Keiko Shimada

Sex-determining region Y levels in maternal plasma: Evaluation in abnormal pregnancy.

Aim:  A number of studies for the measurement of cell‐free fetal DNA in maternal blood have been reported; however, their clinical significance has remained unclear. We proposed to clarify the relationship between fetal DNA levels and obstetrical disorders.

Relationship between Sense of Coherence in Final Stage of Pregnancy and Postpartum Stress Reactions

ObjectiveIn this study, we evaluated postpartum stress using a postpartum depression scale and by measuring the level of a stress-related substance, to clarify the relationship between the stresscoping capabilities of women in the final stage of pregnancy and their postpartum stress reactions.MethodsBetween April 2004 and October 2004, 54 women participated in a question naire survey and the measurement of their secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) level as a stress-related substance two times in the final stage of their pregnancy (prepartum) and in their early puerperium (postpartum) was carried out. The questionnaire used in the prepartum stage included the following parameters: “basic features”, “Sense of Coherence (SOC)” and “Japanese version of the self-assessment depression scale” of Zung. The questionnaire employed in the postpartum stage included the following parameters: “course of delivery”, “Self-evaluation of delivery experience”, and “Postpartum depression scale”.ResultsThe depression score was higher and the s-IgA level was lower in the low-SOC score group than in the high-SOC score group, indicating that stress reactions were more intense in the low-SOC score group.ConclusionIt was revealed that stress reactions were more intense for women with a low SOC score. Moreover, the finding of a relationship between the low SOC score in the prepartum stage and depressive tendency suggests that women who are likely to develop depressive tendency can be predicted in the prepartum stage, and the significance of measuring SOC in the prepartum stage is thus suggested.

Levels of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 3-sulphate in human plasma.

The concentrations of (24R)-24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [24,25(OH)2D3], 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] and its 3-sulphate [25(OH)D33S] in the plasma of healthy subjects, patients with chronic renal failure, patients with climacteric syndrome, pregnant women and foetuses were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and high-performance liquid chromatography. 25(OH)D33S was not detected in about one-third of the plasma samples from patients with chronic renal failure (n = 26). The three metabolites in maternal plasma reached the highest levels in the second trimester of pregnancy followed by a decrease to the values obtained in the first trimester. Older healthy women (age range 44–71 years) showed higher levels of 24,25(OH)2D3 and 25(OH)D3 in the plasma than did young healthy women (age range 21–29 years), whereas no clear difference was observed between the older healthy women and patients with climacteric syndrome. The level of 25(OH)D33S in the plasma was higher in the latter patients than in healthy women.

Low serum secretory immunoglobulin A level and sense of coherence score at an early gestational stage as indicators for subsequent threatened premature birth

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the candidate indicators secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) and sense of coherence (SOC) as predictors of threatened premature birth.MethodsThis was a panel study conducted on women in their first and latter half of pregnancy during survey period. The survey period was from December 2005 to June 2006 and from December 2007 to June 2008. The women enrolled in the study were asked to complete the survey questionnaire and provide blood samples for the determinations of physiological indicators. The questionnaire consisted of questions related to the stress perception scale (SPS), SOC score as an indicator of modifiers of stress, demographic data, complications in a previous pregnancy, and the course of the current pregnancy. We used s-IgA and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein as a physiological stress indicator and a marker of infection, respectively. Seventy-two eligible subjects were included in the analysis.ResultsTwenty-eight (38.9%) subjects had undergone treatment for threatened premature birth, and 44 (61.1%) subjects had not. In the logistic analysis, we set the course of pregnancy as a dependent variable, and age, birth history, smoking habits, a history of miscarriage, premature birth or threatened premature birth, SPS, SOC, and s-IgA in the first half of pregnancy as independent variables. We found that low serum s-IgA levels and low SOC scores in the first half of pregnancy were associated with threatened premature birth.ConclusionsOur results suggest that low serum s-IgA level and SOC score at an early gestational stage are significant indicators for a threatened premature birth.

DETERMINATION OF ESTRIOL-3-SULFATE-16-GLUCURONIDE IN PREGNANCY SERUM USING LC/TANDEM MS

A determination method for estriol 3-sulfate 16-glucuronide (E3-3S-16G) in pregnancy serum by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry has been developed. E3-3S-16G gave an intense deprotonated ion in the negative-ion mode, which provided a product ion formed from the elimination of the glucuronic acid moiety by the collision induced dissociation. The serum specimen was diluted, heated to remove protein followed by a solid phase extraction using an OASIS HLB cartridge, then subjected to liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The recovery of E3-3S-16G from serum was satisfactory and there was no interfering peak derived from the serum components at the elution position of E3-3S-16G, but the ionization efficiency of the analyte was influenced by some substances from the serum and varied among each specimen. To overcome this problem, the standard addition method was employed in the present study and the inter-assay coefficient of variation was acceptable. The developed method was applied to serum samples obtained from pregnant women in their third trimester and gave satisfactory results.

Phylogenic study of denaturation of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes from different species by high and low temperature.

We studied the influence of storage at different temperatures on lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27; LD) isoenzymes from different tissues and different species, and analysed biochemical and biophysical mechanisms of denaturation during storage. Isoenzymes obtained from tissue extracts of mammals, poultry, reptiles, amphibians and fish were shown to have their own denaturation ranges at low temperatures by post-treatment assays and transition temperature analysis. These ranges were between − 10 and − 20°C for most vertebrate LD isoenzymes. Circular dichroism analysis indicated that the denaturation of LD isoenzymes was probably caused by a change in the hydrophobic interactions in the molecule. At higher temperatures, LD-1 isoenzyme was more thermostable than LD-5 from the same animal species, except for rats, the LD-5 activity of which was more thermostable than the LD-1 activity. These findings indicate that variable effects of storage of samples and reference materials at low temperatures should be considered, and that it is necessary to establish LD isoenzyme standards for animal clinical laboratory investigations.

Do infertile women and government staff differ in the evaluation of infertility-related Web sites?

OBJECTIVE To investigate the evaluation of local government Web sites carrying information on infertility by infertile women and by government staff. In particular, the study investigated whether the women and staff differed with respect to the information they rate as important and their self-reported satisfaction with the Web sites. DESIGN AND SAMPLE Cross-sectional descriptive study. Sixty-two local government staff members, of whom 46 were public health nurses managing subsidy programs for infertility treatment in the Hokuriku region of Japan, and 84 infertile women attending local clinics. MEASURES We measured the level of satisfaction with the local government Web sites and perceptions about the importance of each type of content. Data were descriptively analyzed, as well as by factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS Local government Web sites were analyzed with respect to information about the treatment, details of the subsidy program, psychological support, and procedures for making a subsidy application. CONCLUSIONS The women rated information on the treatment and details of the subsidy programs as important. There was no difference of satisfaction with the Web sites between the infertile women and the staff. Local government staff need to provide reliable data for women who are seeking information on infertility treatment.