A successful pregnancy is characterised by an increase in Th2 cytokines and suppression of Th1 cytokine production. A Th1 to Th2 cytokine shift is also observed in the disease progression of HIV infection. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) suppresses HIV viremia, increases CD4+ cell counts and counteracts the Th1 to ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate seroprevalence of anti-parvovirus B19 IgG immunoglobulins and the rate of seroconversion in seronegative pregnant women. DESIGN: Prospective assessment of anti-parvovirus B19 IgG immunoglobulins in an unselected population of pregnant women booked for antenatal care from 1998 to 2000. SETTING: Maternity departments of an academic hospital and four ...

Congenital complete atrioventricular block (CCAVB) is a rare potentially lethal disease with an estimated incidence of 1 every 15.000 to 20.000 live born infants.IN STRUCTURALLY NORMAL HEARTS TWO KINDS OF CONGENITAL HEART BLOCK CAN BE IDENTIFIED: one usually diagnosed in utero associated with the circulating maternal anti-SS-A/Ro and anti-SS-B/La antibodies, ...

BACKGROUND: Despite the correlation between the use of protease inhibitors (PI) and adverse metabolic glycemic events, no prospective study has examined these parameters in pregnant women who use these drugs. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 57 pregnant women to investigate the effect of antiretroviral drugs (ARV) on the ...

A woman who contracted West Nile virus (WNV) neuroinvasive illness during her second trimester subsequently elected to terminate her pregnancy due to concerns of possible adverse effects of WNV on her developing fetus. Consent was obtained to test maternal and post-mortem fetal tissues for WNV infection. Fetal blood, liver, kidneys, ...

Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a powerful model system for studying the biology of the synapse. Here we describe a widely used assay for synaptic transmission at the C. elegans neuromuscular junction. This protocol monitors the sensitivity of C. elegans to the paralyzing affects of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, aldicarb. Briefly, ...

Both bacterial vaginosis and candidiasis are commonly seen in pregnancy, with marked differences in pregnancy outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of antifungal treatment on the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in early pregnancy. This prospective randomized study included 126 women in early pregnancy with heavy ...

There is an increasing amount of evidence suggesting a systemic link between periodontal disease in the pregnant mother and pre-term low birth weight (PLBW). Severe periodontitis affects at least 10% of the general population. The aetiology of periodontitis is essentially a bacterially induced inflammatory reaction within the attachment surrounding the ...

Asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy is the major risk factor for developing symptomatic urinary tract infection during pregnancy. In the present study, 300 pregnant women are screened for significant asymptomatic bacteriuria in order to provide an insight into the prevalence in developing countries, reassessment of some predisposing factors and aetiological agents ...

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of laser CO2 surgery during pregnancy to prevent clinical HPV infection recurrence after delivery and vertical infection. A case-control study was performed on 280 pregnant women affected by clinical HPV infection treated during pregnancy with 256 women treated three months ...

Chlamydia psittaci is associated with significant morbidity and mortality during pregnancy, and its rarity can delay early diagnosis and treatment. A farmer's wife presented at 31 weeks with febrile illness and developed signs of septic shock, indicating immediate delivery. The child developed uneventfully. The mother survived after symptomatic mechanical ventilation, ...

Streptococcus agalactiae, commonly known as Group B streptococcus (GBS), was originally discovered as a cause of bovine mastitis. GBS colonizes the genital tract of up to 40% of women and has become a major pathogen in neonatal meningitis. GBS endocarditis is thought to be an uncommon manifestation of this infection ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the management and outcomes of a series of human immunodeficiency virus-(HIV-) infected women whose pregnancies were complicated by preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all women with confirmed HIV infection who had a pregnancy complicated by PPROM remote ...

Guidelines for assisted procreation impose a special responsibility upon physicians for the health of the expected child because of their active role in inducing pregnancy. Therefore, careful clinical evaluation of both partners has to precede every application of these methods. Risks for the mother's health or the development of the ...

