Polymorphisms within the Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Gene Is Associated with Preeclampsia in Taiwanese Han Populations.

Preeclampsia (PE) occurs in women pregnant for more than 20 weeks with de novo hypertension and proteinuria, and is a devastating disease in maternal-fetal medicine. Cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α may play a key role in the pathogenesis of PE. We conducted this study to investigate the regulatory regions of the TNF genes, by investigating two promoter polymorphisms, TNFA-308G/A (rs1800629) and -238G/A (rs361525), known to influence TNF expression, and their relationship to PE.

Effect of previous diagnoses of depression, menopause status, vasomotor symptoms, and neuroticism on depressive symptoms among climacteric women: A 30-month follow-up.

Objectives: The research was designed to examine the impact of the previous diagnoses of depression, menopause status, vasomotor symptoms, and neuroticism on depressive symptoms among menopausal women in Taiwan over a 30-month follow-up.

Materials And Methods: A community-based sample of 190 middle-aged women was enrolled. The Menopausal Symptoms Scale, Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five Factor Inventory-Chinese version, and Ko's Depression Inventory were applied, and results were assessed.

Prenatal ultrasonography and postnatal follow-up of a case of McKusick-Kaufman syndrome.

Objective: McKusick-Kaufman syndrome (MKS) is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by hydrometrocolpos (HMC) and postaxial polydactyly (PAP). It is very difficult to diagnose MKS prenatally because of overlapping manifestations and associated anomalies with other syndromes. Herein, we present a case of MKS with prenatal ultrasound illustrating a fetal abdominal cystic mass.

An association study of interleukin-4 gene and preeclampsia in Taiwan.

Objective: To test whether the interleukin-4 (IL-4) gene polymorphisms could be used as markers of susceptibility for preeclampsia in Taiwan.

Materials And Methods: This study included 78 women with preeclampsia and 125 normal controls. A polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism for the IL-4 gene intron 3.

Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of single umbilical artery: Emphasis on the absent side and its relation to associated anomalies.

Objective: To determine the absent side of a single umbilical artery (SUA) and to evaluate whether associated anomalies are related to the side of the missing artery in a Taiwanese population.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively studied SUA fetuses from our computer database of fetal ultrasound in a tertiary medical center in Southern Taiwan. All cases were diagnosed as SUA prenatally using conventional scanners of two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D, respectively) ultrasound, as well as color, power, and high-definition Doppler.

17β-estradiol protects against glucosamine-induced pancreatic β-cell dysfunction.

Objective: Glucosamine (GlcN) is a popular supplement for osteoarthritis in postmenopausal women. Although GlcN possibly induces insulin resistance, the effects of GlcN on β-cell dysfunction are still obscure.

Methods: In the present study, we investigated changes in insulin production and β-cell apoptosis in pancreatic islets after GlcN treatment in rats with or without ovariectomy and used MIN-6 cells to investigate the protective effects and molecular mechanisms of 17β-estradiol (E2) in GlcN-induced β-cell dysfunction.

Prenatal diagnosis of fetal omphalocele by ultrasound: a comparison of two centuries.

Unlabelled: An omphalocele, a fetal abdominal defect, is a very important congenital anomaly. Prenatal diagnosis of fetal omphalocele is crucial to clinical management.

Objective: To investigate the accuracy of prenatal diagnosis for fetal omphalocele, we undertook a retrospective and consecutive analysis of our ultrasound database between January 1994 and December 2011.

Prenatal diagnosis of fetal gastroschisis using three-dimensional ultrasound: comparison between the 20th and 21st centuries.

Objective: In order to compare the trends and improvements of prenatal diagnosis of gastroschisis, we herein retrospectively reviewed our cases of fetal gastroschisis detected by three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) between the two centuries.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed our computer database of prenatal diagnosis on gastroschisis in National Cheng Kung University Hospital from October 1994 to November 2011. All the fetuses were initially scanned by two-dimensional (2D) US to locate the region of interest (ROI).

Umbilical cord blood-derived CD34⁺ cells improve outcomes of traumatic brain injury in rats by stimulating angiogenesis and neurogenesis.

Human umbilical cord blood cells (HUCBCs) have been shown to be beneficial in reducing neurological deficits in rats with brain fluid percussion injury (FPI). This study aimed to assess the basic mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of HUCBC-derived cluster of differentiation 34-positive (CD34⁺) cells. Rats were divided into three major groups: (i) sham-operated controls; (ii) FPI rats treated with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS); (iii) FPI rats treated with 0.

Prenatal diagnosis of fetal congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung using three-dimensional ultrasound: comparison between the 20th and 21st centuries.

Objective: Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung (CCAML) is one of the most common lung lesions diagnosed prenatally. In order to compare the trends and improvements of prenatal diagnosis of CCAML, we herein retrospectively reviewed our cases of fetal CCAML detected by three-dimensional ultrasound (3-D US) between two centuries.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed our computer database of prenatal diagnosis of CCAML in National Cheng Kung University Hospital from October 1994 to November 2011.

Using Akaike information criterion and minimum mean square error mode in compensating for ultrasonographic errors for estimation of fetal weight by new operators.

