Assessment of the potential impacts of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on maternal and fetal health in Hungary.

Radiation exposure is known to be mutagenic and teratogenic. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of the increased ionizing radiation emitted by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on maternal and fetal outcomes in Hungary. A retrospective analysis of abortion, stillbirth, and congenital anomaly data for pregnancies in Hungary between 1 January 1981 and 31 December 1991 was conducted.

Investigation of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) in human amniotic fluid samples.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide acting as a hormone, a neuromodulator, a neurotransmitter, a trophic factor and is involved in a variety of developmental and regenerative processes. PACAP is present in several human tissues and biological fluids. In many pathological conditions, changes in PACAP levels have been described to reflect disease progression, therefore PACAP has diagnostic value as a potential biomarker.

Sex ratio of congenital abnormalities in the function of maternal age: a population-based study.

Maternal age effect is well-known in the origin of numerical chromosomal aberrations and some isolated congenital abnormalities (CAs). The sex ratio (SR), i.e.

Distribution of maternal age and birth order groups in cases with unclassified multiple congenital abnormalities according to the number of component abnormalities: a national population-based case-control study.

Background: Multiple congenital abnormalities are caused by chromosomal aberrations, mutant major genes and teratogens. A minor proportion of these patients are identified as syndromes but the major part belonging to the group of unclassified multiple CAs (UMCAs). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the maternal age and birth order in pregnant women who had offspring affected with UMCA.

Possible association of first and high birth order of pregnant women with the risk of isolated congenital abnormalities in Hungary - a population-based case-matched control study.

Objective: In epidemiological studies at the estimation of risk factors in the origin of specified congenital abnormalities in general birth order (parity) is considered as confounder. The aim of this study was to analyze the possible association of first and high (four or more) birth order with the risk of congenital abnormalities in a population-based case-matched control data set.

Study Design: The large dataset of the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities included 21,494 cases with different isolated congenital abnormality and their 34,311 matched controls.

[Psychological aspects of induced abortion].

The present paper, based on the results of international studies, is focused on the reconsideration of the psychological aspects of induced abortion. By presenting a narrow cross-section of the Hungarian demographic data, we would like to emphasise the necessity and the significance of a deeper understanding of the subject. Factors behind the decision-making, short- and long term outcomes of the intervention influencing primarily the mental health of women and partner-relationship aspects are discussed in details.

Impaired myelination of the human hippocampal formation in Down syndrome.

Myelination is considered as one of the last steps of neuronal development and is essential to the physiologically matured function of afferent and efferent pathways. In the present study, myelin formation was examined in the human fetal, postnatal and adult hippocampal formation in Down syndrome and in age-matched controls with immunohistochemistry detecting a protein component of the myelin sheath, the myelin basic protein synthesized by oligodendroglial cells. Myelination is mainly a postnatal event in the hippocampal formation of both healthy controls and in patients with Down syndrome.

Myelination in the human hippocampal formation from midgestation to adulthood.

Myelination, one of the last steps of neuronal development, was examined in the human fetal and postnatal hippocampal formation using immunohistochemistry to detect a protein component of the myelin sheath, the myelin basic protein synthesized by oligodendroglial cells. Myelin basic protein-immunoreactive oligodendroglial cells were first seen at the 20th gestational week in the fimbria fornicis and in the alveus. Between the 21st and 35th weeks, myelinated axons also appeared in the fimbria fornicis.

Ontogeny of calbindin immunoreactivity in the human hippocampal formation with a special emphasis on granule cells of the dentate gyrus.

Calbindin (CB) is a calcium-binding protein that is present in principal cells as well as in interneurons of the hippocampal formation of various species including humans. Studies with transgenic mice revealed that CB is essential for long-term potentiation and synaptic plasticity which are the cellular basis of learning and memory. In a previous study we have shown that CB expression in granule cells of the dentate gyrus correlates with the functional maturation of the hippocampal formation in the rat.

Unaltered development of the archi- and neocortex in prematurely born infants: genetic control dominates in proliferation, differentiation and maturation of cortical neurons.

The development of cerebral cortex includes highly organized, elaborate and long-lasting series of events, which do not come to an end by the time of birth. Indeed, many developmental events continue after the 40th postconceptual week resulting in a long morphological, behavioral and cognitive development of children. Premature birth causes an untimely dramatic change in the environment of the human fetus and often results in serious threats for life.

[Rapid diagnosis of fetal chromosomal abnormalities by fluorescence in situ hybridization].

Introduction: In the course of the Down-screening protocol there are possibilities today for rapid diagnosis of aneuploidies among high-risk pregnancies identified by non-invasive screening tests, however, the diagnostic value of these molecular genetic tests are debated.

Aim Of The Study: In this prospective study, data about the reliability of one of the rapid tests, namely; interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (int-FISH) was to be gathered by the authors.

Methods: For the period between May 2002 and September 2006 all of the 1279 fetal sample were examined both with int-FISH and full karyotyping.

Effects of fish-oil and folate supplementation of pregnant women on maternal and fetal plasma concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid: a European randomized multicenter trial.

Background: Pregnant women usually meet their increased energy needs but do not always meet their increased micronutrient requirements. The supply of both folic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been related to positive pregnancy and infant outcomes.

Objective: We aimed to assess whether fish-oil (FO) supplementation with or without folate from gestation week 22 to birth improves maternal and fetal n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 LC-PUFA) status.

[Hydrops fetalis--a retrospective study].

In a retrospective study, the authors examined the occurrence of hydrops in foetal and neonatal cases in a five-year period. During this time, the clinical and pathologic diagnosis of hydrops was established in 28 cases. In three cases, the hydrops was caused by Rh incompatibility, and in 25 cases non-immune hydrops was discovered by clinical and pathologic examination.