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Lina Bergman Group

Research group

Active research

Project period

2023 - ongoing

Project owner

Göteborgs universitet and Region Västra Götaland

Research partners

preeclampsiaresearch.com

Area

Health and medicine

Topic

Obstetrics and gynaecology Epidemiology Rheumatology and Autoimmunity Neuroscience

Short description

Lina Bergman group conducts translational and clinical research in preeclampsia, focusing on prediction, new treatments and maternal end organ complications on short- and longterm. Please see more information on the external webpage of our international research group and collaborators with separate links to other research groups and societies in preeclampsia research.

Preeclampsia - a pregnancy induced disorder

My research group focuses on preeclampsia, a pregnancy induced disorder. As research leader, I am an obstetrician and associate professor within the field of obstetrics but in particular in preeclampsia and maternal organ complications, focusing on the maternal brain.

Our research is translational, from laboratory studies and animal models to clinical studies, epidemiology and intervention trials. I have a large international network of researchers working in the field of preeclampsia that I collaborate with to make use of different methodologies and gather the experts in the field to conduct high quality research.

Illustration of the projects — Included streams in my research group. Our research includes both clinical cohort studies, a pre-clinical pipeline of in vivo and in vitro models, randomized controlled treatment trials and epidemiological studies.

Academic background

I completed my PhD in October 2017 at Uppsala University which investigated the role of cerebral biomarkers in preeclampsia. I spent a 2-year postdoc fellowship, initiating the Preeclampsia Obstetric Adverse Events (PROVE) –Biobank – together with a local South African researcher Prof Cluver at Stellenbosch University in South Africa between 2017-2019. I am also appointed extraordinary associate professor at Stellenbosch University.

In August 2019, I moved to Gothenburg to establish my own research group at Sahlgrenska Academy, aiming for an associate professor position that I obtained in May 2021. In 2022, I received a large national grant to initiate a treatment trial for early onset preeclampsia, “PI4”. This trial will start in 2023 and is a continuation of our work in South Africa where my research group has shown that treatment with metformin has the potential to prolong pregnancy in early onset disease.

Our Preeclampsia Research Webpage (External link)

Ongoing and recently completed projects

Detailed descriptions and publications can be found at www.preeclampsiaresearch.com

PROVE – Preeclampsia Obstetric adVerse Effects

STINT, Swedish Brain Fund, Swedish Research Council, Märta Lundqvist Foundation, WCMTM, 600 000 USD

Cluver and Bergman (PI)

During my postdoctoral training, I set up a biobank and database for preeclampsia and severe disease at Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa together with prof Cluver.

We have focused our work aiming to phenotype preeclampsia and understand why different women are affected differently by the disease and elucidate underlying pathophysiological pathways with the longterm goal to find new predictive tools and treatment. We hope that this might lead to individualized treatment and emergin precision medicine in this field. Our major findings are the following:

Women with eclampsia (generalized seizures in preeclampsia) have increased circulating biomarkers from placental and cerebral origin compared with women with preeclampsia without neurological complications. They also demonstrate an impaired dynamic cerebral autoregulation and score worse on cognitive function tests compared with women with preeclampsia without cerebral complications. In addition, these women have increased neuroinflammation detected in CSF and a breached blood-brain barrier. They do not demonstrate a major increase in blood pressure or an increased systolic blood pressure compared with women without eclampsia and therefore, this can not be used as a predictor.
Women with preeclampsia and pulmonary edema don’t show increased circulating biomarkers from placental or cerebral origin (b). They demonstrate left myocardial edema but this is also present in other forms of severe preeclampsia a). They don’t have decreased ejection fraction compared to women with preeclampsia without pulmonary edema and therefore, the cardiac function is probably of minor importance in the development of pulmonary edema.
Women with HELLP syndrome demonstrate altered cerebral and placental biomarkers, arguing for a severe systemic disease (b).

