DAPHNE Study

Clive Gray was awarded the Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award for this project, which aims to develop a simple blood test during pregnancy to predict premature birth and elevated cardiovascular risk in the mother post-delivery. It is a highly collaborative effort between South African and UK institutions, involving a team of immunologists, biochemists, clinicians, and biostatisticians.

The first aim of this project is to identify predictive markers for premature birth by utilizing biobanked samples to screen for multiple markers. The second aim is to validate these predictive markers in a prospective group of pregnant women as part of the HELPFUL study, led by Professor Ntobeko Ntusi at the University of Cape Town. This validation study will include both HIV-positive and HIV-negative women, with and without high blood pressure. The third aim is to investigate how predictive markers impact maternal cardiovascular health post-birth, leveraging data from the HELPFUL study. By analysing images of the heart, brain, and blood vessels in women 6-9 months postpartum, researchers aim to establish a connection between placental health and maternal cardiovascular disease development.

The study seeks to reduce the incidence of premature births and improve maternal cardiovascular health by identifying predictive markers and implementing preventative measures. This project aims to develop a simple blood test to identify abnormal placental changes, guiding prevention of premature births and identifying women at risk of cardiovascular problems.