[Amino acid composition of amniotic fluid during physiological and complicated pregnancy].

An ion exchange chromatographic technique was used to study the content of 18 free amino acids in the amniotic fluid of women with physiological and complicated pregnancy. The amino acid spectrum of amniotic fluid in placental insufficiency was found to be characterized by the lower content of arginine, serine, glycine, alanine, cysteine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and glutamine, which are involved in many metabolic processes required to maintain biochemical homeostasis during gestation. There was an opposite tendency for dicarboxylic amino acids and histidine, the levels of which increased, by enhancing nitrogen imbalance. The degree of the found impairments of a number of amino acids considerably increased in case of birth of babies with brain lesions, which permits use of their amniotic fluid determination to predict the neonatal status.

A randomized controlled trial in children with eczema: nurse practitioner vs. dermatologist.

Background We hypothesized that a nurse practitioner would improve the quality of life of a child with eczema more than a dermatologist because of a structured intervention and more consultation time. Objectives To compare the level of care by nurse practitioners with that by dermatologists in children with eczema. Methods New referrals aged < or = 16 years with a diagnosis of eczema were recruited. In a randomized, parallel-group study with a follow-up period of 1 year, 160 participants were randomized either to conventional care from a dermatologist or to care from a nurse practitioner. The primary outcome measure was change in quality of life at 12 months, as assessed by the Infants' Dermatitis Quality of Life Index (IDQOL) for children aged < or = 4 years, and by the illustrated version of the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) for children aged 4-16 years. Secondary outcomes were changes in IDQOL and CDLQI at 4 and 8 months, family impact of childhood atopic dermatitis (Dermatitis Family Impact Questionnaire, DFI), eczema severity (objective SCORAD) and patient satisfaction (Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8, CSQ-8) at 4, 8 and 12 months. Results The mean IDQOL in the dermatologist group improved significantly from 11.6 [SD 8.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 9.0-14.2] at the baseline to 5.6 (SD 3.9; 95% CI 4.3-7.0) at 12 months with a mean change from the baseline of -6.5 (SD 6.6; 95% CI -14.2 to -8.9; P < 0.001). The mean IDQOL in the nurse practitioner group improved significantly from 10.7 (SD 4.9; 95% CI 9.1-12.3) at baseline to 5.7 (SD 5.4; 95% CI 4.0-7.5) at 12 months with a mean change from the baseline of -4.9 (SD 5.5; 95% CI -6.8 to -3.0; P < 0.001). The between-groups difference was (-)1.7 (95% CI -4.6 to 1.2; P = 0.26). The mean CDLQI in the dermatologist group improved significantly from 12.1 (SD 6.3; 95% CI 9.9-14.2) at baseline to 5.6 (SD 4.2; 95% CI 4.2-7.1) at 12 months with a mean change from the baseline of -5.9 (SD 6.0; 95% CI -8.0 to -3.9; P < 0.001). The mean CDLQI in the nurse practitioner group improved significantly from 10.0 (SD 4.4; 95% CI 8.5-11.4) at the baseline to 4.9 (SD 3.5; 95% CI 3.7-6.1) at 12 months with a mean change from the baseline of -5.2 (SD 4.0; 95% CI -6.6 to -3.8; P < 0.001). The between-groups difference was (-)0.7 (95% CI -3.3 to 1.7; P = 0.55). The between-groups comparison was not significant for the IDQOL and the CDLQI at baseline or 4, 8 and 12 months. Both treatment groups showed significant improvement in DFI and objective SCORAD at 12 months. The between-groups comparison was not significant at baseline or 4, 8 and 12 months. Significantly higher satisfaction levels were observed at 4, 8 and 12 months in the nurse practitioner group. Conclusions The level of care provided by a nurse practitioner in terms of the improvement in the eczema severity and the quality of life outcomes was comparable with that provided by a dermatologist. In addition, the parents were more satisfied with the care that was provided by a nurse practitioner.

Phosphorylation and carbonylation of placental proteins in normal pregnancy and gestosis.

Study of posttranslational changes in placental proteins revealed disorders in the intensity of their phosphorylation and carbonylation in patients with placental failure. Phosphorylation was reduced for the majority of endogenous placental proteins, substrates for cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases. An opposite dynamics was noted for oxidative modification of proteins. The content of carbonyl derivatives evaluated in spontaneous and metal-catalyzed oxidation of placental proteins was elevated in gestosis in comparison with the normal level.

[The role of modification of innate immunity in development of premature labore]. / Kletochnye reguliatory formirovaniia platsenty v syvorotke krovi rozhenits s prezhdevremennymi rodami.