GO-PROVE – Gothenburg Preeclampsia Obstetric Adverse Events

Swedish register based studies for the effect of medication during pregnancy

In vitro studies of the maternal brain in preeclampsia

PI4 – Preeclampsia Intervention 4

RUPP MODEL in preeclampsia

IMPACT – Study for Improving Maternal, Pregnancy and Child Outcomes

COPE – COVID 19 in Pregnancy and Early Childhood

Group members

Our research in the media

Publications

Most recent publications

Thorgeirsdóttir L, Lindén K, Bergman L, Sengpiel V, Nyman V, Elden H. The experience of being a partner to a childbearing woman whose pregnancy is complicated by pre-eclampsia: A Swedish qualitative study. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare 2023.
Bartho LA, Kandel M, Walker SP, Cluver CA, Hastie R, Bergman L, Pritchard N, Cannon P, Nguyen TV, Wong GP, MacDonald TM, Keenan E, Hannan NJ, Tong S, Kaitu'u-Lino TJ. Circulating chemerin is elevated in women with preeclampsia. Endocrinology 2023.

Full list of publications

1. Thorgeirsdóttir L, Lindén K, Bergman L, Sengpiel V, Nyman V, Elden H. The experience of being a partner to a childbearing woman whose pregnancy is complicated by pre-eclampsia: A Swedish qualitative study. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare 2023.

2. Bartho LA, Kandel M, Walker SP, Cluver CA, Hastie R, Bergman L, Pritchard N, Cannon P, Nguyen TV, Wong GP, MacDonald TM, Keenan E, Hannan NJ, Tong S, Kaitu'u-Lino TJ. Circulating chemerin is elevated in women with preeclampsia. Endocrinology 2023.

3. Maxwell CV, Shirley R, O'Higgins AC, Rosser ML, O'Brien P, Hod M, O'Reilly SL, Medina VP, Smith GN, Hanson MA, Adam S, Ma RC, Kapur A, McIntyre HD, Jacobsson B, Poon LC, Bergman L, Regan L, Algurjia E, McAuliffe FM; FIGO Committee on Impact of Pregnancy on Long-term Health and the FIGO Division of Maternal and Newborn Health. Management of obesity across women's life course: FIGO Best Practice Advice. Int Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics 2023; 160 (S1): 35-49.

4. Poon LC, Nguyen-Hoang L, Smith GN, Bergman L, O'Brien P, Hod M, Okong P, Kapur A, Maxwell CV, McIntyre HD, Jacobsson B, Algurjia E, Hanson MA, Rosser ML, Ma RC, O'Reilly SL, Regan L, Adam S, Medina VP, McAuliffe FM; FIGO Committee on Impact of Pregnancy on Long-term Health and the FIGO Division of Maternal and Newborn Health. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and long-term cardiovascular health: FIGO Best Practice Advice. Int Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics 2023; 160 (S1): 22-34.

5. Adam S, McIntyre HD, Tsoi KY, Kapur A, Ma RC, Dias S, Okong P, Hod M, Poon LC, Smith GN, Bergman L, Algurjia E, O'Brien P, Medina VP, Maxwell CV, Regan L, Rosser ML, Jacobsson B, Hanson MA, O'Reilly SL, McAuliffe FM; FIGO Committee on the Impact of Pregnancy on Long-term Health and the FIGO Division of Maternal and Newborn Health. Pregnancy as an opportunity to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus: FIGO Best Practice Advice. Int Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics 2023; 160 (S1): 56-67.

6. Killeen SL, Donnellan N, O'Reilly SL, Hanson MA, Rosser ML, Medina VP, Jacob CM, Divakar H, Hod M, Poon LC, Bergman L, O'Brien P, Kapur A, Jacobsson B, Maxwell CV, McIntyre HD, Regan L, Algurjia E, Ma RC, Adam S, McAuliffe FM; FIGO Committee on Impact of Pregnancy on Long-term Health and the FIGO Division of Maternal and Newborn Health. Using FIGO Nutrition Checklist counselling in pregnancy: A review to support healthcare professionals. Int Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics 2023; 160 (S1): 10-21.

7. Bokström-Rees E, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Hastie R, Schell S, Cluver C, Bergman L. Correlation between cognitive assessment scores and circulating cerebral biomarkers in women with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Pregnancy Hypertension 2022; 10 (31): 38-45.

8. Carlberg N, Cluver C, Hesse C, Thörn SE, Gandley R, Damén T, Bergman L. Circulating concentrations of glycocalyx degradation products in preeclampsia. Frontiers in physiology 2022; 13 (13): 1022770.

9. Kupka E, Hesselman S, Hastie R, Lomartire R, Wikström AK, Bergman L. Low-dose aspirin use and the risk of preterm birth: a Swedish register-based cohort study. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2022; 9: S0002-9378(22)00728-1.

