CORTICOSTEROID PRODUCTION BY THE HUMAN FOETUS: EVIDENCE FROM ANALYSIS OF URINE FROM WOMEN PREGNANT WITH A NORMAL OR AN ANENCEPHALIC FOETUS

1976 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARION L. CAWOOD ◽  
R. F. HEYS ◽  
R. E. OAKEY
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Paper Chromatography ◽  
Late Gestation ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Human Foetus ◽  
Maternal Urine ◽  
Normal Foetus ◽  
Analysis Of Urine

SUMMARY The quantities of nine corticosteroids in 24 h urine samples collected by pregnant women (nine with normal foetuses and nine with anencephalic foetuses) were measured after hydrolysis with β-glucuronidase and separation by paper chromatography. The excretion (μmol/24 h, mean ± s.d.) of pregnanetriol (0·85 ± 0·17), 3α,17α-dihydroxy-5β-pregnan-20-one 17α-hydroxypregnanolone, 0·55 ± 0·17), 3α,17α,21-trihydroxy-5β-pregnan-20-one (tetrahydro-11-deoxycortisol, 0·17 ± 0·14) and tetrahydrocorticosterone (0·65 ± 0·26) by women with an anencephalic foetus was significantly lower (P < 0·01 or <0·05) than the excretion of these compounds by women with a normal foetus (pregnanetriol, 2·42 ± 0·62; 17α-hydroxypregnanolone, 2·72 ± 0·69; tetrahydro-11-deoxycortisol, 0·56 ± 0·37; tetrahydrocorticosterone, 1·95 ± 0·94). These differences suggest that the adrenal of the normal foetus contributes to the quantity of pregnanetriol, 17α-hydroxypregnanolone, tetrahydro-11-deoxycortisol and tetrahydrocorticosterone in maternal urine. The excretion of tetrahydrocortisol, tetrahydrocortisone, tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone, cortol and cortolone were similar in both groups of subjects. No evidence was obtained therefore to indicate the secretion of cortisol or deoxycorticosterone by the foetal zone of the adrenal of the undisturbed human foetus in late gestation.

EXCRETION OF 15α-HYDROXYOESTRIOL AND OESTRIOL IN URINE OF NEWBORN INFANTS AND IN MATERNAL URINE BEFORE AND AFTER DELIVERY

1972 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
JORMA HEIKKILÄ
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Linear Function ◽  
Newborn Infant ◽  
Newborn Infants ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Maternal Urine ◽  
Before And After

SUMMARY The amounts of oestriol and 15α-hydroxyoestriol (oestetrol) were determined in 24-h urine samples collected from pregnant women before and after delivery. In addition, the concentrations of these oestrogens were estimated in the urine of the newborn infants born to these mothers. The excretion of both these oestrogens decreased exponentially in maternal urine after delivery, the rate of decrease being significantly slower for oestetrol. The concentration of oestriol and oestetrol in the urine of the newborn infants also fell rapidly after delivery, the reduction being a linear function of time. The concentration of oestetrol in the urine of the newborn infant was relatively high in comparison to that of oestriol, and during the first day of life was the same as in maternal urine before delivery.

Validity of a Simple Automated Method in Which the "Direct" Kober Reaction is Used to Measure Estrogens during Pregnancy

1974 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 1128-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adel A A Ismail ◽  
Susan M Watson
Keyword(s):  
Enzymatic Hydrolysis ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Automated Method ◽  
Analysis Of Urine

Abstract Using a simple automated procedure for measurement of total estrogens in urine, we found that several estrogen conjugates gave higher fluorescence yields than did the corresponding free steroids. In the analysis of urine samples from pregnant women, the "direct Kober reaction" gave consistently higher values than those obtained after preliminary acid or enzymatic hydrolysis. The effects of storage and urine dilution on results for estrogens were also investigated.

scholarly journals Optimization of Transrenal DNA Analysis: Detection of Fetal DNA in Maternal Urine

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene M Shekhtman ◽  
Kalpana Anne ◽  
Hovsep S Melkonyan ◽  
David J Robbins ◽  
Steven L Warsof ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
False Positive ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Dna Isolation ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Detection Techniques ◽  
Maternal Urine ◽  
Fetal Dna ◽  
Positive Results

Abstract Background: Fragments of DNA from cells dying throughout the body are detectable in urine (transrenal DNA, or Tr-DNA). Our goal was the optimization of Tr-DNA isolation and detection techniques, using as a model the analysis of fetal DNA in maternal urine. Methods: We isolated urinary DNA using a traditional silica-based method and using a new technique based on adsorption of cell-free nucleic acids on Q-Sepharose resin. The presence of Y chromosome–specific SRY (sex-determining region Y) sequences in urine of pregnant women was detected by conventional and real-time PCR using primers/probe sets designed for 25-, 39-, 65-, and 88-bp PCR targets. Results: Method of DNA isolation and PCR target size affected fetal Tr-DNA detection. Assay diagnostic sensitivity increases as the PCR target is shortened. Shorter DNA fragments (50–150 bp) could be isolated by Q-resin–based technique, which also facilitated fetal Tr-DNA analysis. Using DNA isolated by Q-resin–based method and an “ultrashort” DNA target, we successfully detected SRY sequences in 78 of 82 urine samples from women pregnant with male fetuses (positive predictive value 87.6%). Eleven of 91 urine samples from women pregnant with female fetuses produced SRY false-positive results (negative predictive value 95.2%). Conclusions: Single-copy fetal DNA sequences can be successfully detected in the urine of pregnant women when adequate methods for DNA isolation and analysis are applied. Strong precautions against sample contamination with male cells and DNA are necessary to avoid false-positive results.

