Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Pregnancy and Weight Gain Attitude Scale.

This study aimed to develop the Japanese version of the Pregnancy and Weight Gain Attitude Scale (J-PWGAS) as a measurement of body image regarding body weight and shape during pregnancy. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a perinatal medical center in Osaka, Japan, between March and November 2020. We recruited pregnant women in their second or third trimester, who were 20 years old or older and without pregnancy complications. This study evaluated the criterion validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Of the participants, 218 and 102 women participated in the validation and test-retest reliability studies, respectively. An exploratory factor analysis revealed a 17-item, five-factor structure. The J-PWGAS indicated acceptable criterion validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. The J-PWGAS can measure attitudes toward gestational weight gain in Japanese pregnant women and would be useful in examining the association of body image with weight gain and psychological status during pregnancy.

Influence of maternal body mass index on gestational weight gain and birth weight: A comparison of parity.

Previous studies have revealed correlations among prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain and the birth weight of the infant. However, as a variety of indices relating to the physique have been used to assess the optimal weight of pregnant women, no conclusions have yet been established regarding the Japanese population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the correlations among prepregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain and the birth weight of the infant in primiparous and multiparous females. The study was a retrospective analysis of pregnancy charts from a single birthing center from August 1998 to the end of September 2007. The subjects were primiparous (n=220) and multiparous (n=340) females, and the mean prepregnancy weights of the two groups were 52.8±8.8 and 54.3±9.0 kg, respectively. The mean prepregnancy BMI of the primiparous females was 20.8±3.1 kg/m2, compared with 21.6±3.5 kg/m2 for the multiparous females, and the mean birth weights of the infants were 3,153.0±364.1 g and 3,262.3±370.4 g for primiparous and multiparous females, respectively. When the correlation between the maternal factors and the birth weight of the infant was analyzed, the birth weight was revealed to be positively correlated with delivery weight and gestational weight gain in primiparous females. However, no correlations were observed between the birth weight of the infant and prepregnancy weight or BMI. In multiparous females, birth weight was revealed to be positively correlated with prepregnancy weight, BMI and the maternal delivery weight; however, no correlation was observed between the birth weight of the infant and gestational weight gain. The results of the present study also demonstrated that there were significant differences between the primiparous and multiparous females, with regard to gestational weight gain and weight reduction following delivery. The study indicated that the factors influencing birth weight may be different for primiparous and multiparous females.

Relationship between 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine levels in placental/umbilical cord blood and maternal/neonatal obstetric factors.

Oxidative stress is associated with the development of various diseases including cancer, arteriosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and metabolic syndrome. However, little is known about the involvement of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) during the perinatal period. At present, few studies have investigated the precise correlations between 8-OHdG levels in cord blood (CB) and the physical conditions of the mother and neonate. To clarify the involvement of 8-OHdG during the perinatal period, the relationships between CB 8-OHdG levels and maternal/neonatal characteristics in vaginal deliveries were determined. The 8-OHdG levels of CB units collected from singleton gestation vaginal deliveries were analyzed. The relationships between 8-OHdG levels and perinatal characteristics were analyzed. The 8-OHdG levels in CB ranged from 0.1 to 1.39 ng/ml (median, 0.37 ng/ml). The relationships between 8-OHdG levels and the perinatal data were analyzed. The 8-OHdG levels detected in the non-smoking group were significantly lower compared to those in the smoking group. However, no significant correlation was observed between 8-OHdG levels and other maternal/ neonatal factors, including umbilical artery acid/base and gas values. Maternal smoking increases the level of the oxidative DNA damage biomarker 8-OHdG in CB. Since oxidative stress may influence the long-term health outcomes of infants after birth, understanding maternal and fetus/neonate stress conditions at delivery may help improve the health of fetuses and infants.

Quality-assessments of characteristics of placental/umbilical cord blood associated with maternal age- and parity-related factor.

Umbilical cord blood (CB) has been widely used for unrelated allogeneic stem cell transplantation. It is important to determine the quality of CB units to avoid frequent problem of limited cell yields. However, no practical and/or optimum obstetric factors to predict them are yet available. This study analyzed the relationship between maternal/neonatal obstetric factors and the laboratory parameters of CB units to identify the optimum factors associated with a high yield of total nucleated cells (TNC). Primiparae in their early 30s may be one of the first selection criteria for CB donors to obtain higher yield of TNC.