To clarify the role of the infectious factor in the development of premature birth (PB) in women in serum, the content of TLR-4, the p65 subunit of the nuclear factor NF-kB, the cytokine TNF-a and the activity of PLA2 (phospholipase A2) were determinated by the enzyme immunoassay was studied. The profile of bioregulators in women with premature births was characterized by a high content of TLR-4, TNF-a and an increase in PLA2 activity and a decrease in the activity of the p65 subunit of NF-kB. 89 women aged 20-39 years were examined at 34-40 weeks gestation. They were divided into two groups: 42 women with preterm birth at 34-36.6 weeks, the control group is represented by 47 patients. The risk factors for PB are the presence of PB in history, endocervicitis, colpitis, dysbiosis, diseases of the urinary system (chronic pyelonephritis, chronic cystitis), aggravated obstetric and gynecological history (the threat of abortion during gestation, moderate preeclampsia, anemia of the pregnant woman). The obtained data of the studied bioregulators testify to the role of the infectious inflammatory process in the development of PB, which is evidenced by the high level of TLR-4, a component of innate immunity leading to the activation of the TLR-4 signaling pathway, which increases the activity of PLA2-factor of premature contractile activity of the uterus.

[Fatty acid composition of placental membrane phospholipids in women with a history of hypofunctional ovaries]. / Zhirno-kislotnyi sostav fosfolipidov membran platsenty u zhenshchin s gipofunktsiei iaichnikov v anamneze.

The fatty acid composition of plasma membranes in the placenta of induced-pregnancy females with ovarian hypofunction was studied Palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids were prevalent in the placental membranes. The content of arachidonic acid was higher that of linoleic acid which was in greater qualities in the membranous lipids of other tissues than arachidonic acid. The changes found in the fatty acid composition of placental membranous phospholipids were associated with the deviations in the levels of this organ-specific hormones progesterone and placental lactogen.

[Purine base metabolism in the mother-placenta-fetus system in experimental hypoxia]. / Obmen purinovykh osnovanii v sisteme mat'-platsenta-plod pri éksperimental'noi gipoksii.

In acute deficiency of oxygen inhibition of purine bases turnover as well as degradation of their high molecular precursors occurred in the system mother-placenta-fetus. Acute hypoxia was accompanied by distinct increase in content of adenine, xanthine + + guanine and uric acid in blood of pregnant rats, in placenta and blood of newborn animals. Long-term effect of hypoxia resulted in adaptation of purine metabolism. In this case production of adenosine and adenosine monophosphate was activated.

[Fractional composition of membrane proteins of the placenta in feto-placental insufficiency after hyperbaric oxygenation]. / Fraktsionnyi sostav membrannykh belkov platsenty v usloviiakh feto-platsentarnoi nedostatochnosti posle giperbarooksigenatsii.

Electrophoretic properties of syntrophoblast membrane proteins, solubilized by detergents, were distinctly altered under conditions of feto-placental insufficiency of endocrine genesis. Treatment of women with feto-placental insufficiency by means of hyperbaric oxygenation prevented the impairment of membrane protein composition.

[Prognostic value of neuraminidase activity in mammary gland secretion in fetal death]. / Prognosticheskoe znachenie opredeleniia aktivnosti neiraminidazy v sekrete molochnukh zhelez pri vnutriutrobnoi gibeli ploda.

Neuraminidase activity and levels of sialic acids and some hormones were measured in mammary secretion of women with induced pregnancy with a history of endocrine sterility. The activity of neuraminidase in the breast milk of pregnant women with galactorrhea may serve an informative prognostic test indicating intrauterine fetal death for 8-10 days.

[Homocarnosine of the amniotic fluid as an indicator of fetal cerebral lesions]. / Gomokarnozin okoloplodnykh vod kak pokazate'l tserebra'lnykh povrezhdenii ploda.

The authors stated the correlation between the levels of homocarnosine in the amniotic fluid, fetal encephalopathy and the degree of fetal neurologic symptomatology.

[Characteristics of purine and nucleotide metabolism in juvenile rats with alloxan diabetes]. / Osobennosti purinovogo i nukleotidnogo obmena u iuvenil'nykh krys s alloksanovym diabetom.

Opposing changes were discovered in the liver and blood of rats aged 1-1 1/2 months with alloxan diabetes as regards the content of adenine, xanthine plus guanine, uric acid and the activity of adenine-, adenosine-, guanine deaminase and 5'-nucleotidase. The ratio of the activity of adenosine deaminase to that of 5'-nucleotidase correlating with the level of glycemia might be the most informative test in the diagnosis of the depth of the discovered metabolic disorders in alloxan diabetes.

[Effect of diets with easily assimilated carbohydrates on the lipid composition of tissues of young rats with alloxan diabetes]. / Vliianie ratsionov s legkousvoemymi uglevodami na lipidnyi sostav tkanei iuvenil'nykh krys pri alloksanovom diabete.

The blood serum, liver, cerebral and pancreatic tissues of 250 rats aged 1 to 1.5 mos. were investigated. Alloxan diabetes caused profound changes in the lipid composition of various tissues, the most noticeable ones in the pancreas. Of all easily assimilable carbohydrates used as admixtures to a common ration fructose followed by xylite and sorbitol produced the most unfavorable effect on lipid metabolism. The best results were obtained by adding up glucose.