Factors affecting the neonatal response to artificial surfactant

Objective : To define the individual neonatal response to the artificial surfactant, Exosurf, and factors that may influence the response.
Methodology : Eighty-two consecutive, preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrome, who received Exosurf at <12h of age were studied. Their response was categorized from the graphical change in the oxygenation index with postnatal age, for 12h after each of two doses of surfactant and assessed independently by two observers. Clinical factors were analysed for their effect on the four pre-defined categories of response, namely: none; mild; good; relapsed; and good: sustained.
Results : Within the first 12h, 11% of the neonates showed no response, 5% a mild response and 84% a good response, but 34% relapsed. By 24h, 6% still showed no response (all died), 11% showed a mild response and 83% a good response, of whom half relapsed. At 24h, no response was significantly associated with low gestational age and asphyxia mild response with less severe lung disease. According to the response there was a gradation in the risk of death during the first week.
Conclusions : The response to Exosurf can be individually and reproducibly categorized and demonstrated that 83% of neonates had a good response but half relapsed. No response was associated with extreme prematurity and asphyxia     

Antepartum fetal heart rate monitoring: III. Fetal movements and accelerations in fetal heart rate

This third part of the paper deals with the study of the relationships between fetal movements, fetal heart rate accelerations associated with such movements, fetal heart rate instability and neonatal outcome.No correlation has been found between absence of fetal movements and neonatal distress.A correlation has been found between the lack of fetal heart rate accelerations, the flatness of the record and poor neonatal outcome.In extreme situations (i.e. flatness in less than 10% of the record or in more than 80%) the presence or absence of accelerations does not add further useful information. Such information, however, is gained in the intermediary situations (the ‘combined’ recordings) and particularly when the record is between 51 and 80% flat where there appears to be an 85.6% risk to the fetus.Consequently, when trying to analyse an antenatal record it seems advisable to take primarily into account the percentage of flat recordings (providing the records are numerous enough and of sufficient length). Then, in records between 10 and 50% flat, the presence or the lack of spontaneous decelerations requires consideration whereas, when the record is between 51 and 80% flat, it is the presence or absence of fetal heart rate accelerations which is important.     

Early onset of autoimmunity in MRL/++ mice following immunization with beta 2 glycoprotein I.

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are associated with thrombosis, thrombocytopenia and recurrent fetal loss in humans and in some animal models. Immunization with beta 2 glycoprotein I (beta 2GPI) induced aPL production in normal rabbits and mice. However, the association of these antibodies with disease manifestations remains controversial. To determine whether induction of aPL by beta 2GPI immunization in an autoimmune strain of mice (MRL/++) would result in acceleration of clinical and serological autoimmune disease manifestations, three groups of 8-week-old female mice were studied. One group was immunized with beta 2GPI, and one with ovalbumin (OVA); the third was not immunized. After two booster injections, sera were analysed for the presence of anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-DNA by ELISA and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) by immunofluorescence. Mice were studied for thrombocytopenia, proteinuria, fecundity rates, litter sizes and the development of central nervous system dysfunction. Elevated levels of aCL, anti-DNA and ANA were detected in all beta 2GPI-immunized, in three OVA-immunized, and in none of the unimmunized mice. The anti-DNA antibodies were inhibited by CL micelles, suggesting cross-reactivity between aCL and anti-DNA. Platelet counts, fecundity rates and litter size were reduced in beta 2GPI-immunized but not in OVA-immunized or unimmunized mice. None of the mice developed neurological dysfunction or significant proteinuria over a 10-week period post-immunization. These findings suggest that beta 2GPI immunization induces aPL in MRL/++ mice associated with accelerated autoimmune manifestations resembling the antiphospholipid syndrome.     

Morphometric analysis of the great vessels in early fetal life

Pathological examination of the heart and great vessels wasperformed in 61 specimens obtained after surgical terminationof pregnancy for psychosocial indications at 9–18 weeksof gestation. The aorta and pulmonary trunk were identifiedand external diameters were measured at the level of, and distalto the aortic valve and pulmonary valve, the level of the aorticisthmus and thoracic aorta, and the proximal and distal ductusarteriosus. All eight vessel diameters increased linearly withgestational age and the ratio of the diameter of the aorticisthmus to that of the aortic valve or the distal ductus arteriosusalso increased with gestation. Early pregnancy is characterizedby rapid growth of the fetal head and this may well be the consequenceof a preferential distribution of left ventricular output infavour of the head due to relative narrowing of the aortic isthmusat this gestation.     

胎儿宫内窘迫对新生儿神经行为的影响

目的：测定宫内窘迫的新生儿神经行为，以探讨宫内窘迫与新生儿神经行为表现、预后的关系。方法：用ＮＢＮＡ神经行为２０项指标进行测定。结果：宫内窘迫新生儿６０例与正常新生儿６０例比较，测定总分之间差异有显著性（Ｐ＜０．０１）。窘迫组中４１例无窒息者与正常对照差异有显著性（Ｐ＜０．０１），窘迫组中１９例有窒息者与正常对照组差异更为显著，急性窘迫３８例与慢性窘迫２２例之间也有显著差异（Ｐ＜０．００１）。结论：胎儿宫内窘迫影响新生儿的神经行为能力。     

Fetal anaesthesia for intrauterine treatment

Fetal anaesthesia was performed 5 times in 1 patient to treat pleural effusions, obtain fetal blood sampling, provide albumin infusion, and establish and replace a pleuro-amniotic indwelling shunt catheter under ultrasound guidance. A maternal epidural catheter was placed and used for epidural anaesthesia for the first 4 anaesthetics. Fetal administration of pancuronium 0.15 mg·kg^?1 via the umbilical vein or 0.25 mg·kg^?1 intramuscularly was enough to produce immobilization without maternal effect. However, maternal pretreatment with intravenous diazepam and fentanyl was required for fetal sedation and analgesia, which was necessary for accurate and safe injection, and for suppression of fetal stress.     

