Lactate to creatinine ratio in amniotic fluid: a pilot study.

Measurement of amniotic fluid (AF) lactate concentration in complicated pregnancies may provide information on the extent of fetal acidemia. However, normalisation for AF volume may be necessary by calculating the lactate:creatinine (L:C) ratio. We measured these AF parameters and compared them to arterial cord blood lactate in 28 term and 10 preterm pregnancies.

Comparison of vaginal and transabdominal collection of amniotic fluid for fetal lung maturity tests.

Backgrounds: The lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio and lamellar body count (LBC) are two tests that can be used to estimate the probability of the occurrence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Our objective was to compare the prognostic capacity of the L/S ratio and the LBC in the prediction of RDS from amniotic fluid that was obtained either transabdominally or vaginally.

Methods: Consecutive women undergoing amniotic fluid sampling for determination of fetal lung maturity were included.

High levels of urinary F2-isoprostanes predict cardiovascular mortality in postmenopausal women.

Background: F2-isoprostanes are prostaglandin-like compounds formed via arachidonic acid oxidation during oxidative stress.

Objective: To study the relation between urinary concentrations of 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso PGF2α) and mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a nested case-cohort design.

Methods: Follow-up duration of this prospective study among postmenopausal women was 18 years.

High plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) is related to low paraoxonase-I (PON-I) activity independently of high leptin and low adiponectin in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: In type 2 diabetes mellitus, circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) is increased, whereas the high density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory enzyme, paraoxonase-I, is decreased. Both high CRP and low paraoxonase-I activity may predict cardiovascular disease. It is unknown whether lower paraoxonase-I activity contributes to higher CRP levels in diabetes.

Ischemia modified albumin in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia.

Objective: Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) has emerged as a new biomarker of myocardial ischemia. Currently, no information is available on maternal IMA levels during normal and complicated pregnancy. Preeclampsia is associated with ischemia and increased formation of free radicals in the placenta.

Maternal TLR4 and NOD2 gene variants, pro-inflammatory phenotype and susceptibility to early-onset preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome.

Background: Altered maternal inflammatory responses play a role in the development of preeclampsia and the hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome. We examined whether allelic variants of the innate immune receptors Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2), that impair the inflammatory response to endotoxin, are related to preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome.

Methods And Findings: We determined five common mutations in TLR4 (D299G and T399I) and NOD2 (R702W, G908R and L1007fs) in 340 primiparous women with a history of early-onset preeclampsia, of whom 177 women developed HELLP syndrome and in 113 women with a history of only uneventful pregnancies as controls.

Paraoxonase (PON1) and the risk for coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction in a general population of Dutch women.

There is strong evidence from both animal- and in vitro-models that paraoxonase (PON1) is involved in the onset of cardiovascular disease. In humans there is no consensus on this issue and therefore we investigated the effect of PON1 genotype and activity on the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a large prospective cohort of 17,357 middle-aged women. We applied a case-cohort design using the CHD (n=211) and AMI cases (n=71) and a random sample from the baseline cohort (n=1527).

Paraoxonase (PON1) is associated with familial combined hyperlipidemia.

Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCH) is a common genetic lipid disorder of which the molecular basis still remains to be elucidated. Since the HDL-associated enzyme serum paraoxonase (PON1) is associated with variation in serum lipids and lipoproteins, we determined whether variation in PON1 also contributes to the FCH phenotype. The study population consisted of 32 well-defined families with FCH, including 103 FCH patients and 240 normolipidemic relatives (NLR).

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women with a history of pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction.

Objective: Women with a history of preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease in later life. We determined the presence of traditional and novel risk factors for cardiovascular disease in these women.

Methods: We studied 256 women with a history of preeclampsia and 59 women with a history of intrauterine growth restriction.

Paraoxonase genotype and carotid intima-media thickness in children with familial hypercholesterolemia.

Background: Paraoxonase (PON) 1 is a high-density lipoprotein-associated enzyme that may protect against cardiovascular disease.

Method: We have studied the contribution of PON-1 and PON-2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP; L55M, Q192R and T-107C, S311C) to the intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery in a population of children with classic familial hypercholesterolaemia.

Results: The L-variant of the L55M SNP was associated with increased common carotid artery intima-media thickness when compared with the M-variant (P value for trend 0.

Dietary supplementation with multiple micronutrients: no beneficial effects in pediatric cystic fibrosis patients.

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are subjected to increased oxidative stress due to chronic pulmonary inflammation and recurrent infections. Additionally, these patients have diminished skeletal muscle performance and exercise capacity. We hypothesize that a mixture of multiple micronutrients could have beneficial effects on pulmonary function and muscle performance.

High-throughput genotyping with infrared fluorescence allele specific hybridization (iFLASH): a simple, reliable and low-cost alternative.

