Increased expression of alpha-enolase in cervico-vaginal fluid during labour

Objectives

The aim of this study was (i) to characterise differentially expressed proteins in cervico-vaginal fluid (CVF) at the time of preterm labour onset and (ii) to confirm these studies in human CVF samples taken from women before and during spontaneous labour.

Study design

Preterm labour was induced in sheep (n = 5) via fetal dexamethasone infusion (1 mg/24 h). CVF samples were taken prior to dexamethasone infusion (0 h), 28 h after the start of dexamethasone infusion, and immediately prior to delivery. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry (MS) were used to identify differentially expressed proteins. For the human studies, paired CVF samples were taken 5-9 days before labour and during spontaneous labour onset (n = 7).

Results

There was a 4.2-fold increase in α-enolase protein expression in sheep CVF during labour. Likewise, α-enolase protein expression was significantly increased during spontaneous human labour at term.

Conclusions

Alpha-enolase is known to be bound to neutrophils and interact in the immune response, and thus may play a role in inflammation associated with human labour.     

Proteomic analysis of midtrimester amniotic fluid to identify novel biomarkers for preterm delivery

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify possible biomarkers for preterm delivery by analyzing midtrimester amniotic fluid. Methods: Thirty-two amniotic fluid samples were studied; 16 patients had a spontaneous preterm delivery and 16 patients delivered at term. The proteomic technique consisted of surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (SELDI-TOF) using different types of solid chromatographic chips (Q10, CM10 and IMAC30). Results: Mass spectrometry tracings were obtained from the amniotic fluids of both patients who delivered preterm and patients who delivered at term. Seven potential markers were identified to be differentially expressed in patients who delivered preterm. Conclusions: Proteomic analysis of amniotic fluid obtained in the midtrimester reveals the presence of a set of proteins in patients at risk for preterm delivery.     

良性转归葡萄胎与恶性转变葡萄胎的比较蛋白质组学研究

目的探讨良性转归葡萄胎与恶性转变葡萄胎的差异表达蛋白质鉴定方法。方法对北京协和医院妇产科2005年9月至2006年12月的7例良性转归葡萄胎及11例恶性转变葡萄胎进行比较蛋白质组学研究,将提取的总蛋白利用双向凝胶电泳(2-DE)分离,对凝胶上的蛋白点进行比较分析,找出明显差异表达的蛋白点,采用基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱(MALDI-TOF-MS),获得肽质量指纹图(PMF),在数据库中鉴定差异蛋白。结果(1)良性转归葡萄胎与恶性转变葡萄胎组织的双向凝胶电泳图谱上大多数蛋白点有很好的相关性,比较分析后共筛选出32个差异点。(2)对差异点进行肽质量指纹图分析,获得理想匹配的蛋白质17个,鉴定出一些细胞骨架蛋白,应激相关蛋白,凋亡相关蛋白,与信号转导、细胞增殖及分化相关的蛋白,其中11个可能与葡萄胎恶性转变相关。结论应用蛋白质组学技术成功鉴定了17个差异蛋白,其中11个可能与葡萄胎恶性转变相关,为进一步筛选用于评价葡萄胎预后的标志物奠定了基础。     

Risk factors for fatality in amniotic fluid embolism: a systematic review and analysis of a data pool

Purpose: Investigating risk factors for amniotic fluid embolism (AFE)-induced fatality.

Methods: A systematic review of cases of AFE available on PubMed, Scielo, Scopus and AJOL databases that occurred from 1990 to 2015 was carried out. After careful reading of titles, abstracts and full texts, case reports of AFE were reviewed. Risk factors for AFE were considered as independent variables in logistic regression models. The first model was built on the whole data pool. The second model was built on typical cases of AFE, according to the classical triad of symptoms (heart, lungs, coagulopathy). The dependent variable was fatality in both models.

Results: 177 cases of AFE were assessed in the first model, while 121 typical cases of AFE were assessed in the second model. Among typical cases of AFE, only oxytocin infusion during labour increases the likelihood of death (odds ratio 2.890, 95% confidence interval 1.166–7.164, p?=?0.022). No risk factors for fatality were found in the whole data pool.

Conclusions: Further research on national registries should focus on the behaviour of oxytocin infusion during labour in AFE cases.     

When a dream comes through…

This is a follow-up of a paper ‘‘My dream'' published in Climacteric (2004;7:322–3) in which it was imagined that the WHI investigators would one day apologize to the women of the world for the unjustified damage they has caused with the misinterpretation of the WHI results. Time has shown that this is about to happen as the recent reanalysis of the study show that, contrary to what they had written, HRT does protect from cardiovascular diseases when started in the early postmenopause. Furthermore comments are made about the political background of the reported results as a disservice to the medical community and to the women, themselves.     

弱精不育与正常精子蛋白质的双向电泳研究

目的:检测人类正常精子与弱精不育精子的差异表达蛋白质。方法:用2-DE-IPG-DALT技术对36例弱精不育与10例正常精子总蛋白进行分离,银染后,切取2个在患者中不表达的差异蛋白质点进行质谱鉴定。结果:成功建立了弱精不育与正常精子总蛋白的双向电泳图谱,经图像分析显示,弱精不育精子中高丰度表达而正常样本中缺失或表达下调的27个蛋白点,正常精子中存在而在弱精不育精子中缺失或低表达的37个点。并对C35和C37这2个差异蛋白质进行了质谱鉴定。结论:差异蛋白与弱精不育相关。     

The relation between amniotic fluid surfactant concentration in preterm labour and histological evidence of chorioamnionitis

Summary Concentration of amniotic fluid disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC), factors related to cervical ripening, and histopathological evidence of chorioamnionitis were studied in 38 patients in preterm labour with intact membranes; all of them delivered spontaneously before 37 weeks. There was no correlation between the amniotic fluid DSPC level and gestational age at the time of amniocentesis. However, a significant inverse correlation was found between the amniotic fluid DSPC level and the interval between the onset of labour and delivery. The amniotic fluid DSPC level in cases with onset-delivery interval of <48h was significantly higher than that in cases with an onsetdelivery interval of 48h or more. The gestational age in the former group was significantly lower than in the latter (28.6 vs 32.0 weeks). The amniotic fluid DSPC level in the patients with chorioamnionitis was significantly higher than that in the patients without chorioamnionitis, although the gestational age did not differ between the two groups. All 3 infants with RDS were associated with cervical incompetence. Patients in preterm labour with chorioamnionitis may be refractory to tocolysis and have higher amniotic fluid surfactant levels.