerican Journal of Obstetrics & GynecologyVol. 220Issue 2
- Esomeprazole to treat women with preeclampsia: possible implications in the nitric oxide homeostasisAmerican Journal of Obstetrics & GynecologyVol. 220Issue 2
- PreviewWe read with interest the article by Cluver et al1 evaluating the use of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) esomeprazole to treat women with preterm preeclampsia.1 While the 40 mg of daily oral esomeprazole tested in their study did not prolong gestation in pregnancies with preterm preeclampsia or decrease circulating soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 concentrations, the authors discuss that this dosage of esomeprazole may be too low to treat preterm preeclampsia and suggest that higher doses may still be effective.
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