Study of the role of L-arginine in the diagnosis of pregnancy-induced hypertension

Background Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a significant health issue in pregnancy, complicating 7–10% of pregnancies. L-arginine is an important mediator of vasodilation with a potential preventative role in pregnancy-related hypertensive diseases. Aim of the study The aim of the present study was to assess the differences in plasma L-arginine concentrations in physiological pregnancies and pregnancies complicated with hypertension in the third trimester. Material and methods Plasma concentration of L-arginine was determined by ion-exchange chromatography in 210 pregnant women (25–41 weeks of gestation). Plasma L-arginine concentration was expressed in μmol/cm3. Results The mean L-arginine concentration was significantly higher in physiological pregnancy (0.102) than in the PIH group (0.034). The analysis of plasma L-arginine concentration in the subgroups of third trimester showed that L-arginine concentration in the PIH group decreased with increasing stage of pregnancy (25–34 hbd — 0.051; 35–38 hbd — 0.03; 39–41 hbd — 0.02). L-arginine concentration in physiological pregnancies was the same in all subgroups (0.1). Conclusions L-arginine may have a role in the prevention and treatment of pregnancy-induced hypertension. Further well-designed and adequately powered research is warranted.Background Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a significant health issue in pregnancy, complicating 7–10% of pregnancies. L-arginine is an important mediator of vasodilation with a potential preventative role in pregnancy-related hypertensive diseases. Aim of the study The aim of the present study was to assess the differences in plasma L-arginine concentrations in physiological pregnancies and pregnancies complicated with hypertension in the third trimester. Material and methods Plasma concentration of L-arginine was determined by ion-exchange chromatography in 210 pregnant women (25–41 weeks of gestation). Plasma L-arginine concentration was expressed in μmol/cm3. Results The mean L-arginine concentration was significantly higher in physiological pregnancy (0.102) than in the PIH group (0.034). The analysis of plasma L-arginine concentration in the subgroups of third trimester showed that L-arginine concentration in the PIH group decreased with increasing stage of pregnancy (25–34 hbd — 0.051; 35–38 hbd — 0.03; 39–41 hbd — 0.02). L-arginine concentration in physiological pregnancies was the same in all subgroups (0.1). Conclusions L-arginine may have a role in the prevention and treatment of pregnancy-induced hypertension. Further well-designed and adequately powered research is warranted

Plasma concentration of tryptophan and pregnancy-induced hypertension

Introduction. Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is one of the main clinical problems of unexplained etiopathogenesis. New factors involved in the pathogenesis of this disease are still being searched. The available literature lacks data regarding the differences in tryptophan concentrations in physiological and PIH-complicated pregnancy. Previous studies have shown that L-tryptophan treatment reduces blood pressure in hypertensive rats. The direct vascular effects of tryptophan have not been fully explored. In this study, the stimulating effect of tryptophan on the development of PIH was revealed. The aim of the present study was to assess the differences in plasma tryptophan concentrations in physiological pregnancies and pregnancies complicated with hypertension in the third trimester. Material and methods. The study was carried on 105 complicated by PIH and 105 pregnant women with blood pressure within normal limits between 25 and 41 weeks of gestation. Tryptophan concentration was determined by the automated ion-exchange chromatography using an Amino Acid Analyser (AAA 400) by Ingos, Czech Republic. Tryptophan concentration was expressed in μmol/cm3 plasma. Results. The mean concentration of tryptophan in the third trimester of physiological pregnancy was found to be 0.035 ± 0.009 μmol/cm3, whereas in PIH — 0.099 ± 0.007 μmol/cm3. Conclusions. The development of PIH in pregnant women is likely to be caused by increased concentrations of tryptophan, which is a substrate for production of serotonin and tryptamine. Further studies are needed to analyse the kinetics of tryptophan metabolism

Ocena związku pomiędzy ekspresją antygenu CD69 na powierzchni limfocytów T i B krwi obwodowej i szpiku kostnego osób chorych na przewlekłą białaczkę limfocytową a wybranymi czynnikami prognostycznymi

