[Influence of obstetric factors on the quality of cord blood units collected for allogeneic transplantation].

Umbilical cord blood (CB) as a source of haematopoietic stem cells for allogeneic transplantation has many advantages over bone marrow and peripheral blood, however, a main limitation to its use in clinical setting is cell numbers. This study aimed to assess the impact of mother/neonatal factors on the quality of CB units, collected for allogeneic transplantation. We analyzed 33 CB units collected in University Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynaecology "Maichin dom" and donated to the National public bank for stem cells, University Hospital "Alexandrovska", Sofia. A significant increase (p < 0.001) of total nucleated cell (TNC) values was found after CB processing. A trend of higher values of CD34+ cells was observed in CB units obtained from vaginal deliveries compared to Cesarian section births, and from female newborns compared to their male counterparts. CD34+ cell number positively correlated with CD34+ percentage and TNC count. Our preliminary data demonstrate the need of a large retrospective evaluation of different obstetric factors in order to establish criteria for appropriate selection in our country of umbilical cord blood donors for public banking.

[Clinical efficacy of a new method for LEEP conization with pistol-shaped electroknife].

The aim of this study is to establish clinical efficacy of a new method for LEEP conization of uterine cervix. The study is open, retrospective, performed at Department of General and Oncogynecology - Military Medical Academy (Sofia, Bulgaria) for the duration from 2007 till Mar 2010. The study includes 37 women at age from 19-50 years with proved high grade CIN (included Ca coil uteri in situ) by abrasion or biopsy. Medical history was collected from all patients enrolled in the study as well as gynecological examination and colposcopy was performed to them. A LEEP with short intra venues anesthesia was performed to the patients. An innovation system for LEEP conization and generator for monopolar currency ERBE VIO 300D was used. The follow up visit was performed one month after the treatment procedure and included gynecological examination and colposcopy (positive/negative atypical colposcopy results). The clinical efficacy of the method was evaluated on the base of histological results. The patients whose histological results show negative endocervical margins were accepted for cured. From 37 patients in total with different stage of dysplasia and carcinoma in situ hospitalized at Clinic of surgical gynecology for surgical treatment, in 33 (89%) there are negative endocervical margins. These patients formed the cured group. In four patients (10.8%) were discovered histological evidences for positive endocervical margins. The LEEP was not the final operative procedure for them. They were included in the uncured group. The final results achieved from the study about the efficacy of the used method LEEP has statistical significance (d.f .= 1, X2 = 2.82, p < 0.05). The data shows that the LEEP eliminate completely the affected by malignant process areas of cervix uteri. The LEEP can be used as a common surgical method in the treatment of the women with high stage of pre-carcinoma and carcinoma in situ coli uteri.

Anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 microbicide cellulose acetate 1,2-benzenedicarboxylate in a human in vitro model of vaginal inflammation.

The sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is facilitated by inflammation and related epithelial barrier perturbation. Microbicides for vaginal applications are currently being developed to reduce the risk of HIV-1 transmission. However, little is known about their interference with epithelial immune function. In recent clinical trials, nonoxynol-9 (N-9), a virucide with a long history of intravaginal use as a contraceptive, failed to protect against HIV-1 possibly due to mucosal inflammatory damage. Cellulose acetate 1,2-benzenedicarboxylate, also named CAP (for "controls AIDS pandemic"), is an anti-HIV-1 microbicide selected from pharmaceutical excipients that are regarded as safe for oral administration but have not been assessed for potential effects on inflammatory factors in the vaginal environment. Here we use a sensitive human cell culture system to evaluate proinflammatory profiles of soluble CAP in reference to N-9 and known epithelial activators such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and bacterial lysates. Within 6 h of exposure, TNF-alpha and N-9 triggered NF-kappaB and AP-1/cFos activation and upregulated interleukins and an array of chemokines by vaginal and polarized cervical epithelial cells. The induced proinflammatory status continued after removal of stimuli and was confirmed by enhanced transepithelial neutrophil migration. While sustaining stability and anti-HIV-1 activity in the epithelial environment, CAP did not increase the production of proinflammatory mediators during or after exposure, nor did it modify the epithelial resistance to leukocyte traffic. CAP attenuated some TNF-alpha-induced responses but did not interfere with epithelial cytokine responsiveness to gonococcal determinants. The described system may be useful for predicting proinflammatory side effects of other microbicide candidates for vaginal application.