Extensive monitoring of the natural menstrual cycle using the serum biomarkers estradiol, luteinizing hormone and progesterone.

Expected values for estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), and progesterone determined in serum allow accurate assessment of menstrual cycle phase. Automated immunoassays demonstrate variable degrees of bias, emphasizing the need to establish method-specific reference values. We therefore established method-specific reference intervals for the Elecsys® LH assay and new generation Elecsys Estradiol III and Progesterone III assays (cobas e 801 analyzer) in 85 apparently healthy women aged 22-37 (US)/18-37 (EU) years over one natural menstrual cycle.

Effects of Hormonal Contraceptives on Mood: A Focus on Emotion Recognition and Reactivity, Reward Processing, and Stress Response.

Purpose Of Review: We review recent research investigating the relationship of hormonal contraceptives and mood with a focus on relevant underlying mechanisms, such as emotion recognition and reactivity, reward processing, and stress response.

Recent Findings: Adverse effects of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) on mood seem most consistent in women with a history of depressive symptoms and/or previous negative experience with HC-intake. Current evidence supports a negativity bias in emotion recognition and reactivity in HC-users, although inconsistent to some extent.

Reference intervals of serum lipids in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy in a Caucasian cohort: the LIFE Child study.

Background: The study aimed to establish reference intervals for serum lipids and apolipoproteins in pregnant women depending on trimester and parity, and to investigate the influence of various factors on lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations.

Materials And Methods: A total of 748 pregnant women (n = 683 in the second trimester, n = 676 in the third trimester) were included in the study and reference intervals for total cholesterol (TC), HDL, LDL, triglycerides (TG), apoA1 and apoB were determined as empirical quantiles. The measurement of serum lipids was performed using a validated specific homozygous enzymatic color test.

The immature platelet fraction in hypertensive disease during pregnancy.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to elucidate the role of IPF in preeclampsia, because the immature platelet fraction (IPF) is available in most emergency departments. A number of parameters have been introduced to diagnose preeclampsia/HELLP syndrome. The defined cutoffs of angiogenic and antiangiogenic parameters, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 and placental growth factor, have been approved for clinical routine.

Evaluation of bone marrow function with immature platelet fraction in normal pregnancy.

Background: Bone marrow function in pregnancy is influencing blood cell concentration of platelets. The steady state of consumption, recovery and production of platelets is essential for coagulation and bleeding prevention. Reticulated platelets are an intermediate form of thrombocytes during thrombopoiesis representing platelet production.

The impact of uterine curettage postpartum on maternal sFlt-1 concentration.

Our purpose was to investigate the influence of a uterine curettage on the immediate maternal sFlt-1 concentration post partum. Forty-six patients booked for delivery via primary caesarean section were included in a prospective open, case control study. Eighteen of them achieved an intraoperative curettage and formed the treatment group, 28 patients without curettage were enrolled in the control group.

New systemic agents in dermatology with respect to fertility, pregnancy, and lactation.

With the increasing use of new, predominantly biologic drugs in dermatology, questions frequently arise in clinical practice as to their safety in women wishing to conceive as well as during pregnancy and lactation. Apart from the Summary of Product Characteristics and the Physician's Desk Reference, reliable information may be obtained from databases such as the one compiled by the Center for Pharmacovigilance and Consultation on Embryonal Toxicology at Charité University Medical Center Berlin (https://www.embryotox.

Robust fetal ECG extraction and detection from abdominal leads.

The fetal ECG derived from abdominal leads provides an alternative to standard means of fetal monitoring. Furthermore, it permits long-term and ambulant recordings, which expands the range diagnostic possibilities for evaluating the fetal health state. However, due to the temporal and spectral overlap of maternal and fetal signals, the usage of abdominal leads imposes the need for elaborated signal processing routines.

Serum levels of the adipokine fibroblast growth factor-21 are increased in preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious cardiovascular complication in pregnancy, which is associated with an increased future metabolic and cardiovascular risk for mother and newborn. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 was recently introduced as a novel adipokine improving glucose metabolism in vitro and in vivo.

Material And Methods: We investigated serum FGF-21 levels in patients with PE (n=51) as compared to healthy, age-matched controls (n=51) during and 6 months after pregnancy.

Serum levels of growth arrest specific protein 6 are increased in preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) contributes to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Moreover, it is associated with an increased future metabolic and cardiovascular risk for mother and newborn. Recently, growth arrest specific protein (Gas) 6 has been introduced as a novel metabolic risk factor with anti-angiogenic, pro-atherogenic, and pro-adipogenic properties.

Effect of terminated fetal circulation on maternal angiogenic factors in severe early preeclampsia.

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND; Although intrauterine presence of the placenta is essential in the etiology of preeclampsia (PE), case reports showed that the viability of the fetus influences the clinical course of PE and the intensity of the clinical symptoms.

Aim: We examined the course of angiogenic factors soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 receptors (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) in a case of severe early PE in week 22 + 1 of gestation, when fetal termination was required to stabilize maternal condition.

Results: The cessation of the feto-placental perfusion via fetocide led to a reduction of the maternal sFlt-1 concentration of 8.

Pilot study of extracorporeal removal of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 in preeclampsia.

Background: Targeted therapies to stabilize the clinical manifestations and prolong pregnancy in preeclampsia do not exist. Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), an alternatively spliced variant of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1, induces a preeclampsia-like phenotype in experimental models and circulates at elevated levels in human preeclampsia. Removing sFlt-1 may benefit women with very preterm (<32 weeks) preeclampsia.

Serum levels of the adipokine chemerin are increased in preeclampsia during and 6 months after pregnancy.

Unlabelled: Preeclampsia is a serious cardiovascular complication in pregnancy which is associated with an increased future metabolic and cardiovascular risk for mother and newborn. Recently, chemerin was introduced as a novel adipokine inducing insulin resistance in vitro and in vivo. In the current study, we investigated serum concentrations of chemerin by ELISA in control and preeclampsia patients during pregnancy (

Control: n=37, preeclampsia: n=37) and 6 months after delivery (

Control: n=35, preeclampsia: n=36).

Relation between maternal angiogenic factors and utero-placental resistance in normal first- and second-trimester pregnancies.

Objective: Soluble endoglin (sEng) is a novel antiangiogenic protein and elevated sEng concentrations in maternal circulation are closely related to preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. As the perfusion of the uterine arteries as well as the dynamics of angiogenic factors between first and second trimester have prognostic value regarding pregnancy outcome, it was the aim of this study to investigate the relation between maternal angiogenic factors and uterine Doppler parameters.

Study Design: The longitudinal study includes 50 normal pregnancies.

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor agonistic antibodies reflect fundamental alterations in the uteroplacental vasculature.

Abnormal uterine perfusion detected by Doppler sonography reflects impaired trophoblast invasion, a factor involved in the pathogenesis of pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia or intrauterine growth retardation. Recent studies have demonstrated an autoantibody against the angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor in pregnant women with preeclampsia. Our aim was to determine whether the AT1 autoantibody precedes the clinical symptoms and is thus predictive of preeclampsia.