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Recording available 2/16-5/2
Recording available 2/16-5/2
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Poster Session 4

Category: Hypertension

Poster Session 4

(1230) Evaluating Anti-MBG Antibody (H3L2) as a Therapeutic Agent and Marinobufagenin as a Biomarker in Preeclampsia

Thursday, February 12, 2026
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM  

    Submitting Author and Presenting Author(s)

  • Regan Rivers, MD, N/A (she/her/hers)

    Resident Physician
    Baylor Scott and White
    Baylor Scott and White/ Temple, Texas, United States

    • Coauthor(s)

  • Michelle N. Harris, MD

    Resident Physician
    Baylor Scott & White Health - Baylor College of Medicine
    Temple, Texas, United States

  • AW

    Audrey Wise, DO

    Baylor Scott and White
    Baylor Scott and White/ Temple, Texas, United States

  • RK

    Ram R. Kalagiri, MD

    NICU Physician
    Baylor Scott and White Health
    Te, Texas, United States

  • JE

    Jessica C. Ehrig, MD

    Medical Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine
    Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Temple
    Temple, Texas, United States

  • KK

    Kelsey R. Kelso, MD

    Residency Program Director
    Baylor Scott & White Health - Baylor College of Medicine
    Temple, Texas, United States

  • NV

    Niraj Vora, MD

    Division Chief/Medical Director, Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
    Baylor Scott & White Medical Center
    Temple, Texas, United States

  • DV

    Diana Villazana-Kretzer, DO

    Staff Maternal Fetal Medicine Physician
    Baylor Scott & White Medical Center
    Temple, Texas, United States

  • MU

    Mohammad N. Uddin, PhD

    Director of Research for OB/GYN Residency Program
    Texas A&M Health University College of Medicine
    Temple, Texas, United States

  • AP

    Ahmed Pantho

    Orion Institute for Translational Medicine
    Temple, Texas, United States

  • TK

    Thomas Kuehl, MD

    Texas A&M College of Medicine
    Bryan, Texas, United States

Objective:

Preeclampsia (preE) affects 3-10% of pregnancies and is a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Recent data support the involvement of marinobufagenin (MBG), a cardiotonic steroid, in preE.  



 



We aimed to understand the effects of anti-MBG antibody (H3L2) on outcomes in a PreE rat model, and to evaluate trends in MBG levels in PreE patients to understand its role and timing as a biomarker.


Study Design:
Six groups of pregnant rats (n=10 per group) were studied: 1) Normal pregnant rats (NP), 2) P</span>regnant rats given Anti-MBG H3L2 intraperitoneally daily from gestation day (GD) 10-20, 3) Pregnant rats injected with DOCA (12.5 mg initially, followed by weekly injections of 6.5 mg) and given 0.9% saline as drinking water, 4) DOCA/saline-treated rats also given anti-MBG in intraperitoneal doses twice weekly of 10 mg/kg, or 5) 2 mg/kg, or 6) 0.5 mg/kg, from GD10-20. Blood pressure (BP) and plasma samples were analyzed. Results are shown in Figure 1. A total of 76 women were recruited from the Obstetrical service at Baylor Scott and White Hospital in the first trimester and serum MBG was analyzed at four time points throughout pregnancy. Serum levels of MBG in the 21 patients who developed PreE were compared to levels in those who did not. Results are shown in Table 1.

Results:
The anti-MBG antibody normalized BP, proteinuria, and the number of abnormal pups in DOCA-treated rats in a dose-dependent manner. Serum levels of marinobufagenin (MBG) were significantly elevated in women who developed PreE, with notable rise observed in the second trimester. These findings suggest anti-MBG therapy could mitigate PreE symptoms and MBG could be useful as a biomarker for the disease.

Conclusion:
The anti-MBG antibody (H3L2) demonstrated dose-dependent efficacy in normalizing BP and mitigating the effects of DOCA treatment in the rat model. Elevated MBG levels in women with PreE suggest its utility as a serum biomarker for the disease. These findings support the potential of anti-MBG therapy as a targeted treatment for PreE.