Associations of early pregnancy serum uric acid levels with risk of gestational diabetes and birth outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous evidence suggests that higher blood uric acid (UA) levels are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes during pregnancy and subsequent birth outcomes. However, it has been relatively unclear whether these associations persist in normotensive pregnant women. METHODS: The study was based on a retrospective analysis of 18,250 mother-infant pairs in a large obstetric center in China. Serum UA concentrations in early pregnancy (median: 17.6, IQR: 16.3, 18.6 gestational weeks) were assessed. Hyperuricemia was defined as ≥ one standard deviation (SD) of the reference value for the corresponding gestational age. Outcomes of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preterm birth (PB), low birth weight (LBW), macrosomia, small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) were extracted from the medical records. RESULTS: The mean maternal UA level was 0.22 ± 0.05 mmol/L, and 2,896 (15.9%) subjects had hyperuricemia. After adjustment for several covariates, UA was associated with several adverse outcomes. The ORs (95%CI) per one SD increase in serum UA concentration were 1.250 (1.136, 1.277) for GDM, 1.137 (1.060, 1.221) for PB, 1.134 (1.051, 1.223) for LBW, and 1.077 (1.020, 1.137) for SGA, respectively. Similar adverse associations were found between hyperuricemia and GDM, PB (ORs: 1.394 and 1.385, P < 0.001), but not for LBW, macrosomia, SGA, and LGA. Adverse associations tended to be more pronounced in subjects with higher BMI for outcomes including PB, LBW, and SGA (P interaction = 0.001-0.028). CONCLUSION: Higher UA levels in early pregnancy were associated with higher risk of GDM, PB, LBW, and SGA in normotensive Chinese women.

Rapid determination of neomycin in biological samples using fluorescent sensor based on quantum dots with doubly selective binding sites.

A new analytical method was developed to detect neomycin in complex biological samples using molecularly imprinted polymer to construct an optical sensor. Fluorescent neomycin-imprinted polymers (fMIPs) containing both imprinted cavity and boronate affinity site were synthesized on the surface of silica-modified quantum dots. The fMIPs exhibited high selectivity to neomycin by having two binding sites for the target analyte. Neomycin analogues (competing for imprinted cavity) and D-glucose (competing for the boronate affinity site) did not affect the selectivity of the fMIPs. When combined with a fluorescent microplate reader, the obtained fMIP sensor displayed a linear concentration-dependent fluorescence quenching in response to neomycin in the range of 2-1000 µg/L, with a limit of detection as 0.16 µg/L. The fMIP sensor was able to detect trace neomycin in biological samples accurately after simple sample pre-treatment. The sensitivity of the fMIP sensor was higher than HPLC equipped with a fluorescence detector. The fMIP sensor containing the doubly selective binding sites provides a selective, sensitive, accurate, and high through-put approach for neomycin monitoring.

MIPs in Aqueous Environments.

When organic solvent-compatible molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are used in aqueous environment, how to reduce nonspecific binding is a major challenge. By modifying the binding solvents and introducing appropriate washing and elution steps, even relatively hydrophobic MIPs can gain optimal rebinding selectivity in aqueous conditions. Furthermore, water-compatible MIPs that can be used to treat aqueous samples directly have been prepared. The use of hydrophilic co-monomers, the controlled surface modification through controlled radical polymerization, and the new interfacial molecular imprinting methods are different strategies to prepare water-compatible MIPs. By combining MIPs with other techniques, both organic solvent-compatible and water-compatible MIPs can display better functional performances in aqueous conditions. Intensive studies on MIPs in aqueous conditions can provide new MIPs with much-improved compatibilities that will lead to more interesting applications in biomedicine and biotechnology.