Cohort profile: Improved Pregnancy Outcomes via Early Detection (IMPROvED), an International Multicentre Prospective Cohort.

Background: Improved Pregnancy Outcomes via Early Detection (IMPROvED) is a multi-centre, European phase IIa clinical study. The primary aim of IMPROvED is to enable the assessment and refinement of innovative prototype preeclampsia risk assessment tests based on emerging biomarker technologies. Here we describe IMPROvED's profile and invite researchers to collaborate.

Cytoreductive Surgery with the PlasmaJet Improved Quality-of-Life for Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer Patients.

Background: Knowledge of quality-of-life after cytoreductive surgery is important to counsel patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer prior to surgery. The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of the PlasmaJet Surgical device during cytoreductive surgery has an effect on the quality-of-life of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: Data included in this prospective observational study were derived from the PlaComOv study, in which patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer were randomly assigned to have cytoreductive surgery with or without adjuvant use of the PlasmaJet.

Cerebrospinal Fluid of Preeclamptic and Normotensive Pregnant Women Compared to Nonpregnant Women Analyzed with Mass Spectrometry.

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific multiorgan disorder in which impaired placental functioning and excessive oxidative stress play an important role. We previously showed distinct differences between cerebrospinal fluid proteins in patients with preeclampsia and normotensive pregnant women. An additional group of nonpregnant women was included to study the presence of pregnancy-related proteins in normotensive and preeclamptic pregnancies and whether pregnancy-related proteins were associated with preeclampsia.

Quantification of Calcyclin and Heat Shock Protein 90 in Sera from Women with and without Preeclampsia by Mass Spectrometry.

Purpose: The objective of present study is to determine serum levels and placental distribution of two interacting proteins calcyclin and heat shock protein 90 in preeclampsia.

Experimental Design: Maternal serum levels of calcyclin and heat shock protein 90 are compared throughout pregnancy from the first trimester till term among women with preeclampsia (n = 43) and age-matched normotensive pregnant controls (n = 46). A serum-based 2D LC-MS assay using Parallel Reaction Monitoring is applied to quantify both calcyclin and heat shock protein 90.

Visual evoked potentials in women with and without preeclampsia during pregnancy and postpartum.

Objective: Preeclampsia is a severe hypertensive disorder of pregnancy which may lead to brain complications such as eclampsia. Visual symptoms are present in ∼25% of preeclamptic women suggesting the visual cortex to be altered during preeclampsia. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) measure the functional neuronal integrity of the visual pathway from retina to the occipital cortex of the brain.

Elevated levels of protein AMBP in cerebrospinal fluid of women with preeclampsia compared to normotensive pregnant women.

Purpose: To investigate the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteome of patients with preeclampsia (PE) and normotensive pregnant women, in order to provide a better understanding of brain involvement in PE.

Experimental Design: Ninety-eight CSF samples (43 women with PE and 55 normotensive controls) were analyzed by LC-MS/MS proteome profiling. CSF was obtained during the spinal puncture before caesarean delivery.