Vaccination against influenza in pregnant women in a maternity hospital in the Czech Republic in the season 2020-2021.

OBJECTIVES: Pregnant women are among the priority groups to receive influenza vaccines in the Czech Republic since 2011, data on vaccination coverage are not yet available. The aim of the study was to determine the influenza vaccination coverage (IVC) and provide source data for further activities. METHODS: A prospective observational study was performed in a large maternity hospital in Prague. The self-completed questionnaire was distributed to 5,475 pregnant women between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021. Questions included maternal sociodemographic characteristics, influenza vaccination status and sources of maternal vaccination recommendations during pregnancy. RESULTS: A total of 4,617 completed questionnaires have been analysed. The median age of study participants (N = 4,592) was 33 years (range: 18-51 years). The majority (69.7%) of women had completed their university education, most women were childless (58.5%) or had one child (32.5%) before the start of the study. Less than 2% of women reported being vaccinated against influenza during their pregnancy (1.5%; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9%). Only 21% of women knew that it's possible to get vaccinated against influenza during pregnancy. Participants considered influenza vaccination in pregnancy as important (3.3%), useful (41.1%) and useless (44.4%). Out of 959 pregnant women who had information about influenza vaccination during pregnancy, only 6.9% were vaccinated, while among those who did not have this information, 0.1% were vaccinated during pregnancy (p < 0.001). The most frequent source of information was Internet, then media and a general practitioner. CONCLUSIONS: The IVC during pregnancy in our study was extremely low. In order to improve IVC among pregnant women, it is necessary to increase awareness of recommendations and vaccination options among the public and professionals and incorporating vaccination recommendation in routine antenatal practice.

Monitoring the vaccination of pregnant women against pertussis - single-centre one-year study in the Czech Republic.

OBJECTIVES: This observational study aimed to analyse data from big maternity hospital, determine the vaccination coverage and provide source information for further activities. BACKGROUND: Although vaccination of pregnant women against pertussis is recommended in the Czech Republic, data on vaccination coverage are not available. METHODS: The self-completed questionnaire was distributed to 5,475 pregnant women in the maternity hospital between 2020 and 2021. Questionnaires collected mother's sociodemographic characteristics, pertussis vaccination status and sources of recommendations for vaccinations during pregnancy. RESULTS: A total of 4,617 completed questionnaires were analysed. Pertussis vaccination coverage during pregnancy was 1.6 % (95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.0 %). Only 12.5 % of women knew about the possibility of being vaccinated against pertussis during pregnancy. Women considered pertussis vaccination in pregnancy as important (12.9 %), useful (49.1 %) and useless (24.0 %). Of 579 pregnant women who had information about pertussis vaccination during pregnancy, only 12.1 % were vaccinated, while among those who did not have this information, 0.1% were vaccinated during pregnancy (p < 0.001). The most frequent source of information was Internet, then a general practitioner. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to raise awareness of recommendations for pregnancy vaccination among public and professionals, to emphasize the benefits of such vaccination in order to increase the vaccination coverage (Tab. 3, Ref. 31). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: pertussis, whooping cough, pregnancy, vaccination, health knowledge, prevention.

Triacylglycerols containing branched palmitic acid ester of hydroxystearic acid (PAHSA) are present in the breast milk and hydrolyzed by carboxyl ester lipase.

Breast milk is a complex mixture containing underexplored bioactive lipids. We performed an observational case-control study to compare the impact of delivery mode: caesarean section (CS) and vaginal birth (VB); and term (preterm and term delivery) on the levels of lipokines in human milk at different stages of lactation. Metabolomic analysis of the milk identified triacylglycerol estolides as a metabolic reservoir of the anti-inflammatory lipid mediator 5-palmitic acid ester of hydroxystearic acid (5-PAHSA). We found that triacylglycerol estolides were substrates of carboxyl ester lipase and 5-PAHSA-containing lipids were the least preferred substrates among tested triacylglycerol estolide isomers. This explained exceptionally high colostrum levels of 5-PAHSA in the VB group. CS and preterm birth negatively affected colostrum lipidome, including 5-PAHSA levels, but the lipidomic profiles normalized in mature milk. Mothers delivering term babies vaginally produce colostrum rich in 5-PAHSA, which could contribute to the prevention of intestinal inflammation in newborns.

Micronucleus frequency and content in healthy relatives of cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To compare chromosomal damage in lymphocytes of individuals who did or did not report first-degree relatives with cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cases and controls (68 each) were matched for sex, age and radon exposure. Chromosomal damage was quantified as frequency of micronucleus-containing cells and proportion of centromere-free micronuclei. RESULTS: Individuals not reporting cancer in their families showed lower values of both the frequency of micronucleus-containing cells (n.s.) and the proportion of centromere-free micronuclei (p < 0.05) in some subgroups, but not in all. CONCLUSION: The chromosomal damage observed may be due to inheritable genomic instability, but environmental influences cannot be excluded.