Fetal sigmoid colon mesentery - In relevance in fetal ultrasound application. A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasound examinations during pregnancy are routine procedures used to detect fetal congenital malformations. Ultrasound monitoring of sigmoid colon mesenterial development could be useful for early detection of subjects at risk of sigmoid colon volvulus. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our paper was to assess the sigmoid colon length, and sigmoid colon mesentery width and height in the late fetal period, and, using the results, to estimate the surface area of the mesocolon (in mm2) in living fetuses. Moreover, we attempted to repeat some of these measurements in living fetuses using ultrasound imaging. METHODS: The study was carried out on 209 formalin fixed human fetuses (100 female and 109 male) aged from 4th to 7th gestational months (102-203 days), with a crown-rump length of 132-342mm. The length of the sigmoid colon, as well as the height and width of its mesentery were measured. The surface area of the mesocolon was estimated. Correction for formalin induced shrinkage was applied. Pilot ultrasound examinations of live fetuses were performed. RESULTS: Mean values of sigmoid colon length, mesenteric width and height (formalin fixed fetuses) for respective gestational ages were: month 4: 21.46±6.7mm, 6.80±2.1mm, 5.5±1.49mm; month 5: 27.32±1.2mm, 7.62±2.01mm, 7.33±2.17mm; month 6: 47.56±9.57mm, 11.68±3.8mm, 10.3±3.05mm; month 7: 56.92±17.48mm. 15.32±8 mm, 12.81±3.16mm. The surface area ranges of the sigmoid colon mesentery found for respective gestational months (intrauterine fetuses) were as follows: month 4: 33.24-51.95mm2; month 5: 49.63-77.6mm2; month 6: 106.89-167.15mm2 and month 7: 145.69-272.53mm2. CONCLUSION: The surface area of the sigmoid colon mesentery can be used as a simple parameter applied in fetal ultrasonographic evaluation. The development of the sigmoid colon accelerates in the 6th gestational month, and decelerates in the 7th gestational month. The sigmoid colon mesentery width was larger than its height between the 4th and 7th gestational months.

Data dimensionality reduction in anthropometrical investigations.

BACKGROUND: Very often it is necessary to make a decision or to establish a diagnosis on the basis of great amounts of different kinds of data. In this paper the principal component analysis procedure was applied to anthropometrical data analysis. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to simplify the process of decision making by data dimensionality reduction. A second aim was to check how the reduction affected an analysis of the pubertal growth process. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A group of 400 boys was investigated. Three main components were calculated and interpreted. In order to investigate growth changes, the variability of each component was approximated by fourth order polynomials. RESULTS: It was shown that the loss of information resulting from data dimensionality reduction is about 25%, so the three calculated principal components contained 75% of the entire information. It seems possible to make an appropriate decision on the basis of that amount of information. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained fully supported using the approach presented for data analysis in the case under consideration.

[Interleukin-17 concentration in serum and urine of children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome]. / Stezenie interleukiny-17 w surowicy i w moczu dzieci z idiopatycznym zespolem nerczycowym.

UNLABELLED: T-cells and their cytokines play an important role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) in children. IL-17 secreted by activated CD4+ Tcells induces production of proinflammatory mediators, enhances T-cell-mediated immune responses and Th1 type reactions. The aim of the study was to evaluate IL-17 concentrations in serum and urine of children with INS and determine the possible role of this cytokine in the course of disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 67 children with INS, aged 3 to 16 years (mean 9 +/- 4) and 15 normal controls were included in the study. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to activity of the disease: I (n=37)--INS in relapse, II (n=30)--INS in remission. Serum (s) and urinary (u) IL-17 were determined by immunoenzymatic method. In children with INS serum biochemical parameters, clearance of endogene creatinine and 24 hour proteinuria were measured. RESULTS: sIL-17 and uIL-17 concentrations (51.66 +/- 8.38 pg/mg and 56.29 +/-14.24 pg/mg creatinine (cr), respectively) were significantly higher (p<0.001) in group I compared with group II (35.7 +/- 10.18 pg/ml and 17.47 +/- 3.46 pg/mg cr) and normal controls (27.17 +/- 1.87 pg/ml and 13.91 +/- 1.22 pg/mg cr). UIL-17 correlated positively with sIL-17 (r=0.783, p<0.0001). A positive correlations between uIL-17 and sIL-17 and urinary protein excretion were found (r=0.58, r=0.42, respectively; p<0.05). IN CONCLUSION: elevated serum and urinary IL-17 levels in children with relapse of nephrotic syndrome suggest the role of IL-17 in the pathophysiology of INS. IL-17 concentrations in serum and urine may reflect the disease activity of INS.