Uterine rupture: what family physicians need to know.

Vaginal birth after cesarean section is common in this country. Physicians providing obstetric care should be aware of the potential complications. Uterine rupture occurs in approximately one of every 67 to 500 women (with one prior low-transverse incision) undergoing a trial of labor for vaginal birth after cesarean section.

Regulation of eosinophil-active cytokine production from human cord blood-derived mast cells.

Human mast cells are multifunctional tissue-dwelling cells that play a crucial role in eosinophil-dependent disorders, such as asthma and parasitic diseases, by the secretion of eosinophil-active mediators. Mast cell-derived cytokines, generated in response to cross-linking of the high-affinity IgE receptor, can regulate eosinophil activation, survival, and chemotaxis. In this study, mast cells generated from human cord blood progenitors (stem cells) were studied for eosinophil-active inflammatory cytokine expression.