10. Asp J, Bergman L, Lager S, Axelsson O, Wikström AK, Hesselman S. Alcohol exposure prior to pregnancy – does hazardous consumption affect placenta- and inflammatory-mediated pregnancy outcomes? A Swedih population-based study. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2022; 101 (12): 1386-1394.

11. Hastie R, Bergman L, Walker SP, Kaitu'u-Lino T, Hannan NJ, Brownfoot F, Schell S, Harper A, Cannon P, Cluver CA, Tong S. Associations between soluble fms-like Tyrosine Kinase-1 and placental growth factor and disease severity among women with preterm eclampsia and preeclampsia. J Am Heart Assoc 2022; e024395.

12. Escudero C, Kupka E, Ibanez B, Sandoval H, Troncoso F, Wikström AK, Lopez D, Acurio J, Torres-Vergara P, Bergman, L. Brain vascular dysfunction in mothers and their children exposed to preeclampsia. Hypertension 2023; 80 (2): 242-256.

13. Torres-Vergara P, Troncoso F, Acurio J, Kupka E, Bergman L, Wikström AK, Escudero C. Dysregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 phosphorylation is associated with disruption of the blood-brain barrier and brain endothelial cell apoptosis induced by plasma from women with preeclampsia. BBA - Molecular Basis of Disease 2022; 1868(9): 166451.

14. Roberts JM, Heider D, Bergman L, Thornburg KL. Vision for improving pregnancy health: innovation and the future of pregnancy research. Reproductive Sciences 2022; 29 (10): 2908-2920.

15. Joubert L, Doubell A, Langenegger E, Herrey A, Bergman L, Bergman K, Cluver C, Ackermann C, Herbst P. Cardiac MRI in preeclampsia complicated by pulmonary edema shows myocardial edema with normal left ventricular systolic function. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2022; 227(2): 292.e1-292.e11.

16. Junus K, Björk Ragnarsdóttir I, Nordlöf Callbo P, Bergman L, Lager S, Wikström AK. Elevated mid-pregnancy plasma levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in women prior to the development of preeclampsia. Scientific Reports 2022; 12(1): 4109.

17. Bergman L, Hastie R, Bokström-Rees E, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Schell S, Imberg H, Langenegger E, Moodley A, Walker S, Tong S, Cluver C. Cerebral biomarkers in neurologic complications of preeclampsia. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2022; 298.e1-298.e10.

18. Friis T, Wikström AK, Acurio J, León J, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Nelander M, Åkerud H, Kaihola H, Cluver C, Troncoso F, Torres-Vergara P, Escudero C, Bergman L. Cerebral biomarkers and blood-brain barrier integrity in preeclampsia. Cells 2022; 11(5): 789.

19. Kandel M, MacDonald TM, Walker SP, Cluver C, Bergman L, Myers J, Hastie R, Keenan E, Hannan NJ, Cannon P, Nguyen TV, Pritchard N, Tong S, Kaitu’u-Lino TJ. PSG7 and 9 (pregnancy‐specific β‐1 glycoproteins 7 and 9): novel biomarkers for preeclampsia. Journal of the American Heart Association 2022; 11(7): e024536.

20. Hastie R, Tong S, Wikström AK, Walker SP, Lindquist A, Cluver C, Kupka E, Bergman L, Hesselman S. Low-dose aspirin for preventing birth of a small-for-gestational age neonate in a subsequent pregnancy. Obstetrics & Gynecology 2022; 139(4): 529–535.

21. Bergman L, Hastie R, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Schell S, Langenegger E, Moodley A, Walker S, Tong S, Cluver C. Evidence of neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier disruption in women with preeclampsia and eclampsia. Cells 2021; 10(11): 3045.

22. Thorgeirsdóttir L, Andersson M, Karlsson O, Thörn SE, Oras J, Sengpiel V, Svanvik T, Elden H, Lindén K, Junus K, Lager S, Enskär I, van Veen T, Wikström J, Björkman-Burtscher I, Stigsdotter Neely A, Wikström AK, Bergman L. Study protocol: establishment of a multicentre pre-eclampsia database and biobank in Sweden: GO PROVE and UP MOST, a prospective cohort study. BMJ Open 2021; 11(11): e049559.

