Matrix metalloproteinase-3 serum levels in schizophrenic patients.

OBJECTIVES: It has been reported that matrix metalloproteinase, MMP-3 may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of mental disorders. However, there are no data on the level of MMP-3 in people suffering from schizophrenia, or its influence on the mental state of these people. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an antipsychotic treatment on the blood levels of MMP-3, as well as investigating its relationship with insight into schizophrenia. METHODS: Thirty people with schizophrenia were included in the study. The concentration of MMP-3 in the blood serum was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Insight into the disease was assessed using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. RESULTS: The antipsychotic treatment applied decreased the levels of MMP-3 in patients with schizophrenia (p = 0.005), however, the statistically significant interaction (p = 0.02) indicates that the decrease only concerned men. There was also a statistically significant correlation between the level of MMP-3 and insight into the disease (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: MMP-3 may be associated with gender, treatment and symptoms in schizophrenic patients.KEY POINTSMMP3 could be used as a potential biomarker for schizophrenia.The level of MMP-3 decreased due to the applied antipsychotic treatment.The higher the level of MMP-3 in a group of people with schizophrenia, the better insight into their disease.

PPARγ-A Factor Linking Metabolically Unhealthy Obesity with Placental Pathologies.

Obesity is a known factor in the development of preeclampsia. This paper links adipose tissue pathologies with aberrant placental development and the resulting preeclampsia. PPARγ, a transcription factor from the ligand-activated nuclear hormone receptor family, appears to be one common aspect of both pathologies. It is the master regulator of adipogenesis in humans. At the same time, its aberrantly low activity has been observed in placental pathologies. Overweight and obesity are very serious health problems worldwide. They have negative effects on the overall mortality rate. Very importantly, they are also conducive to diseases linked to impaired placental development, including preeclampsia. More and more people in Europe are suffering from overweight (35.2%) and obesity (16%) (EUROSTAT 2021 data), some of them young women planning pregnancy. As a result, we will be increasingly encountering obese pregnant women with a considerable risk of placental development disorders, including preeclampsia. An appreciation of the mechanisms shared by these two conditions may assist in their prevention and treatment. Clearly, it should not be forgotten that health education concerning the need for a proper diet and physical activity is of utmost importance here.

Cesarean scar pregnancy - case resports and literature review.

The current increase in the percentage of cesarean sections is accompanied by a significant growth in the incidence of cesarean scar pregnancies (CSP) located in the lower uterine segment, while the advancements in diagnostic ultrasound techniques have led to an increased number of CSP diagnoses. A misdiagnosed cesarean scar pregnancy, or one that is diagnosed too late, is a threat to the pregnant patient's life, and predisposes her to such complications as hemorrhage or uterine rupture, which often necessitate hysterectomy and therefore result in irreversible fertility loss. In this paper 4 cases of ectopic pregnancies located within the cesarean scar in women hospitalized at the university clinical center, within a short span of merely three months in 2018, are presented. The purpose of this paper is to indicate to doctors and gynecology and obstetric societies that there is a very urgent need for drawing up guidelines for CSP management. To this effect, information about individual cases should be gathered and analyzed thoroughly, latest reports followed, and knowledge skills and experience shared in order to be able to work out a procedure that is both effective and as safe as possible.

Current iodine nutrition status in Poland (2017): is the Polish model of obligatory iodine prophylaxis able to eliminate iodine deficiency in the population?

OBJECTIVE: The monitoring of the populations' iodine status is an essential part of successful programmes of iodine deficiency elimination. The current study aimed at the evaluation of current iodine nutrition in school children, pregnant and lactating women as a marker of the effectiveness and sustainability of mandatory iodine prophylaxis in Poland. DESIGN: The following iodine nutrition indicators were used: urinary iodine concentration (UIC) (all participants) and serum thyroglobulin (pregnant and lactating women). SETTING: The study was conducted in 2017 within the National Health Programme in five regions of Poland. PARTICIPANTS: The research included 300 pregnant women, 100 lactating women and 1000 school children (aged 6-12 years). RESULTS: In pregnant women, median UIC was 111·6 µg/l; there was no significant difference in median UIC according to the region of residence. In 8 % of pregnant women, thyroglobulin level was >40 ng/ml (median thyroglobulin 13·3 ng/ml). In lactating women, median UIC was 68·0 µg/l. A significant inter-regional difference was noted (P = 0·0143). In 18 % of breastfeeding women, thyroglobulin level was >40 ng/ml (median thyroglobulin 18·5 ng/ml). According to the WHO criteria, the investigated sample of pregnant and lactating women was iodine-deficient. Median UIC in school children was 119·8 µg/l (with significant inter-regional variation; P = 0·0000), which is consistent with iodine sufficiency. Ninety-four children (9·4 %) had UIC < 50 µg/l. CONCLUSIONS: Mandatory iodisation of household salt in Poland has led to a sustainable optimisation of iodine status in the general population. However, it has failed to assure adequate iodine nutrition during pregnancy and lactation.

