Aspirin and Neutrophils in Preeclampsia

The exact mechanisms by which aspirin prevents the development of preeclampsia in high-risk patients are currently not fully known. Furthermore, a small proportion of high-risk patients who are on low-dose aspirin (LDA) still go on to develop preeclampsia (PE).

This longitudinal observational study will assess the immune profile in participants who are taking low dose aspirin (LDA) in pregnancy. As part of routine care, patients at high risk of developing preeclampsia are treated with LDA from 16 weeks gestation.

The study will be conducted at Barts Health National Health Service (NHS) Trust. The study population will comprise of 2 groups of participants:

1. Those who respond to LDA and do not develop preeclampsia (responders) 2. Participants who do not respond to LDA and develop preeclampsia (non responders)

Participants will be consented at their booking appointment. Participants will be eligible if they have a singleton pregnancy and are aged over 18 years. They will have an additional blood sample taken at 12, 20, 28 and 36 weeks gestation.

The blood samples will be tested to assess immune cell function, metabolism and genetics. This will identify cumulative changes in immunobiology at key time points in pregnancy.

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Key information

Conditions

Preeclampsia Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced Immunology Neutrophil Pre-Eclampsia Pregnancy Pregnancy Complications Urogenital Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Barts Health NHS Trust, The Royal London Hospital

London, E1 1BB, United Kingdom

About this study

The exact mechanisms by which aspirin prevents the development of PE in high-risk patients are currently not fully known. Furthermore, a small proportion of high-risk patients who are on low-dose aspirin still go on to develop PE. This is a big unmet need because although it is known that this treatment is working for some patients, it is not known how it's working in these patients and also why a proportion of patients don't respond to this treatment. If the key mechanisms by which aspirin treatment is beneficial in patients at high risk of PE can be identifies, this will lead to better information for clinicians of why this treatment works and this could then be conveyed to the patient. Moreover, if key differences can be identified between aspirin responders and non-responders, novel therapeutic targets could be developed that could work for all patients at high risk of PE.

One of the main anti-inflammatory actions of aspirin is the release of aspirin-triggered lipoxin (ATL). The receptor for ATL (FPR2/ALX) is highly expressed on neutrophils, suggesting that the anti-inflammatory action of this drug is mediated via neutrophils. The investigators have previously shown that neutrophils are important in mediating anti-inflammatory responses in PE. Thus, taken together, the hypothesis is that neutrophils are key to understanding the mechanisms involved in the use of low-dose aspirin (LDA) treatment in patients at high risk of developing PE and key to understanding why this treatment does not work in some high-risk patients. This hypothesis will be addressed by two objectives both of which will entail in-depth profiling of neutrophils.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Age 18-60 years
Singleton pregnancy
Live fetus at 11-13 weeks of gestation
Informed, written consent
Upper age of 60 years
Patient taking low dose aspirin as standard of care

Exclusion criteria

Unwilling or unable to give consent
Participants who are unable to understand written English

Treatment and study plan

Blood test

Diagnostic Test

Blood tests will be taken at 12, 20, 28 and 36 weeks gestation to assess the immune profile and omic profile.

Primary outcomes

To longitudinally define the neutrophil profile in high-risk patients given low dose aspirin (LDA) at ≤16 weeks.

Time frame: 2 years

To address the first objective, to assess the neutrophil profile in high-risk patients given LDA at ≤16 weeks, a longitudinal analyses will be undertaken of neutrophils taken from participants at high-risk of PE (as identified at their pregnancy booking appointment). The first blood test will occur prior to aspirin commencement and be repeated at 3 other time points in pregnancy. These longitudinal analyses will identify cumulative changes in neutrophils following the commencement of aspirin treatment and pinpoint key timepoints of aspirin on neutrophil biology.
To define the neutrophil profile in a cohort of high-risk patients who have not responded to low dose aspirin (LDA) and have gone on to develop PE.

Time frame: 2 years

To address the second objective (to assess the neutrophil profile in a cohort of high-risk patients who have not responded to LDA and have gone on to develop PE), 20 LDA non-responders subsequently develop PE will be identified.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Queen Mary University of London

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Investigating the Role of Neutrophils in Aspirin Treatment for Women at High Risk of Preeclampsia

Important dates

Study start: 2022
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2025
First posted: Jul 23, 2021
Registry last updated: Apr 23, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed