Correlation between oxidative stress and G6PD activity in neonatal jaundice.

Fetal distress represents a pathophysiological condition in which oxygen is not available to the fetus in sufficient quantities. In cases of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, under conditions of oxidative stress, the residual G6PD and complimentary antioxidant mechanisms may become insufficient to neutralize the large amounts of ROS and to prevent severe hemolysis. Alteration in the oxidant-antioxidant profile is also known to occur in neonatal jaundice. The study group included 22 neonates presented with fetal distress during labor and 24 neonates with no evidence of fetal distress (control group). Umbilical cord blood samples were taken immediately after delivery, and the following blood tests were carried out after birth and at discharge from the hospital: erythrocyte count, total bilirubin, G6PD activity, and parameters presenting oxidative status [thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), NO, O2 (-), H2O2, SOD, CAT, O2 (-)/SOD, and H2O2/CAT]. There were no significant differences in TBARS and NO values among neonates with or without fetal distress. However, the values of O2 (-), H2O2, SOD, O2 (-)/SOD, and H2O2/CAT among neonates born after fetal distress were significantly higher than in neonates without fetal distress (p < 0.01). In neonates with fetal distress, the total number of RBCs at delivery was significantly lower, accompanied with higher bilirubin content. Also neonates with fetal distress had lower activity of G6PD and lower CAT activity. Higher values of oxidative stress parameters in newborns delivered after fetal distress do not indicate strictly what occurred first-oxidative stress or basic lower G6PD activity.

A novel semi-quantitative method for measuring tissue bleeding.

In this study, we describe a new semi-quantitative method for measuring the extent of bleeding in pathohistological tissue samples. To test our novel method, we recruited 120 female patients in their first trimester of pregnancy and divided them into three groups of 40. Group I was the control group, in which no dilation was applied. Group II was an experimental group, in which dilation was performed using classical mechanical dilators. Group III was also an experimental group, in which dilation was performed using a hydraulic dilator. Tissue samples were taken from the patients' cervical canals using a Novak's probe via energetic single-step curettage prior to any dilation in Group I and after dilation in Groups II and III. After the tissue samples were prepared, light microscopy was used to obtain microphotographs at 100x magnification. The surfaces affected by bleeding were measured in the microphotographs using the Autodesk AutoCAD 2009 program and its "polylines" function. The lines were used to mark the area around the entire sample (marked A) and to create "polyline" areas around each bleeding area on the sample (marked B). The percentage of the total area affected by bleeding was calculated using the formula: N = Bt x 100 / At where N is the percentage (%) of the tissue sample surface affected by bleeding, At (A total) is the sum of the surfaces of all of the tissue samples and Bt (B total) is the sum of all the surfaces affected by bleeding in all of the tissue samples. This novel semi-quantitative method utilizes the Autodesk AutoCAD 2009 program, which is simple to use and widely available, thereby offering a new, objective and precise approach to estimate the extent of bleeding in tissue samples.