Objective. To determine whether neutrophil defensins (HNP1-3) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in vaginal fluid after preterm premature rupture of membranes predict fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS), neurological impairment or chorioamnionitis. Design. Prospective study. Setting. Tertiary referral university hospital. Population. Forty-two patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes at (32 weeks. Methods. Levels of HNP1-3 and IL-6 were measured in vaginal fluid obtained by swabs. Mann-Whitney U-test wasused to compare HNP1-3 and IL-6 levels in groups with vs. without FIRS, infant death or neurological impairment, and chorioamnionitis (p(0.05 significant). Logistic regression was used to control for potential confounders. Diagnostic accuracies of HNP1-3 and IL-6 were determined by receiver operator characteristics analysis. Main Outcome Measures. Fetal inflammatory response syndrome was defined as neonatal inflammation within 72hours postpartum. Neurological impairment was defined as motor and/or tone abnormalities at one year of corrected age. Chorioamnionitis was diagnosed histologically. Results. Levels of HNP1-3, but not IL-6, were higher in 12 cases of FIRS (p=0.019 and p=0.256, respectively). Levels of HNP1-3, but not IL-6, were higher in 14 cases of infant death or neurological impairment (p=0.015 and p=0.100, respectively) and, when only survivors were analyzed, innine cases of neurological impairment (p=0.030 and p=0.187, respectively). Levels of HNP1-3 and IL-6 were higher in 29 cases of chorioamnionitis (p=0.005and p=0.003, respectively). The differences remained significant afteradjustment for gestational age. Levels of HNP1-3 predicted FIRS, infant death or neurological impairment and chorioamnionitis with an area under the curve of 0.75, 0.79 and 0.78, respectively. Conclusions. Elevated vaginal fluid HNP1-3 and IL-6 levels are associated with histological chorioamnionitis. (Abs. trunc. at 2000 ch.)
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 28563161Objective: To establish whether the higher thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and lower levels of the 2 free thyroid hormones noted toward the end of pregnancy are in relation with iodine supply. Methods: We compared these hormones' levels in the third trimester of pregnancy and 4months after delivery in 116 consecutive women without thyroid disease and otherwise healthy. The study was conducted in Slovenia, an iodine-sufficient area. The Mann-Whitney test, the Kruskal-Wallis rank test, and Spearman analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: In the third trimester TSH was significantly higher and both free thyroid hormones were significantly lower than after delivery (P=0.003 and P(0.001), but the free thyroxine to free triiodothyronine ratios in the third trimester and 4months after delivery did not significantly differ. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was significantlyhigher during pregnancy than after delivery (P=0.044). We found no significant correlations between UIC and TSH or between UIC and both free thyroid hormones during pregnancy or after delivery. Conclusion: The decrease of both free thyroid hormones in the third trimester of pregnancy is most likely due to reasons that are not related to iodine supply.
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 27518169We found out that the age of menarche and menopause is not associated with genetic variants in the MTHFR gene
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 1089147