Objectives: The accuracy of ultrasound (US) measurements is operator dependent. In order to decrease the operator-dependent errors in estimated fetal weight (EFW), a model selection analysis was undertaken to select significant compensation weighting factors on ultrasonographic parameters to support artificial neural network (ANN), and thus to enhance the accuracy of fetal weight estimation.

Materials And Methods: In total, 2127 singletons were examined by prenatal US within 3 days before delivery for ANN development, and another 100 cases were selected from new operators for evaluation.

Non-mosaic uniparental trisomy 16 presenting with asplenia syndrome and placental abruption: a case report and literature review.

Non-mosaic trisomy 16 is rarely seen in later gestation. Herein, we report a fetus with uniparental complete trisomy 16 manifesting with asplenia syndrome, left hand deformity (only 3 deformed fingers on the left hand) and a left low-set ear. The pregnancy ended in severe placental abruption and resultant fetal demise, and maternal hypovolemic shock at 35 weeks of gestation.

Prenatal diagnosis of fetal multicystic dysplastic kidney in the era of three-dimensional ultrasound: 10-year experience.

Objective: To demonstrate the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound in prenatal diagnosis of fetal multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) disease.

Methods: In our previous study, we demonstrated that using 3D ultrasound in conjunction with traditional two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound can facilitate the diagnosis of MCDK. In this study, we followed all the MCDK cases diagnosed in our center in the recent decade (from 2002 to 2011) and compared the results with the data collected in the prior decade (from 1995 to 2002).

Efficient fetal size classification combined with artificial neural network for estimation of fetal weight.

Objectives: A novel analysis was undertaken to select a significant ultrasonographic parameter (USP) for classifying fetuses to support artificial neural network (ANN), and thus to enhance the accuracy of fetal weight estimation.

Methods: In total, 2127 singletons were examined by prenatal ultrasound within 3 days before delivery. First, correlation analysis was used to determine a significant USP for fetal grouping.

Three-dimensional ultrasound in the prenatal diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta.

Objective: Fetal osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a heterogeneous group of collagen disorders characterized by bone fragility, blue sclerae, deafness, and dentinogenesis imperfecta. Ultrasonography is acknowledged as a reliable diagnostic modality for the prenatal diagnosis of OI, especially type II. In the past, two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound (US) has been applied as the mainstay of prenatal diagnosis of OI.

Interleukin-1β gene is not associated with preeclampsia in Taiwanese.

Objective: To identify associations between the interleukin-1β gene and preeclampsia in Taiwanese women.

Methods And Materials: We genotyped Taiwanese population (102 women with preeclampsia and 148 controls) for two polymorphisms of the interleukin-1β gene (promoter region and Exon 5) by using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The association between the genotype and disease was examined by Chi-square tests.

Estrogen receptor expression affected by hypoxia inducible factor-1α in stromal cells from patients with endometriosis.

Objective: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the different expression of estrogen receptors (ER) and its relation to hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in stromal cells from women with endometriosis.

Materials And Methods: Paired eutopic endometrial and ectopic endometriotic stromal cells were isolated from women with endometriosis while they underwent laparoscopy.

Glucosamine-induced insulin resistance in ovariectomized rats is relevant to decreasing the expression of glucose transport protein subtype 4 in the skeletal muscle and in increasing the size of pancreatic islets.

Objective: Glucosamine (GlcN) is a popular nutritional supplement used to treat osteoarthritis in postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome because of ovarian hormone deficiency. We used ovariectomized (OVX) rats as the model to investigate whether GlcN would induce insulin resistance (IR) in OVX rats and the underlying mechanisms.

Use of an oxytocin antagonist in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer for women with repeated implantation failure: a retrospective study.

Objective: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the use of an oxytocin antagonist in improving the pregnancy outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF).

Materials And Methods: A total of 150 infertile couples with RIF undergoing IVF-ET were divided into three groups. Patients who did not receive atosiban were used as controls (Group 1; n=80).

Soft tissue volume of upper arm in predicting small-for-gestational-age fetuses using three-dimensional ultrasound.

Purpose: To assess the value of fetal soft tissue volume (STV) of the upper arm in predicting small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound (US).

Methods: We used 3D US to test the accuracy of fetal STV of the upper arm measurement in predicting SGA in a prospective cross-sectional study.

Results: Fetal STV of the upper arm assessed by 3D US can differentiate SGA fetuses from appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) fetuses.

Premarin improves outcomes of spinal cord injury in male rats through stimulating both angiogenesis and neurogenesis.

Objective: To ascertain whether Premarin improves spinal cord injury outcomes in male rats by stimulating both angiogenesis and neurogenesis.

Design: Chi Mei Medical Center research laboratory.

Subjects: Male Sprague-Dawley rats 240-258 g.

Leptin on peritoneal macrophages of patients with endometriosis.

Problem: The expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is considered as a marker of macrophage activation and has been implicated in the development of endometriosis. Leptin is an immunomodulator, which may also affect the development of endometriosis. However, how leptin contributes to these pathological processes has not been completely understood.

Premarin stimulates estrogen receptor-alpha to protect against traumatic brain injury in male rats.

Objectives: To establish mechanisms of neuroprotective actions induced by Premarin (an estrogen sulfate) during traumatic brain injury.

Design: Chi Mei Medical Center research laboratory.

Subjects: Male Sprague-Dawley rats 244 to 268 g.