Acute Fetal Demise with First Trimester Maternal Infection Resulting from
Listeria monocytogenes
in a Nonhuman Primate Model
Authors: Wolfe Bryce , Wiepz Gregory J. , Schotzko Michele , Bondarenko Gennadiy I. , Durning Maureen , Simmons Heather A. , Mejia Andres , Faith Nancy G. , Sampene Emmanuel , Suresh Marulasiddappa , Kathariou Sophia , Czuprynski Charles J. , Golos Thaddeus G. 
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT

Infection with
Listeria monocytogenes
during pregnancy is associated with miscarriage, preterm birth, and neonatal complications, including sepsis and meningitis. While the risk of these conditions is thought to be greatest during the third trimester of pregnancy, the determinants of fetoplacental susceptibility to infection, the contribution of gestational age, and the
in vivo
progression of disease at the maternal-fetal interface are poorly understood. We developed a nonhuman primate model of listeriosis to better understand antecedents of adverse pregnancy outcomes in early pregnancy. Four pregnant cynomolgus macaques (
Macaca fascicularis
) received a single intragastric inoculation between days 36 and 46 of gestation with 10
7
CFU of an
L. monocytogenes
strain isolated from a previous cluster of human listeriosis cases that resulted in adverse pregnancy outcomes. Fecal shedding, maternal bacteremia, and fetal demise were consistently noted within 7 to 13 days. Biopsy specimens of maternal liver, spleen, and lymph node displayed variable inflammation and relatively low bacterial burden. In comparison, we observed greater bacterial burden in the decidua and placenta and the highest burden in fetal tissues. Histopathology indicated vasculitis, fibrinoid necrosis, and thrombosis of the decidual spiral arteries, acute chorioamnionitis and villitis in the placenta, and hematogenous infection of the fetus. Vascular pathology suggests early impact of
L. monocytogenes
infection on spiral arteries in the decidua, which we hypothesize precipitates subsequent placentitis and fetal demise. These results demonstrate that
L. monocytogenes
tropism for the maternal reproductive tract results in infection of the decidua, placenta, and the fetus itself during the first trimester of pregnancy.

IMPORTANCE
Although listeriosis is known to cause significant fetal morbidity and mortality, it is typically recognized in the third trimester of human pregnancy. Its impact on early pregnancy is poorly defined. Here we provide evidence that exposure to
L. monocytogenes
in the first trimester poses a greater risk of fetal loss than currently appreciated. Similarities in human and nonhuman primate placentation, physiology, and reproductive immunology make this work highly relevant to human pregnancy. We highlight the concept that the maternal immune response that protects the mother from serious disease is unable to protect the fetus, a concept relevant to classic TORCH (
t
oxoplasmosis,
o
ther,
r
ubella,
c
ytomegalovirus, and
h
erpes) infections and newly illuminated by current Zika virus outbreaks. Studies with this model, using the well-understood organism
L. monocytogenes
, will permit precise analysis of host-pathogen interactions at the maternal-fetal interface and have broad significance to both recognized and emerging infections in the setting of pregnancy.