Maternal glucocorticoids do not directly mediate the effects of maternal social stress on the fetus.

Stress during pregnancy negatively affects the fetus and increases the risk for affective disorders in adulthood. Excess maternal glucocorticoids are thought to mediate fetal programming; however, whether they exert their effects directly or indirectly remains unclear. During pregnancy, protective mechanisms including maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyporesponsiveness and placental 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11βHSD) type 2, which inactivates glucocorticoids, limit mother-to-fetus glucocorticoid transfer.

Determination of N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase in serum from hemolyzed blood.

Background: Determination of lysosomal N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase (HEX) in serum from hemolyzed blood, creates serious analytical problems, because hemoglobin absorbs light at a similar wavelength like 4-nitrophenol, which is released from artificial substrate.

Objective: The objective of the work was to adapt a manual method to allow analysis of HEX in hemolyzed samples.

Methods: Serums without and with hemolysis were incubated with 4-nitrophenol-N-acetylglucosamine as a substrate.

Urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 excretion in children with glomerular proteinuria.

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the urinary levels and clinical significance of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (uMCP-1) in children according to histological diagnosis and degree of proteinuria.

Material And Methods: Group I comprised 20 children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), examined twice (A, during INS relapse; and B, after proteinuria subsided). Group II comprised 17 children with persistent proteinuria due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).

[WT1 mutation as a cause of progressive nephropathy in Frasier syndrome--case report].

Frasier syndrome is an uncommon genetic disorder featuring progressive glomerulopathy, male pseudohermaphroditism and gonadal dysgenesis. It is caused by mutations in intron 9 of the WT1 gene. Because of its rarity there is limited literature available on the diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome.

[Matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 and their tissue inhibitors 1 and 2 in the urine of children with pyelonephritis].

Unlabelled: In small children, pyelonephritis (PN) is an important cause of scarring in the renal and disturbed in the production and degradation of extracellulare matrix proteins (ECM). Aim of the study was to assess the urinary levels metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and their inhibitors 1 and 2 (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) in children with pyelonephritis (PN).

Materials And Methods: Study group (I) consisted of 42 children with PN, aged 1-15 years, examined twice: A--prior to treatment (1-3 days of fever), B--after antibacterial treatment (10-14 days).