scholarly journals Circulating Heme Oxygenase-1: Not a Predictor of Preeclampsia but Highly Expressed in Pregnant Women Who Subsequently Develop Severe Preeclampsia

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valéria C. Sandrim ◽  
Mayara Caldeira-Dias ◽  
Heloisa Bettiol ◽  
Marco Antonio Barbieri ◽  
Viviane Cunha Cardoso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Heme Oxygenase ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Severe Preeclampsia ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽  
Study Cohort ◽  
Potential Biomarker

Preeclampsia is the major cause of maternal and fetal deaths worldwide. Circulating biomarker concentrations to predict preeclampsia must be determined. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) concentration in both plasma and urine samples from pregnant women before the development of preeclampsia and to identify a potential biomarker for preeclampsia development. We performed a case-control study nested in a prospective study cohort at University Hospital of the Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. Of 1400 pregnant women evaluated at 20–25 weeks of gestation, 460 delivered in hospitals outside our institution. Of 940 pregnant women who completed the protocol, 30 developed preeclampsia (cases, 14 cases of severe preeclampsia and 16 cases of mild preeclampsia). Healthy pregnant women (controls, n=90) were randomly selected from the remaining 910 participants. HO-1 concentration was evaluated in plasma/urine samples by using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. We found similar HO-1 levels in the plasma and urine for case and control groups. In the subgrouped preeclampsia, lower plasma HO-1 levels were found in mild compared with severe preeclampsia. We conclude that plasma HO-1 levels were not altered at 20–25 weeks of gestation before the manifestation of preeclampsia symptoms. Pregnant women who subsequently develop severe preeclampsia show higher expression of HO-1. This may be indicative of important underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms that differentiate between mild and severe preeclampsia and may possibly be related to a higher prooxidative status even before the development of clinical symptoms.

scholarly journals VP1 DNA sequences of JC and BK viruses detected in urine of systemic lupus erythematosus patients reveal no differences from strains expressed in normal individuals

2000 ◽  
Vol 81 (11) ◽  
pp. 2625-2633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Signy Bendiksen ◽  
Ole Petter Rekvig ◽  
Marijke Van Ghelue ◽  
Ugo Moens
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Virus Reactivation ◽  
Systemic Lupus ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis Patients ◽  
Urine Specimens

The ubiquitous human polyomaviruses BK (BKV) and JC (JCV) persist with no adverse effects in immunocompetent individuals. Virus-induced pathogenesis has been linked to virus reactivation during impaired immune conditions. Previous studies have shown a significant difference between the VP1 DNA sequences of JCV obtained from control urine samples and those in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy brain samples. This difference could not be detected when comparing normal control urinary JCV DNA with DNA sequences from chronic progressive multiple sclerosis patients. Since BKV and JCV are readily activated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, the presence of specific strains, related to VP1 DNA sequences, was investigated in these patients. VP1 DNA sequences in 100 urine samples from 21 SLE patients and 75 urine samples from 75 healthy pregnant women were analysed and compared to previously reported sequences. The results show that the VP1 sequence profiles of JCV and BKV excreted by SLE patients do not differ significantly from those excreted by immunocompetent individuals. The European JCV subtypes 1A or 1B were represented among all JCV-positive urine specimens, while BKV VP1 sequences showed complete, or almost complete, identity with the MM or JL strains. Different urine samples from the same patient collected over a 1 year period were predominantly stable. BKV VP1 DNA in urine specimens from healthy pregnant women was only detected during the third trimester of their pregnancy. These results argue against SLE-specific JCV and BKV strains and suggest reactivation of the viruses rather than recurrent re-infections of patients with SLE.

