PURPOSE: This study examined the association between maternal smoking before and during the first trimester of pregnancy and spontaneous abortion.
METHODS: We have been conducting a hospital-based case-control study on risk factors for spontaneous abortion in the greater Milan area. We collected information from 782 cases of spontaneous abortions and 1543 controls (women who delivered at term healthy infants).
RESULTS: With respect to never smokers, the odds ratio (OR) were 0.7 (95%, confidence interval (CI), 0.5–1.0) for women who quit smoking and 1.3 (95% CI, 1.0–1.6) for those who continued during pregnancy. Women who smoked more than 10 cigarettes/day in the first trimester were at increased risk of miscarriage, with an OR of 1.4 (95% CI, 1.0–2.1). No relationship was evident between the number of cigarettes smoked before conception and the risk of abortion. Likewise, no association emerged between paternal smoking and miscarriage. Moreover, no significant interaction or modification effect was obtained when strata of age and other major characteristics were investigated.
CONCLUSIONS: The risk of abortion associated with cigarette smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy was measurable and noticeable in this population, and accounted for 9% (95% CI, 6–13%) of all cases. The increased risk of spontaneous abortion in women smoking during pregnancy is a further reason to encourage pregnant women to quit. 相似文献
Immunofluorescence on live Dictyocaulus viviparus parasites revealed a significant antibody response by vaccinated and patently infected bovine hosts to the sheath of infective larvae (L3), a structure which is generally thought to be shed from the parasite surface prior to invasion of host tissue. In contrast, surface-exposed antigens of the adult, egg and pulmonary L1 stages were recognized only by serum antibody from calves exposed to a patent lungworm infection. Radioiodination of sheathed L3 identified a restricted set of components while a more complex pattern of labelled material was observed with adult parasites. Many more components of adult worms were labelled by the Bolton-Hunter than by the lodogen reagent, probably reflecting the more penetrative labelling propensities of the former. Stage-specificity of surface-associated antigens of adult parasites was demonstrated by their immunoprecipitation by antibody from patently-infected, but not from vaccinated, calves. There was no in vitro release of the major iodinatable surface-associated antigens of adult parasites nor any binding of antibody raised against adult excretory-secretory (ES) products to the surface of living adult worms, suggesting that surface components do not contribute to adult ES products in this species. Antibody responses to the surface of adults. L1 and eggs were specific to patently-infected animals and may provide a useful indicator of exposure to patent infection. 相似文献
This introduction traces the increasing awareness of the prevalence of child sexual abuse over the last 20 years, examines the nature and consequences of such abuse and summarizes current information on the use of group treatment and its evaluation with sexually abused children and adolescents and their parents. Four examples of group treatment with different populations of abused children are described in this issue. 相似文献
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) establishes persistent infection in the majority of infected individuals. The currently accepted hypothesis of immune evasion by antigenic variation in hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of glycoprotein E2 does not however, explain the lack of subsequent immune recognition. Here, we show that the N-terminal region of E2 is antigenically and structurally similar to human immunoglobulin (Ig) variable domains. E2 is recognized by anti-human IgG antibodies and also possesses common amino acid (aa) sequence features of the conserved v-gene framework regions of human Ig light chains in particular but also heavy chains and T cell receptors. Using a position specific scoring system, the degree of similarity of HVR1 to Ig types correlated with immune escape and persistence in humans and experimentally infected chimpanzees. We propose a unique role for threshold levels of Ig molecular mimicry in HCV biology that not only advances our concept of viral immune escape and persistent infection but also provides insight into host-dependent disease patterns. 相似文献
DNA vaccination is an efficient way to induce CD8+ T cell memory, but it is still unclear to what extent such memory responses afford protection in vivo. To study this, we induced CD8+ memory responses directed towards defined viral epitopes, using DNA vaccines encoding immunodominant MHC class I-restricted epitopes of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus covalently linked to beta2-microglobulin. This vaccine construct primed for a stronger recall response than did a more conventional minigene construct. Despite this, vaccinated mice were only protected against systemic infection whereas protection against the consequences of peripheral challenge was limited. Phenotypic analysis revealed that DNA vaccine-primed CD8+ T cells in uninfected mice differed from virus-primed CD8+ T cells particularly regarding expression of very-late antigen (VLA)-4, an adhesion molecule important for targeting T cells to inflammatory sites. Thus, our DNA vaccine induces a long-lived memory CD8+ T cell population that provides efficient protection against high-dose systemic infection. However, viral replication in solid non-lymphoid organs is not curtailed sufficiently fast to prevent significant virus-induced inflammation. Our results suggest that this is due to qualitative limitations of the primed CD8+ T cells. 相似文献
ABSTRACTA study was conducted to evaluate mucoadhesive property and immunomodulatory effect of phytogenic gums from Boswellia frereana, Boswellia carteri andCommiphora myrrha on intranasal Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) vaccination in goats and sheep in an ex-vivo and in-vivo situations. Plant gums were purified, dried and compressed into 500gm tablets. Modified shear stress measurement technique was used on freshly excised trachea and intestine tissues of goat to measure peak adhesion time. Forty eight animals (24 goats and 24 sheep) were divided into eight groups (of 3 goats and 3 sheep) and immunized intranasally with gum-vaccine combinations in two ratios (1:1, 1:2). Antibody against PPR virus was measured on day 14, 28, 42 and 56 post vaccination using H-based PPR bELISA. The peak adhesion time of the different gums was transient. PPR virus antibodies were detected in all immunized goats and sheep but not in unvaccinated control. The best percentage inhibition was recorded for Boswellia carteri-vaccine combination group at a ratio of 1:1. Administration of Boswellia carteri-PPR vaccine combination through intranasal or subcutaneous route, elicited similar antibody titre, implying that the intranasal route may be used as a non-invasive alternative delivery in PPR vaccination of small ruminants. 相似文献