23. Carlsson Y, Bergman L, Zaigham M, Lindén K, Andersson O, Veje M, Sandström A, Wikström AK, Östling H, Fadl H, Domellöf M, Blomberg M, Brismar Wendel S, Åden U, Sengpiel V. COVID-19 in Pregnancy and Early childhood (COPE): study protocol for a prospective, multicentre biobank, survey and database cohort study. BMJ Open 2021; 11(9): e049376.

24. León J, Acurio J, Bergman L, López J, Wikström AK, Torres-Vergara P, Troncoso F, Castro FO, Vatish M, Escudero C. Disruption of the blood-brain barrier by extracellular vesicles from preeclampsia plasma and hypoxic placentae: attenuation by magnesium sulfate. Hypertension 2021; 78(5): 1423-1433.

25. Hesselman S, Wikman A, Hastie R, Wikström AK, Bergman L, Sandström A. Duration of labor among women with thromboembolic events: a Swedish register study. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology: X 2021; 11: 100130.

26. Van Heerden P, Cluver C, Bergman K, Bergman L. Blood pressure as a risk factor for eclampsia and pulmonary oedema in pre-eclampsia. Pregnancy Hypertension 2021; 26: 2-7.

27. Cruickshank T, MacDonald TM, Walker SP, Keenan E, Dane K, Middleton A, Kyritsis V, Myers J, Cluver C, Hastie R, Bergman L, Garcha D, Cannon P, Murray E, Nguyen TV, Hiscock R, Pritchard N, Hannan N, Tong S,Kaitu’u-Lino TJ. Circulating growth differentiation factor 15 is increased preceding preeclampsia diagnosis: implications as a disease biomarker. Journal of the American Heart Association 2021; 10(16): e020302.

28. Bergman L, Bergman K, Langenegger E, Moodley A, Griffith-Richards S, Wikström J, Hall D, Joubert L, Herbst P, Schell S, van Veen T, Belfort M, Tong S, Walker S, Hastie R, Cluver C. PROVE - Pre-Eclampsia Obstetric Adverse Events: establishment of a biobank and database for pre-eclampsia. Cells 2021; 10(4): 959.

29. Bergman L, Cluver C, Carlberg N, Belfort M, Tolcher M, Panerai R, van Veen T. Cerebral perfusion pressure and autoregulation in eclampsia - a case control study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2021; 225(2): 185.e1-185.e9.

30. Andersson M, Oras J, Thörn SE, Karlsson O, Kälebo P, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Bergman L. Signs of neuroaxonal injury in preeclampsia - a case control study. PloS One 2021; 16(2): e0246786.

31. Bergman L, Thorgeirsdóttir L, Elden H, Hesselman S, Schell S, Ahlm E, Aukes A, Cluver C. Cognitive impairment in preeclampsia complicated by eclampsia and pulmonary edema after delivery. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 2021; 100(7): 1280-1287.

32. Dehaene I, Lorthe E, Gurney L, Turtiainen P, Schwickert A, Svenvik M, Care A, Bergman L. Accuracy of the combination of commercially available biomarkers and cervical length measurement to predict preterm birth in symptomatic women: a systematic review. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 2021; 258: 198-207.

33. Bergman L, Sandström A, Jacobsson B, Hansson S, Lindgren P, Larsson A, Imberg H, Conner P, Kublickas M, Carlsson Y, Wikström AK. Study for Improving Maternal Pregnancy and Child ouTcomes (IMPACT): a study protocol for a Swedish prospective multicentre cohort study. BMJ Open 2020; 10(9): e033851.

34. Bergman L, Acurio J, León J, Gatu E, Friis T, Nelander M, Wikström J, Larsson A, Lara E, Aguayo C, Torres-Vergara P, Wikström AK, Escudero C. Preeclampsia and increased permeability over the blood-brain barrier: a role of vascular endothelial growth receptor 2. American Journal of Hypertension 2021; 34(1): 73-81.

35. Hastie R, Tong S, Wikström AK, Sandström A, Hesselman S, Bergman L. Aspirin use during pregnancy and the risk of bleeding complications: a Swedish population-based cohort study. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2021; 224(1): 95.e1-95.e12.

36. Bergman L, Nordlöf Callbo P, Wikström AK, Snowden JM, Hesselman S, Edstedt Bonamy AK, Sandström A. Multi-fetal pregnancy, preeclampsia, and long-term cardiovascular disease. Hypertension 2020; 76(1): 167-175.