Comparative Study of Genetic and Antibacterial Profiles of Nigerian Indigenous and Exotic Varieties of Garlic (Allium sativum)

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pius A. Okiki ◽  
Oluwafunmilayo Adegbola ◽  
Pius Ade-Ojo ◽  
Amos A. Onasanya ◽  
Olufemi Oyelakin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Allium Sativum ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Antibacterial Activities ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Methanolic Extracts ◽  
Genetic Profiles

Extracts and isolated compounds of Allium sativum (garlic) have been found to be of health benefit. The study was aimed at assessing the effects of crude garlic extracts on urinopathogens of pregnant women, as well as to compare the antibacterial and genetic profiles of Nigerian indigenous and exotic varieties of garlic. Biodata and urine samples were collected from two hundred (200) healthy pregnant women attending antenatal clinics. The urine samples were subjected to urinalysis and bacteriological investigations. The subjects were 20 - 43 (31.03 ± 1.46) years old, with modal age 25-30 years. Urinalysis of subjects’ urine samples showed no nitrituria, haematuria and bilirubinuria. However, glucosuria (1.5%), ketonuria (3%), leukocyturia (15%) and proteinuria (24%) were detected. Bacterial loads of the urine samples range from 0 to 1100 (with mean value of 315.72) cfU/mL, an indication of non-urinary tract infection bacteriuria. Bacteria isolated from the urine samples were: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella variicola, Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, citrobacter freundii, corynebacterium accolens, Actinomyces urogenitalis, Luteococcus sanguinis and Bacillus cereus among others. The bacterial isolates showed high prevalence of multidrug resistant bacteria, with resistance to 2-8 drugs. The filtrates of crushed and centrifuged bulbs of both the indigenous and exotic varieties of garlic produced high antibacterial activities, while both ethanolic and methanolic extracts of garlic did not produce antibacterial activity. The indigenous variety showed higher antibacterial activities and protein qualities than the exotic variety, with both varieties showing genetic diversity. In conclusion, the Nigerian indigenous garlic was found to be of high antibacterial and protein qualities; and for maximal health benefit garlic needs to be chewed or crushed and consumed directly.

Modification of the choriogonadotropin beta-subunit radioimmunoassay for determination of urinary choriogonadotropin.

1978 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 1958-1961 ◽  
Author(s):  
J McCready ◽  
G D Braunstein ◽  
D Helm ◽  
M E Wade
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Radioreceptor Assay ◽  
Beta Subunit ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Human Choriogonadotropin ◽  
Analytical Recovery ◽  
Antibody Method ◽  
Serum And Urine ◽  
Serum And Urine Samples

Abstract The choriogonadotropin beta-subunit radioimminoassay has been used extensively to measure human choriogonadotropin in the sera of pregnant women and individuals with trophoblastic and nontrophoblastic tumors. Unmodified, this method cannot be used to measure choriogonadotropin in urine because of interfering substances. We circumvented the non-parallelism between the standards and serial dilutions of urine containing choriogonadotropin by adding pooled urine from men to the standard tubes and limiting the volume of urine to 100 microliter. This modified assay has a sensitivity of 3 int. units/liter of urine and is specific for choriogonadotropin concentrations of 40 int. units/liter of urine. Analytical recovery of choriogonadotropin added to urine ranged from 96 to 105%. The within-assay CV was 7.6%; the between-assay CV was 11.8%. Concentrations of choriogonadotropin in concurrently collected serum and urine samples from pregnant women correlated well. The test can be performed within 24 h by using the double-antibody method for separating bound from free hormone, or in 3 h with a dioxane method. The assay is about 20-fold more sensitive than the 2-min or 2-h slide and tube pregnancy tests, and seven-to 12-fold more sensitive than the radioreceptor assay.

scholarly journals Characterization of Phthalate Exposure among Pregnant Women Assessed by Repeat Air and Urine Samples

2008 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 467-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer J. Adibi ◽  
Robin M. Whyatt ◽  
Paige L. Williams ◽  
Antonia M. Calafat ◽  
David Camann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Phthalate Exposure

scholarly journals Determination of Deoxynivalenol Biomarkers in Italian Urine Samples

Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 441 ◽  
Author(s):  
De Santis ◽  
Debegnach ◽  
Miano ◽  
Moretti ◽  
Sonego ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Total Population ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Children And Adolescent ◽  
Before And After

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin mainly produced by Fusarium graminearum that can contaminate cereals and cereal-based foodstuff. Urinary DON levels can be used as biomarker for exposure assessment purposes. This study assessed urinary DON concentrations in Italian volunteers recruited by age group, namely children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. In addition, vulnerable groups, namely vegetarians and pregnant women, were included in the study. To determine the urinary DON, its glucuronide and de-epoxydated (DOM-1) forms, an indirect analytical approach was used, measuring free DON and total DON (as sum of free and glucuronides forms), before and after enzymatic treatment, respectively. Morning urine samples were collected on two consecutive days, from six different population groups, namely children, adolescent, adults, elderly, vegetarians and pregnant women. Total DON was measured in the 76% of the collected samples with the maximum incidences in children and adolescent age group. Urine samples from children and adolescent also showed the highest total DON levels, up to 17.0 ng/mgcreat. Pregnant women had the lowest positive samples per category (40% for day 1 and 43% for day 2, respectively), low mean levels of total DON (down to 2.84 ng/mgcreat) and median equal to 0 ng/mgcreat. Estimation of DON dietary intake reveals that 7.5% of the total population exceeds the TDI of 1 μg/kg bw/day set for DON, with children showing 40% of individuals surpassing this value (male, day 2).

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