COVID-19 and pregnancy - where are we now? A review.

The new acute respiratory disease severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly contagious. It has caused many deaths, despite a relatively low general case fatality rate (CFR). The most common early manifestations of infection are fever, cough, fatigue and myalgia. The diagnosis is based on the exposure history, clinical manifestation, laboratory test results, chest computed tomography (CT) findings and a positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) result for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The effect of SARS-CoV-2 on pregnancy is not already clear. There is no evidence that pregnant women are more susceptible than the general population. In the third trimester, COVID-19 can cause premature rupture of membranes, premature labour and fetal distress. There are no data on complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection before the third trimester. COVID-19 infection is an indication for delivery if necessary to improve maternal oxygenation. Decision on delivery mode should be individualised. Vertical transmission of coronavirus from the pregnant woman to the fetus has not been proven. As the virus is absent in breast milk, the experts encourage breastfeeding for neonatal acquisition of protective antibodies.

Pregnancy and childbirth during the coronavirus pandemic - current stage of knowledge.

SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2), is a new strain of ß-coronavirus. At the time of the current pandemic, pregnant women fear of infection by this pathogen and related consequences both for themselves and for their children. Adaptive changes occurring in the body of a pregnant woman can increase her susceptibility to infections, especially when it concerns the cardiopulmonary system. Clinical data relating to infection by this pathogen, referred to as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pregnant women are still limited. Most of the cases in which these data are available apply to the third trimester of pregnancy. This article provides an overview of a current knowledge and recommendations regarding the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and its impact on the pregnancy outcome.

The Jehovah's Witness obstetric patient - a literature review.

The patient's right to refuse blood transfusion must be honoured in case of its clear expression. Some special pharmacologic and/or surgical procedures can be useful in a Jehovah Witness (JW) parturient. In case of excess blood loss the maintenance of peripheral tissue oxygenation is crucial. Only a few hospitals have equipment for blood salvage, and alternative oxygen carriers have potentially lethal side effects. Findings suggest that obstetric facilities should develop special algo-rithms of management in the case of the JW obstetric patient, with written declaration of which elements of blood are not acceptable for the patient, early diagnosis and intensive treatment of anaemia in pregnancy, administration of antifibrinolytic agents before surgery, use of electric surgical tools to restore haemostasis, early detection and aggressive treatment of excessive blood loss and, last but not least, close cooperation between obstetricians and anaesthesiologists, including sharing the information about the patient's refusal of blood transfusion.

BDNF as a biomarker in the course and treatment of schizophrenia.

Many scientists agree that the genes involved in the aetiology and pathogenesis of psychiatric diseases could serve as biomarkers - biological indicators of the health status. Genetic markers may inform about general predispositions of a person to develop certain diseases, while other biochemical factors, such as concentrations of substances in body fluids, reflect the actual condition of the organism. Researchers involved in studies on schizophrenia are interested in the gene and protein of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) due to the role of this neurotrophin in the process of neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and its influence on the functioning of dopaminergic neurons. Among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, the BDNF gene polymorphisms and methylation in the promoter sequences were studied. The neurotrophin was also assayed in the blood of patients, also taking into account the effect of pharmacotherapy on the BDNF concentration, and post-mortem in the brains of the patients. The results of current studies are contradictory. The only systematically confirmed observation is the lowered concentration of BDNF in the serum of patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls. It seems that so far our knowledge about the BDNF gene expression and the functions of the protein is not sufficient to include BDNF analysis in the clinical assessment of patients with schizophrenia.

[The importance of hope in coping with schizophrenia]. / Rola nadziei w zmaganiach ze schizofrenia.