Relationship between radiosensitivity of human neonatal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and individual maternal/neonatal obstetric factors.

Hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) in placental/umbilical cord blood (CB), which is neonatal peripheral blood, have increasingly been used for hematopoietic stem cell transplantations. It is likely HSPCs are sensitive to extracellular oxidative stresses, such as ionizing radiation and redox-directed chemotherapeutic agents. However, the radiosensitivity of HSPCs and neonatal hematopoietic system remains unclear. This study investigated the potential relationship between the radiosensitivity of HSPCs in CB, which was obtained from singleton and full-term deliveries, and maternal/neonatal obstetric factors. Freshly prepared CB CD34(+) cells exposed to 2 Gy X-irradiation were assayed for hematopoietic progenitor cells such as colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM), burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E), colony-forming unit-granulocyte-erythroid-macrophage-megakaryocyte (CFU-Mix), and colony-forming unit-megakaryocyte (CFU-Meg). As a result, the neonatal weight, placental weight, CB volume, total low-density (LD) cells, and CD34(+) cells showed mutually significant positive correlations. The CB volume and total LD cells showed a significant reverse correlation with the surviving fraction of CFU-Meg. The surviving fraction of CFU-GM in spring (March-May) was significantly higher than that in autumn (September-November). The surviving fraction of CFU-Meg in the spring was significantly lower than that in the autumn. Male neonates showed a significantly higher surviving fraction of CFU-GM than female neonates. Contrarily, females showed a significantly higher surviving fraction of CFU-Meg than males. The present results suggest that the obstetric factors, such as the season of birth and neonatal gender, influence the radiosensitivity of neonatal hematopoiesis.

Correlations between the detection of stress-associated hormone/oxidative stress markers in umbilical cord blood and the physical condition of the mother and neonate.

AIM: The objective of this study was to assess the correlations between the detection of stress-associated hormone/oxidative stress markers in umbilical cord blood (CB) and the physical condition of the mother and neonate. METHODS: CB units collected from normal vaginal deliveries were analyzed for various biochemical markers, some stress-associated hormones, such as progesterone, cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) and oxidative stress marker 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), respectively. RESULTS: The progesterone concentration closely correlated with Apgar score, hemoglobin, maternal smoking and insulin concentration, respectively. In particular, its concentration in the non-smoker group and Apgar score 10 points group was significantly lower in comparison to the smoker group and Apgar score 8 points group, respectively. Cortisol concentration correlated significantly with the number of parities, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and increase of neonatal weight and height per day, respectively. In particular, its concentration in deliveries of males and first babies was significantly higher in comparison to female deliveries and second babies, respectively. In addition, a significant correlation was observed between the duration between spontaneous/artificial membrane rupture time and delivery time and the ACTH concentration. However, no significant relationship was observed between maternal/neonatal factors and CRF concentration and 8-OHdG concentration, respectively. A significant negative correlation was observed between cortisol and 8-OHdG concentration. CONCLUSION: CB stress-associated hormone/oxidative stress markers strongly reflect maternal and neonatal condition at the time of delivery.

Similarity of acid proteinases secreted by Candida albicans NIH A-207 and NIH B-792 strains cultured in BSA-supplemented medium.

Candida albicans NIH A-207 (serotype A) and NIH B-792 (serotype B) strains secreted one acid proteinases (AP) each in a yeast carbon-based medium supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the sole nitrogen source. Isolation of AP from the culture filtrates was achieved by dialysis, followed by DEAE-Sepharose and Biogel P-100 column chromatographies. It was found that both enzymes from the two strains had very similar properties when examined. The molecular weights and isoelectric points were found to be 43 kDa and pH 4.0, respectively. The amino acid components and first 12 N-terminal amino acid sequences were virtually identical in both enzymes. The optimum pH of the enzymes was 3.5-4.0. The enzymes were heat-labile, and decreases in their activities were found above 37 degrees C. The AP activities were completely inhibited by the addition of pepstatin. No other inhibitor among those tested had any effect. The enzymes degraded all proteins examined, especially host defense factors such as immunoglobulin G and the granulocyte colony stimulating factor. The enzymes also caused similar degrees of enhancement of vascular permeability when they were injected into the dorsal skin of guinea pigs.