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Journal Article 2006; 27(4): 529-534 PubMed PMID: 16891989 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Condylomata Acuminata:epidemiology, Female, Human papillomavirus 11, Human papillomavirus 16, Human papillomavirus 6, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical, Kidney Failure, Chronic:epidemiology, Kidney Transplantation:s.   

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate: 1) The prevalence of human papillomavirus (types 6 and 11 carrying a low risk of neoplasia, and type 16 implicated as cause of cervical neoplasia and cancer) in normal pregnant women and pregnant renal transplant recipients. 2) The correlation between maternal HPV infection and HPV presence in the cord blood and the oral cavity of the neonate. Evaluation of a likely, additional route of HPV transmission to the fetus, apart from the infected birth canal during vaginal delivery. The correlation between the mode of delivery in HPV-infected patients and the presence of HPV in their offspring.

DESIGN: Thirty-nine pregnant patients were included in the study. The study group consisted of nine pregnant renal transplant recipients. The control group consisted of 30 patients with normal pregnancy. The DNA of HPV types 6, 11 and 16 was studied in the discharge from the cervical canal, the maternal venous blood, the cord blood and the buccal smear obtained from the neonates.

SETTING: A university teaching hospital delivering approximately 2000 women annually.

RESULTS: Human papillomavirus (HPV) was found in 10 (26%) of 39 subjects. HPV types 6 and 11 was found in 7 (18%) of 39 subjects while HPV type 16 was present in 5 (13%) of the subjects. The co-occurrence of HPV types 6, 11 and 16 was detected in 2 patients from the control group. Transmission of HPV was established in 70% of study patients and their offspring.

CONCLUSIONS: 1) The HPV was found with 26% pregnant women. 2) The occurrence of HPV infections with pregnant renal transplant recipients in comparison with normal pregnancy was on similar level. High percentage of HPV transmission from mother to neonate was obtained. 3) The cesarean section probably doesn't protect from HPV infection. 4) There's a suggestion, the HPV infection of fetus may occur in utero....

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Clinical Trial 2006; 27(3): 307-313 PubMed PMID: 16816836 Citation  Keywords:  Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation:blood, Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic:blood, Erythrocyte Membrane:drug effects, Female, Humans, Male, Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors:blood, Plasma:metabolism, Reference Values, Structure-Activity Relationship.   

OBJECTIVE: The distribution of different antidepressants between plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) or between water and erythrocyte membranes (ghosts) has not been sufficiently compared so far.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Distribution of seven antidepressants (amitriptyline, nortriptyline, imipramine, desipramine, didesmethylimipramine, dothiepin, and citalopram) was measured in vitro in small volumes of blood or erythrocyte membrane suspension using radiolabeled drugs. Blood samples were taken from healthy subjects.

RESULTS: The distribution of antidepressants between plasma and RBCs is strongly affected by temperature; however, it does not depend on the antidepressant concentration in the range of their therapeutic concentrations. The data analysis proved that the ratio of RBCs to plasma volume concentrations is the suitable parameter characterizing antidepressant distribution in whole blood. Significantly higher ratios of RBCs to plasma concentrations were found for demethylated metabolites of tricyclic antidepressants and in the case of citalopram. Citalopram showed the highest accumulation in intact RBCs and at the same time the lowest binding to isolated membranes. The binding of drugs to isolated erythrocyte membranes was much higher than in whole blood.

CONCLUSION: The concentration ratio of antidepressant in RBCs and in plasma is sensitive not only to the binding properties of plasma proteins and cell membranes, but also to changes in drug molecule, both in aminopropyl chain and in aromatic rings. This ratio is to a large extent characteristic of a particular antidepressant....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(3): 345-349 PubMed PMID: 16816835 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Male, Middle Aged, RNA, Messenger:analysis, Receptor, Endothelin A:genetics, Receptor, Endothelin B:genetics, Reference Values, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, Tissue Distribu.   

OBJECTIVES: Endothelin is a potent peptide mediator that is synthesized by a number of cells. Previous studies have revealed the occurrence of endothelin in nerve cell bodies of some peripheral ganglia. Endothelin mediates its effects via two distinct receptor subtypes ETA and ETB. The present study was designed to investigate the presence of these two receptors in the human trigeminal ganglion.

METHODS: Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to show the presence of mRNA encoding ETA and ETB receptors in the human trigeminal ganglion. To localize the protein immunocytochemistry with antibodies against the endothelin receptors was used.

RESULTS: Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed mRNA for both receptor subtypes in the human trigeminal ganglion. Immunocytochemistry revealed numerous cell bodies containing the ETA and the ETB receptor proteins.

CONCLUSIONS: The expression of ETA and ETB receptors in the human trigeminal ganglion suggests a role for endothelin in autonomic and sensory neural transmission....

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Comparative Study 2006; 27(3): 365-368 PubMed PMID: 16816830 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Female, Glutathione:metabolism, Glutathione Peroxidase:metabolism, Glutathione Transferase:metabolism, Kidney:enzymology, Liver:enzymology, Male, Melatonin:physiology, Mice, Random Allocation,.   

OBJECTIVES: The changes in reduced glutathione (GSH), activity of glutathione transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GSPx) after administration of exogenous melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxy-tryptamine) at a dose 20 mg/kg b.w. were investigated for five and ten days in the liver and kidney of male and female mice.

METHODS: The liver and kidney were homogenized in 0.1 M phosphate buffer. Glutathione level and activity of studied glutathione enzymes were determined in the supernatants.

