Blood Type Associated with the Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Pregnant Women.

COVID-19 forced us to investigate risk factors to provide the best medical attention, especially in vulnerable groups, such as pregnant patients. Studies in other populations have analyzed blood groups in relation to infection, complications, and death. The present study aimed to analyze the association of blood groups with the risk of infection and complications in pregnant women and newborns from the Mexican-Mestizo population.

Association between 25-OH Vitamin D Deficiency and COVID-19 Severity in Pregnant Women.

Evidence from studies in the general population suggests an association between vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency and COVID-19 susceptibility and disease severity. The present study was performed on 165 third-trimester pregnant women at the time of delivery. Seventy-nine women tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.

Isolation of Viable Adipocytes and Stromal Vascular Fraction from Human Visceral Adipose Tissue Suitable for RNA Analysis and Macrophage Phenotyping.

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is an active metabolic organ composed mainly of mature adipocytes and stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells, which release different bioactive molecules that control metabolic, hormonal, and immune processes; currently, it is unclear how these processes are regulated within the adipose tissue. Therefore, the development of methods evaluating the contribution of each cell population to the pathophysiology of adipose tissue is crucial. This protocol describes the isolation steps and provides the necessary troubleshooting guidelines for efficient isolation of viable mature adipocytes and SVF from human VAT biopsies in a single process, using a collagenase enzymatic digestion technique.

Vitamin D Deficiency in Mexican Pregnant Women: Is Supplementation with ≤400 IU/day Enough?

Controversy remains surrounding vitamin D routine supplementation in healthy pregnancy, and the doses are unclear. The aim of this study was to describe maternal vitamin D status throughout pregnancy in a group of Mexican women and evaluate the effect of frequently prescribed doses of vitamin D3 on longitudinal 25-OH-D concentrations, adjusting for obesity, season, and other factors. We conducted a cohort study (Instituto Nacional de Perinatología-INPer) (2017-2020)) of healthy pregnant women without complications.

Expression of Membrane Progesterone Receptors in Eutopic and Ectopic Endometrium of Women with Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is one of the most frequent gynecological diseases in reproductive age women, but its etiology is not completely understood. Endometriosis is characterized by progesterone resistance, which has been explained in part by a decrease in the expression of the intracellular progesterone receptor in the ectopic endometrium. Progesterone action is also mediated by nongenomic mechanisms via membrane progesterone receptors (mPRs) that belong to the class II members of the progesterone and adipoQ receptor (PAQR) family.

Parameters of Oxidative Stress in Reproductive and Postmenopausal Mexican Women.

In the reproductive phase, women experience cyclic changes in the ovaries and uterus, and hormones regulate these changes. Menopause is the permanent loss of menstruation after 12 months of amenorrhea. Menopause is also linked to a decrease in estrogen production, causing an imbalance in oxidative stress.

Macrophage Populations in Visceral Adipose Tissue from Pregnant Women: Potential Role of Obesity in Maternal Inflammation.

Obesity is associated with inflammatory changes and accumulation and phenotype polarization of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs). Obese pregnant women have alterations in adipose tissue composition, but a detailed description of macrophage population is not available. In this study, we characterized macrophage populations in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) from pregnant women with normal, overweight, and obese pregestational weight.

Key Clinical Factors Predicting Adipokine and Oxidative Stress Marker Concentrations among Normal, Overweight and Obese Pregnant Women Using Artificial Neural Networks.

Maternal obesity has been related to adverse neonatal outcomes and fetal programming. Oxidative stress and adipokines are potential biomarkers in such pregnancies; thus, the measurement of these molecules has been considered critical. Therefore, we developed artificial neural network (ANN) models based on maternal weight status and clinical data to predict reliable maternal blood concentrations of these biomarkers at the end of pregnancy.

Epigenetic modifications in cell lines of human astrocytoma differentially regulate expression of apoptotic genes.

Objects: Epigenetic alterations, known as epimutations, act by deregulating gene expression. These epimutations are reversible through the action of chromatin modifiers such as DNA methylation (DNA-met) and histone deacetylases (HDAC) inhibitors. The present study evaluated the effect of 5-azacitidine (5-aza) and sodium butyrate (NaBu) as inhibitors of DNA-met and HDAC, respectively, in the expression of genes involved in apoptosis.

Expression of histone acetylases p300 and PCAF in pediatric astrocytomas.

Objects: The protein 300 (p300) and p300/CBP-binding protein-associated factor (PCAF) are enzymes with histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity, a function that can become deregulated in different tumors and affect biological responses.

Methods: Due to the lack of information on the deregulation of these HATs in pediatric tumors, this study evaluated the expression of both the mRNA and proteins of p300 and PCAF in 54 samples of pediatric astrocytomas embedded in paraffin.

Results: PCAF was not expressed in normal brain tissue.

Sodium butyrate increases the effect of the photodynamic therapy: a mechanism that involves modulation of gene expression and differentiation in astrocytoma cells.

Objectives: In order to evaluate the improvement of the photodynamic therapy (PDT) due to sodium butyrate (NaBu), its effectiveness in U373-MG and D54-MG astrocytoma cell lines was evaluated.

Methods: Cells were exposed to delta-aminolevulinic acid (δ-ALA) as a precursor to endogenous photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). In both astrocytoma cells, an important increase by ALA was observed in uroporphyrinogen synthetase gene expression: 1.

Effects of sodium butyrate on cell death induced by photodynamic therapy in U373-MG and D54-MG astrocytoma cell lines.

The damage induced by end products of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in astrocytoma tumors leads to cytotoxicity and cell death. Chromatin modifiers such as sodium butyrate (NaB) induce several genes involved in apoptosis, among others. The PDT improvement was evaluated by the measurement of its effectiveness in the treatment of U373-MG and D54-MG astrocytoma cell lines exposed to NaB.