Objectives: To develop and validate a novel genotyping approach, named infrared Fluorescence Allele Specific Hybridization (iFLASH), which combines the principles of allele specific oligonucleotide (ASO) hybridization with the advanced possibilities of infrared imaging.

Design And Methods: As an example, we genotyped the 55L > M and the 192Q > R common genetic variants of the paraoxonase-1 gene in 92 DNA samples using the iFLASH technique, and validated the outcomes with the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and TAQman genotyping assays.

Results: There was a 100 percent agreement in genotype outcome among the three methods.

Non-transferrin-bound iron and risk of coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women.

Background: Epidemiological studies aimed at correlating coronary heart disease (CHD) with serum ferritin levels have thus far yielded inconsistent results. We hypothesized that a labile iron component associated with non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) that appears in individuals with overt or cryptic iron overload might be more suitable for establishing correlations with CHD.

Methods And Results: We investigated the relation of NTBI, serum iron, transferrin saturation, and serum ferritin with risk of CHD and acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Inflammatory mediators for the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis in early infancy.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and procalcitonin (PCT) are important parameters in the diagnosis of sepsis and for differentiating between viral and bacterial infection in children. We compared the value of IL-6, IL-8, and PCT with C-reactive protein (CRP) in the diagnosis and treatment of late-onset sepsis among infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (group I) and febrile infants admitted to general hospitals from home (group II). Group I was divided into subgroups Ia, positive blood culture (all Gram-positive cocci); Ib, negative blood culture; and Ic, controls.

HFE genotypes and dietary heme iron: no evidence of strong gene-nutrient interaction on serum ferritin concentrations in middle-aged women.

Background And Aim: Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a disorder characterized by inappropriately high intestinal iron absorption. In populations of Northern European descent, HH is most commonly caused by mutations (C282Y/H63D) in the HFE gene.

Methods And Results: We investigated the effects of dietary heme iron intake and HFE mutations on serum ferritin concentrations in a population-based random sample of 1611 women aged >50 years using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Lipoprotein (a) in pregnancy: a critical review of the literature.

In this article the literature on lipoprotein (a) during normal pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction is reviewed. MEDLINE, from January 1966 to May 2003, was searched to locate relevant articles in English. Additional publications were identified by reviewing references in selected articles.

Serum ferritin is a risk factor for stroke in postmenopausal women.

Background And Purpose: Iron is an essential element for the human body. It has, however, been suggested that excessive iron stores may increase the risk of vascular disease. So far, epidemiologic studies on stroke are sparse.

Variation at the paraoxonase gene locus contributes to carotid arterial wall thickness in subjects with familial hypercholesterolemia.

Objectives: Paraoxonase (PON1) is a potent enzyme, physically associated with the high-density lipoprotein particle. PON1 may protect against cardiovascular disease (CVD), since it is capable of hydrolyzing oxidized LDL-cholesterol, thereby negating the detrimental effects of this lipoprotein on the arterial wall.

Design And Methods: In 187 patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, we studied the seven most common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in both the coding and promoter sequences of PON1 (L55M, Q192R, T-107C, C-126G, G-162A, G-824A, and C-907G) in terms of PON1 activity and intima media thickness (IMT) of the carotid arterial wall, a validated surrogate marker for CVD.

Indications that paraoxonase-1 contributes to plasma high density lipoprotein levels in familial hypercholesterolemia.

HDL-associated paraoxonase type 1 (PON1) can protect LDL and HDL against oxidative modification in vitro and therefore may protect against cardiovascular disease. We investigated the effects of PON1 levels, activity, and genetic variation on high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, circulating oxidized LDL (OxLDL), subclinical inflammation [high-sensitive C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP)], and carotid atherosclerosis. PON1 genotypes (L55M, Q192R, -107C/T, -162A/G, -824G/A, and -907G/C) were determined in 302 patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.

The role of lipoprotein (a) in pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia.

Endothelial cell dysfunction is a key feature of the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. The cause of the endothelial cell injury is probably multifactorial, but poor placenta perfusion plays a major role. In pre-eclampsia, characteristic pathological lesions in the placenta are fibrin deposits, acute atherosis and thrombosis.

Fibrinogen and high molecular weight fibrinogen during and after normal pregnancy.

Introduction: Pregnancy has recently been described as a generalized intravascular inflammatory response to the conceptus. Total fibrinogen concentrations increase during pregnancy. The percentage high molecular weight fibrinogen (HMW-Fg) of the concentration total fibrinogen is known to increase during acute-phase conditions like inflammation.

Single step high-throughput determination of Toll-like receptor 4 polymorphisms.

Background: Toll-like receptors are central components of host defence in humans, responsible for recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns and activation of innate immunity. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and other microbial components, thereby initiating the expression and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The common, frequently co-segregating allelic variants Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile have been related to susceptibility to gram-negative infections and sepsis and may be involved in the development of atherosclerosis.