[Risk factors for congenital anal atresia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors for the development of congenital anal atresia in neonates. METHODS: A total of 70 neonates who were admitted to 17 hospitals in Foshan, China from January 2011 to December 2014 were enrolled as case group, and another 70 neonates who were hospitalized during the same period and had no anal atresia or other severe deformities were enrolled as control group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the risk factors for the development of congenital anal atresia. RESULTS: The univariate analysis revealed that the age of mothers, presence of oral administration of folic acid, infection during early pregnancy, and polyhydramnios, and sex of neonates showed significant differences between the case and control groups (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that infection during early pregnancy (OR=18.776) and male neonates (OR=9.304) were risk factors for congenital anal atresia, and oral administration of folic acid during early pregnancy was the protective factor (OR=0.086). CONCLUSIONS: Infection during early pregnancy is the risk factor for congenital anal atresia, and male neonates are more likely to develop congenital anal atresia than female neonates. Supplementation of folic acid during early pregnancy can reduce the risk of congenital anal atresia.

[Effect of TFCC on proliferation of the first trimester human cytotrophoblast and its possible signal transduction pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of total flavones from Cuscuta chinens is (TFCC) on proliferation of the first trimester human cytotrophoblast and its possible signal transduction pathway. METHODS: The first trimester human trophoblast cells were isolated by trypsin/Dnasel digestion and discontinuous Percoll density gradient centrifugation. After identified by immunocytochemistry to Cytokeratin 7 and Vimentin, the trophoblast cells appared to more than 95% pure. MTT Assay was used to evaluate the effect of TFCC in vitro viability/proliferation of the first trimster human cytotrophoblasts, The PCNA expression of the first rimester human cytotrophoblasts were analyzed by the way of flow cytopmetry. The pERK level of the first trimester human cytotrophoblasts was analyzed by the way of western blotting. RESULTS: TFCC could promote viabilitylproliferation and PCNA expression of the first trimester human cytotrophobia in vitro, which could activate the ERK 1/2 in time-dependent and dosage-dependent manner.