Wstęp. Przewlekła białaczka limfocytowa (CLL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia) to monoklonalna limfocytoza B-komórkowa najczęściej rozpoznawana u dorosłych. Powszechnie znanymi czynnikami rokowniczymi tej białaczki są: między innymi stadium zaawansowania klinicznego według skali Raia lub Bineta, czas podwojenia limfocytozy (LDT), poziom kinazy tymidynowej oraz b2-mikroglobuliny. Nadal poszukuje się nowych markerów prognostycznych CLL. Celem pracy była ocena odsetka i bezwzględnej liczby aktywowanych limfocytów B i T krwi obwodowej i szpiku kostnego chorych na CLL oraz ocena korelacji między limfocytami z ekspresją markera CD69 a wybranymi czynnikami prognostycznymi CLL. Materiał i metody. Badaniami objęto 150 osób. Grupę badaną stanowiło 120 nieleczonych chorych na CLL, natomiast grupę kontrolną — 30 zdrowych osób. Od pacjentów z grupy kontrolnej pobrano krew obwodową w celu oceny immunofenotypu limfocytów. Rozpoznanie pacjentów z CLL ustalono na podstawie badania klinicznego, oceny morfologii i immunofenotypu limfocytów krwi obwodowej oraz badania szpiku kostnego. Komórki mononuklearne izolowano z krwi oraz szpiku w celu oceny immunofenotypu metodą cytometryczną. Wyniki. Osoby chore na CLL charakteryzowały się wyższą niż osoby zdrowe liczbą bezwzględną limfocytów B oraz T z ekspresją antygenu CD69. Na podstawie oceny odsetka komórek B CD19+ krwi obwodowej oraz szpiku z ekspresją wczesnego markera aktywacji CD69 wykazano związek ze stadium według Rai. Wykazano również istnienie ujemnej korelacji pomiędzy odsetkiem limfocytów T CD3+CD69+ krwi obwodowej a czasem podwojenia limfocytozy. U chorych, u których doszło do podwojenia limfocytozy, stwierdzono wyższy odsetek limfocytów T CD3+CD69+. Wykazano, że u osób, u których z uwagi na szybką progresję choroby wdrożono leczenie, pojawił się większy odsetek limfocytów B CD19+CD69+ niż u osób nieleczonych. Wnioski. Ocena liczby limfocytów T oraz B z ekspresją antygenu CD69 stanowi cenne uzupełnienie diagnostyki cytometrycznej CLL. Oprócz znanych czynników prognostycznych u chorych należy zlecać ocenę liczby aktywowanych limfocytów, uzyskując w ten sposób pełniejszy obraz kliniczny pacjenta

Pierwsze próby charakterystyki geochemicznej i palinologicznej krzemienia „czekoladowego” z kopalni Wierzbica „Zele”, pow. Radom

W artykule zawarto wstępne wyniki analiz geochemicznych i palinologicznych krzemienia „czekoladowego” z kopalni Wierzbica „Zele”, pow. Radom

Organic geochemistry of Upper Carboniferous bituminous coals and clastic sediments from the Lublin Coal Basin (Poland)

Bituminous coals and clastic rocks from the Lublin Formation (Pennsylvanian, Westphalian B) were subjected to detailed biomarker and Rock-Eval analyses. The investigation of aliphatic and aromatic fractions and Rock-Eval Tmax suggests that the Carboniferous deposits attained relatively low levels of thermal maturity, at the end of the microbial processes/initial phase of the oil window. Somewhat higher values of maturity in the clastic sediments were caused by postdiagenetic biodegradation of organic matter. The dominance of the odd carbon-numbered n-alkanes in the range n-C25 to n-C31 , high concentrations of moretanes and a predominance of C28 and C29 steranes are indicative of a terrigenous origin of the organic matter in the study material. This is supported by the presence of eudesmane, bisabolane, dihydro-ar-curcumene and cadalene, found mainly in the coal samples. In addition, tri- and tetracyclic diterpanes, e. g. 16β(H)-kaurane, 16β(H)-phyllocladane, 16α(H)-kaurane and norisopimarane, were identified, suggesting an admixture of conifer ancestors among the deposited higher plants. Parameters Pr/n-C17and Rdit in the coal samples show deposition of organic matter from peat swamp environments, with the water levels varying from high (water-logged swamp) to very low (ephemeral swamp). Clastic deposits were accumulated in a flood plain environment with local small ponds/lakes. In pond/lake sediments, apart from the dominant terrigenous organic matter, research also revealed a certain quantity of algal matter, indicated, i.a., by the presence of tricyclic triterpanes C28 and C29 and elevated concentrations of steranes. The Paq parameter can prove to be a useful tool in the identification of organic matter, but the processes of organic matter biodegradation observed in clastic rocks most likely influence the value of the parameter, at the same time lowering the interpretation potential of these compounds. The value of Pr/Ph varies from 0.93 to 5.24 and from 3.49 to 22.57 in the clastic sediments and coals respectively. The microbial degradation of organic matter in both type of rocks and during early stages of diagenesis is confirmed by a high concentration of hopanes, the presence of drimane homologues, bicyclic alkanes and benzohopanes. Moreover, bacteria could also have been connected with the primary input of organic matter, which is shown by the presence of e.g. C30 neohop-13(18)-ene

Komórki macierzyste w leczeniu złamań towarzyszących osteoporozie – medyczne science fiction czy metoda terapii w przyszłości?

Osteoporosis is typically a disease of the elderly, and with population aging it has become one of themost frequent and relevant health problems in this age bracket, especially among women. The greatest lossof bone mass occurs in women during perimenopause and is associated with oestrogen deficiency. The agerelateddecrease in bone mass could also reflect decreased osteoblasts secondary to an age-related loss ofosteoprogenitors.The risk of fractures increases as women pass through the menopause. Osteoporotic fractures are associatedwith a profound temporary, and sometimes permanent, impairment of function and quality of life.Despite the rapid evolution of implant technologies and bone grafting techniques, there is still a greatdemand for novel bone replacement strategies. Cell replacement therapies represent an alternative solution. The potenuseof mature cells such as osteoblasts is associated with several disadvantages such as the limited availability,donor site morbidity, dedifferentiation, and restricted proliferation potential. Bone marrow or adipose tissuederivedmesenchymal stem cells, which are the developmental progenitors for osteoblasts and for several othercell types, have been discovered for bone regeneration purposes.This review presents the possible applications of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of osteoporoticfractures