RESULTS: Melatonin caused an increase in glutathione level, the activity of glutathione peroxidase as well as glutathione transferase in the examined organs.

CONCLUSION: Melatonin may exert some effects on the activity of enzymes engaged in the metabolism of thiol compounds in the cell. Glutathione may be useful for monitoring melatonin's protective role on cell damage....

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Clinical Trial 2006; 27(3): 387-391 PubMed PMID: 16816826 Citation  Keywords:  Administration, Cutaneous, Administration, Oral, Adult, Drug Combinations, Drug Therapy, Combination, Estradiol:administration & dosage, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Hormone Replacement Therapy:methods, Hormones:administration & dosage, Humans, Kidney Trans.   

OBJECTIVES: The assessment of efficacy and safety of two regimens of hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) in women after kidney transplantation with climacteric symptoms.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Combined transdermal or transdermal-oral hormonal replacement therapy was administered to 86 kidney-transplanted women, aged 31-52 years, with moderate to severe climacteric symptoms in years 1995-2005. The patients underwent follow-up examinations one, three and six months after onset of the therapy and every four months subsequently. Blood pressure, body weight, sex hormone profile, serum parameters of both kidney and liver function, endometrial image in transvaginal sonography and reduction of climacteric symptoms were assessed.

RESULTS: The mean time of the therapy was 5.6 years for transdermal-oral regimen (54 patients) and 4.7 years for transdermal regimen (32 patients). Most patients reported reduction of climacteric symptoms and improved life quality after 6 months of HRT. 28% of women discontinued therapy for medical indications, most often due to significant deterioration of liver function. One case of profound vein thrombosis was noted. 21% of women decided to discontinue therapy after the results of the WHI trial had been published.

CONCLUSIONS: Hormonal replacement therapy is effective in climacteric symptoms relief and improvement of life quality in kidney transplanted women. Higher rate of side effects observed in that group of patients contributes to the need for frequent, attentive surveillance. Further studies should be conducted to establish the optimal doses and routes of administration of HRT as well as to assess the range of necessary follow-up examinations....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(3): 297-305 PubMed PMID: 16807525 Citation  Keywords:  Alzheimer Disease:cerebrospinal fluid, Amyloid beta-Peptides:cerebrospinal fluid, Biomarkers:cerebrospinal fluid, Brain:metabolism, Cerebrospinal Fluid:chemistry, Depressive Disorder, Major:cerebrospinal fluid, Female, Humans, Male, Neurotransmitter Agent.   

: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear and colourless fluid that surrounds the brain and spine. Due to the close proximity of CSF to the brain, pathological brain-processes are likely to be reflected in CSF. CSF can be obtained through lumbar puncture and is frequently performed in the differential diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders. Beyond clinical applications, CSF has been studied as part of different research-protocols. In this review, we will focus on CSF-analysis in Alzheimer Disease, major depression and schizophrenia. We will review both clinical applications as well as research applications in all three disorders. We will also assess new technological advances that have made it possible to study large numbers of proteins in CSF and how these advances may change CSF-analysis in the years to come....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 241-246 PubMed PMID: 16648817 Citation  Keywords:  5' Untranslated Regions:genetics, Animals, Cattle, DNA:analysis, Exons:genetics, Humans, Polymorphism, Genetic:genetics, Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide:genetics, Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational, Pro.   

: Prolactin is a protein hormone playing a role in the maintenance of pregnancy in the pig by action on corpora lutea cells and possibly initiating production of progesterone. The prolactin gene is 10 kb in size and is composed of 5 exons and 4 introns. The present work is a report of the swine PRL gene--comparative DNA sequence analysis and the SNP revealed in the promoter region. Based on the bovine prolactin gene, three primer pairs were designed using the Primer3 on-line software. The overlapping fragments covered about 400 nucleotides of the promoter and 78 nucleotides of exon 1. The fragments were amplified; two of them were sequenced and deposited in the GenBank database (AY341908 and AY905690). All fragments were analyzed using multitemperature SSCP (MSSCP) technique. Only one fragment appeared to show a different MSSCP pattern. The samples of differing MSSCP conformers were sequenced and the C499T transition was identified in the 5'UTR region of the gene. The HphI restriction enzyme appeared to recognize the novel SNP. The alignment for homology analysis was performed with porcine, bovine (X01452) and human (NM_000948) DNA sequences available in GenBank database, using BLAST software. The comparative homology analysis results varied in dependence on the species and functional region of the gene....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(1-2): 53-59 PubMed PMID: 16648803 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Computer Graphics, Databases, Factual, Humans, Immune System:immunology, Internet, Neurosecretory Systems:immunology, Signal Transduction:genetics, Tissue Distribution,.   

OBJECTIVES: To construct a specific database for the neuro-endocrine-immune (NEI) interactions.

METHODS/RESULTS: Version 1.0 database for neuro-endocrine-immune (dbNEI) serves as a web-based knowledge resource specific for the NEI systems. dbNEI collects 1,058 NEI related signal molecules, their 940 interactions and 72 affiliated tissues from the Cell Signaling Networks database, manually selects 982 NEI papers from PubMed, and gives links to 27,848 NEI generally related genes from UniGene database. NEI related information, such as signal transductions, regulations and control subunits, is integrated. Especially, dbNEI represents as graphic visualization, by which control subunits can be automatically obtained according to the inquiring issues, the combinative queries and the NEI related diseases respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: dbNEI, which can be accessed at http://bioinfo.au.tsinghua.edu.cn/dbNEIweb/, provides a knowledge environment for understanding the main regulatory systems of NEI in a molecular level....

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