Hope is an important dimension of psychological functioning, the source of strength in existential challenges both in health and illness. It is already known that hope is connected with the subjective well-being in people suffering from schizophrenia. Therefore, increasing hope is a promising goal of therapeutic interventions. On the other hand, multiple definitions of hope and methodological differences in the approach to the subject do not lead to determining therapeutic indications, useful in clinical practice. Most scientific projects about hope in people with schizophrenia concentrate on description of mechanisms influencing the patients welfare or determining the relationships between hope intensification and other factors. The paper reviews the concepts of hope and related psychometric techniques and presents the results of research on hope in people with schizophrenia. The presented studies are focused mainly on relationships between hope and psychopathology, the recovery and well-being of the patients. Continuing the research in this topic and analysis of current data may contribute to beneficial changes in the treatment of schizophrenia

Effects of heme oxygenase-1 on induction and development of chemically induced squamous cell carcinoma in mice.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an antioxidative and cytoprotective enzyme, which may protect neoplastic cells against anticancer therapies, thereby promoting the progression of growing tumors. Our aim was to investigate the role of HO-1 in cancer induction. Experiments were performed in HO-1(+/+), HO-1(+/-), and HO-1(-/-) mice subjected to chemical induction of squamous cell carcinoma with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Measurements of cytoprotective genes in the livers evidenced systemic oxidative stress in the mice of all the HO-1 genotypes. Carcinogen-induced lesions appeared earlier in HO-1(-/-) and HO-1(+/-) than in wild-type animals. They also contained much higher concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor and keratinocyte chemoattractant, but lower levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-12. Furthermore, tumors grew much larger in HO-1 knockouts than in the other groups, which was accompanied by an increased rate of animal mortality. However, pathomorphological analysis indicated that HO-1(-/-) lesions were mainly large but benign papillomas. In contrast, in mice expressing HO-1, most lesions displayed dysplastic features and developed to invasive carcinoma. Thus, HO-1 may protect healthy tissues against carcinogen-induced injury, but in already growing tumors it seems to favor their progression toward more malignant forms.

Maternal plasma lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) concentrations in pregnancy complicated by preterm premature rupture of membranes.

OBJECTIVES: To compare maternal plasma LBP concentrations in pregnancies complicated by preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM), and PROM at term, with their levels in uncomplicated pregnancy, and to determine whether LBP concentrations are of value in the diagnosis of subclinical intra-amniotic infection (IAI) in the prediction of the length of the pPROM-to-delivery interval, and in the prediction of neonatal congenital infection. STUDY DESIGN: Thirty-one patients with pPROM, 35 with PROM at term, 33 healthy women at preterm gestation and 35 healthy women at term were included. In the pPROM group, analysis of maternal plasma LBP concentrations with reference to leukocytosis, C-reactive protein, vaginal fluid culture, neonatal infection and pPROM-to-delivery interval was carried out. RESULTS: LBP concentrations in the four studied groups were comparable. Although in 58.1% of pPROM cases at least one laboratory parameter of infection was observed, the only difference concerned the subgroup with CRP above 10mg/L, in which LBP concentrations were higher. Comparison of LBP concentrations in patients delivered within 24 and 72h of pPROM and after these times showed no differences, or between patients who gave birth to newborns with and without congenital infection. The predictive values of these measurements were poor. CONCLUSION: The predictive value of maternal LBP determinations in the diagnostics of pPROM cases suspected of IAI is unsatisfactory. LBP measurements performed shortly after pPROM, are not of value either in the prediction of newborn's infection, or in the prognosis of latency period duration.

[Vaginal and cervical bacterial colonization in patients with threatening preterm labor]. / Kolonizacja bakteryjna pochwy i kanalu szyjki macicy u pacjentek z zagrazajacym porodem przedwczesnym.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the following work was to evaluate vaginal and cervical colonization in patients with threatening preterm labor and comparing the frequency of colonization of the term and preterm labor groups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 532 pregnant women with threatening preterm labor were included into the clinical trial. The frequency of colonization was established and the frequency of colonization depending on the duration of pregnancy was checked. RESULTS: Positive vaginal cultures were found in 29.5% of patients. The most frequent were: Escherichia coli and Streptoccocus agalactiae. There was no relationship between the duration of pregnancy the frequency of colonization or the type of bacterial culture. CONCLUSIONS: 30% of positive vaginal and cervical cultures may indicate about the deficiency of the used method. The most frequent microorganisms remain to be Candida, Escherichia coli and GBS. However, the frequency of colonization with rare bacteria increases. Not only bacterial colonization but a group of different factors may be the reason of preterm labor.