A prospective study of psychosocial background factors associated with congenital malformations

Women's life situation and experiences during pregnancy were prospectively studied in relationship to the development of congenital malformations (CMs) in their offspring, within samples of 84 offspring of pregnant index women with a history of nonorganic psychosis and 100 offspring of pregnant control women. Within both samples, offspring CMs were related to more problematic maternal life situations during pregnancy, the common denominator in these problems across samples being difficulties associated with the husband. Little relationship was found between CMs and the woman's own attitude toward the pregnancy or her mental condition during pregnancy. In both groups, total life situational problems and distress were more strongly related to the development of very minor CMs (termed "variants") than to the major, classical CMs.     

Respiratory failure in mice caused by a hybridoma making antibodies to the 15 kDa surfactant apoprotein

Hybridoma cells were obtained by fusing spleen cells from mice, immunized against the 15 kDa porcine surfactant apoprotein, with a myeloma cell line. Adult mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with this hybridoma; mice that were not inoculated or were inoculated with myeloma cells served as controls. Lung-thorax compliance was measured at various intervals after inoculation. The animals were then killed for histologic-morphometric evaluation of alveolar air expansion, inflammatory reaction in the pulmonary parenchyma, and intraalveolar edema. In the hybridoma group, the mice developed respiratory failure 9 days after inoculation, with markedly reduced lung-thorax compliance, lung congestion, alveolar collapse, hemorrhagic pulmonary edema, and hyaline membranes. Morphometric data from the same animals showed reduced volume density of alveolar air, and increased volume densities of intraalveolar "fluid" (edema) and tissue components. These lung lesions are similar to those in the adult respiratory distress syndrome.     

接受抗病毒治疗HIV/AIDS患者艾滋病心理痛苦现状及影响因素

目的：调查接受抗病毒治疗的HIV/AIDS患者艾滋病心理痛苦现状及影响因素。方法：2022 年3月—2022年6月,采用便利抽样法从北京地区艾滋病社会组织招募765例HIV/AIDS患者进行在线调查,调查内容为一般资料调查表和艾滋病心理痛苦量表。采用χ2检验、Fisher确切概率法和Logistic回归分析艾滋病心理痛苦的影响因素。结果：本次调查共收集有效数据765 份,被调查HIV/AIDS患者艾滋病心理痛苦检出率83.27%。Logistic回归分析结果表明没有固定工作（OR =5.004,95%CI =1.867～13.410,P =0.001）、接受抗病毒治疗1～3 年（OR =2.613,95%CI =1.354～5.044,P =0.004）、不按时服药（OR =31.277,95%CI =4.143～236.092,P =0.001）是艾滋病心理痛苦发生的危险因素,而已婚（OR =0.320,95%CI =0.187～0.550,P ＜0.001）、坚持使用安全套（OR =0.267,95%CI =0.127～0.563,P =0.001）、确诊时间长（OR =0.115,95%CI =0.024～0.550,P =0.007）、月收入＞1 0000元（OR =0.265,95%CI =0.095～0.737,P =0.011）是保护性因素。结论：接受抗病毒治疗的HIV/AIDS患者普遍存在艾滋病心理痛苦,其发生率较高,医护人员应重视艾滋病心理痛苦的评估,并及时对存在危险因素的患者进行干预,以期提高患者的生活质量。     

多囊性肾脏发育不良胎儿的遗传学病因、影像学表现及妊娠结局分析

目的 探究多囊性肾脏发育不良胎儿的遗传学病因、影像学表现及妊娠结局。方法 回顾性分析2017年5月—2023年5月扬州大学附属淮安市妇幼保健院收治的80例多囊性肾脏发育不良胎儿的临床资料,分析其遗传学病因、影像学表现及妊娠结局。结果 80例多囊性肾脏发育不良胎儿中检出11例（13.75%）染色体异常,其中染色体数目异常1例（1.25%）,10例（12.50%）存在染色体拷贝数变异（CNV）。80例多囊性肾脏发育不良胎儿中,39例（48.75%）为左侧多囊性发育不良肾,37例（46.25%）为右侧多囊性发育不良肾,剩余4例（5.00%）为双侧多囊性发育不良肾;单纯泌尿系统异常64例（80.00%）,合并其他系统异常16例（20.00%）,以心血管系统异常（8例）、肢体骨骼异常（3例）和、神经系统异常（3例）最常见。单纯性泌尿系统异常胎儿、合并其他系统异常胎儿的致病性CNV检出率分别为10.94%（7/64）和12.50%（2/16）,差异无统计学意义（P >0.05）。单纯性泌尿系统异常胎儿中,单侧多囊性发育不良胎儿、双侧多囊性发育不良胎儿的致病性CNV检出率分别为9.84%（6/61）和33.33%（1/3）,差异无统计学意义（P >0.05）。对80例多囊性肾脏发育不良胎儿进行随访,失访8例（10.00%）,人工终止妊娠31例（38.75%）,胎死宫内0例（0.00%）,活产41例（51.25%）,其中产后死亡1例（1.25%）。结论 多囊性肾脏发育不良胎儿采用染色体微阵列分析技术可提高遗传学检出率,影像学检查在多囊性肾脏发育不良诊断中具有一定价值,可为多囊性肾脏发育不良胎儿的产前诊断、遗传咨询、预后评估提供依据。