37. Hastie R, Bergman L, Akhter T, Sandström A, Wikström AK, Hesselman S. Duration of labor among women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; a Swedish register cohort study. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 2020; 251: 114-118.

38. Jacobsson B, Pettersson K, Modzelewska D, Abrahamsson T, Bergman L, Håkansson S. Preterm delivery: an overview on epidemiology, pathophysiology and consequences for the individual and the society. Läkartidningen 2019; 116.

39. Cluver C, Charles W, van der Merwe C, Bezuidenhout H, Nel D, Groenewald C, Brink L, Hesselman S, Bergman L, Odendaal H. The association of prenatal alcohol exposure on the cognitive abilities and behaviour profiles of 4‐year‐old children: a prospective cohort study. An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 2019; 126(13): 1588-1597.

40. Bergman L, Torres-Vergara P, Penny J, Wikström J, Nelander M, León J, Tolcher M, Roberts JM, Wikström AK, Escudero C. Investigating maternal brain alterations in preeclampsia: the need for a multidisciplinary effort. Current Hypertension Reports 2019; 21(9): 72.

41. Hastie R, Brownfoot F, Cluver C, Walker S, Hesselman S, Tong S, Bergman L. Predictive value of the signs and symptoms preceding eclampsia: a systematic review. Obstetrics & Gynecology 2019; 134(4): 677-684.

42. Hastie R, Bergman L, Cluver C, Wikman A, Hannan N, Walker S, Wikström AK, Tong S, Hesselman S. Proton pump inhibitors and preeclampsia risk among 157 720 women: a Swedish population register-based cohort study. Hypertension 2019; 73(5): 1097-1103.

43. Hesselman S, Bergman L, Högberg U, Jonsson M. Risk of fistula formation and long‐term health effects after a benign hysterectomy complicated by organ injury: a population‐based register study. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 2018; 97(12): 1463-1470.

44. Nelander M, Hannsberger D, Sundström‐Poromaa I, Bergman L, Weis J, Åkerud H, Wikström J, Wikström AK. Assessment of cerebral perfusion and edema in preeclampsia with intravoxel incoherent motion MRI. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 2018; 97(10): 1212-1218.

45. Bergman L, Zetterberg H, Kaihola H, Hagberg H, Blennow K, Åkerud H. Blood-based cerebral biomarkers in preeclampsia: plasma concentrations of NfL, tau, S100B and NSE during pregnancy in women who later develop preeclampsia - a nested case control study. PLoS One 2018; 13(5): e0196025.

46. Nelander M, Wikström AK, Weis J, Bergman L, Larsson A, Sundström-Poromaa I, Wikström J. Cerebral osmolytes and plasma osmolality in pregnancy and preeclampsia: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. American Journal of Hypertension 2018; 31(7): 847-853.

47. Dehaene I, Bergman L, Turtiainen P, Ridout A, Mol BW, Lorthe E. Maintaining and repeating tocolysis: a reflection on evidence. Seminars in Perinatology 2017; 41(8): 468-476.

48. Nelander M, Weis J, Bergman L, Larsson A, Wikström AK, Wikström J. Cerebral magnesium levels in preeclampsia; a phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. American Journal of Hypertension 2017; 30(7): 667-672.

49. Bergman L, Åkerud H, Wikström AK, Larsson M, Naessen T, Akhter T. Cerebral biomarkers in women with preeclampsia are still elevated 1 year postpartum. American Journal of Hypertension 2016; 29(12): 1374-1379.

50. Bergman L, Åkerud H. Plasma levels of the cerebral biomarker, neuron-specific enolase, are elevated during pregnancy in women developing preeclampsia. Reproductive Sciences 2016; 23(3): 395-400.

51. Bergman L, Akhter T, Wikström AK, Wikström J, Naessen T, Åkerud H. Plasma levels of S100B in preeclampsia and association with possible central nervous system effects. American Journal of Hypertension 2014; 27(8): 1105-1111.

52. Wikström AK, Ekegren L, Karlsson M, Wikström J, Bergenheim M, Åkerud H. Plasma levels of S100B during pregnancy in women developing pre-eclampsia. Pregnancy Hypertension: An International Journal of Women's Cardiovascular Health 2012; 2(4): 398-402