BACKGROUND: Over 95% of fetal complications (fetal hydrops and death) occur within 12 weeks following acute parvovirus B19 (B19) infection in pregnancy. Therefore, weekly fetal ultrasound monitoring is generally recommended for this time period. However, in the majority of women, typical symptoms of acute infection (rash or arthropathy) are absent, ...

In September 2005, we published an article on Chickenpox, pregnancy and the newborn. One of the issues it considered was fetal varicella syndrome, an uncommon but potentially fatal consequence of in-utero chickenpox infection. We reported evidence suggesting that contracting maternal chickenpox within the first 28 weeks of pregnancy can lead ...

Diagnosis of fetal infection has depended on identification of pathogens by means of microbiological cultures, immunologic techniques, and special molecular biology techniques that can identify organisms known or suspected of being associated with adverse outcomes of pregnancy. Rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), for ...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of human papillomavirus, both types of a low oncogenic risk (HPV 6, 11) and a type carrying a high oncogenic risk (HPV 16) in the genital tract of the pregnant patients, their venous blood, the cord blood and the ...

Recurrent pregnancy loss is a disease of grave psychological and economic concern. The etiology in the vast majority of the cases is unknown or at best poorly understood. Although Klebsiella pneumonia infections have been reported in humans and animals during pregnancy, there is hardly any information to indicate whether or ...

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral therapy is recommended for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients during pregnancy to reduce the vertical transmission to the newborn. Complications from this therapy are uncommon. CASE: A 38-year-old HIV-positive pregnant woman was treated with lamivudine and zidovudine. At 28 weeks of gestation, her hemoglobin had fallen to 4.6 ...

The entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae is mutualistically associated with the bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila. Infective Juveniles (IJs) transport X. nematophila cells that provide them with good conditions to reproduce within the insect. In the laboratory, long term stationary-phase culture conditions sometimes lead X. nematophila's variant 1 cells, which were previously isolated ...

We report a case of fetal hyperechogenic bowel diagnosed at midgestation that was associated with fetal parvovirus B19 infection. Isolated hyperechogenic bowel was detected at 25 weeks. Cystic fibrosis, chromosomal abnormalities and cytomegalovirus infection were excluded, whereas polymerase chain reaction DNA for parvovirus B 19 was found positive on amniotic ...

BACKGROUND: Maternal periodontal infection has been associated with increased risk of prematurity and low birthweight. Infection and inflammatory pathways that mediate prematurity have also been implicated in neonatal developmental impairments. The objective of this study was to determine whether maternal Campylobacter rectus infection that induces fetal growth restriction in a ...

Pregnant women who report possible exposure to a viral illness can present a clinical predicament for obstetric providers. Although some viruses are benign in pregnancy, others can have serious consequences. Parvovirus B19, the causative agent of fifth disease, is one of the more serious of the common viruses. Understanding the ...

OBJECTIVE: Nevirapine-based therapy is associated with increased frequency of adverse events among women with CD4+ cell count of 250 cells/microL or greater. We evaluated the safety of nevirapine-based antiretroviral therapy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected pregnant women. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 23 pregnancies managed with nevirapine-based regimens from July 2001 ...

Infection with the protozoan parasite Neospora caninum is thought to be a major cause of reproductive failure in cattle worldwide. Cattle infected with the parasite are three to seven times more likely to abort compared to uninfected cattle. The parasite may be transmitted to cattle through the ingestion of oocysts ...

Approximately 22% of pregnant women are infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV)-2, and 2% of women will acquire HSV during pregnancy. Remarkably, up to 90% of these women are undiagnosed because they are asymptomatic or have subtle symptoms attributed to other vulvovaginal disorders. Diagnosis of genital herpes relies on laboratory ...

OBJECTIVE: Historically, pneumonia during pregnancy has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality compared with nonpregnant women. The goal of this article is to review current literature describing pneumonia in pregnancy. This review will identify maternal risk factors, potential complications, and prenatal outcomes associated with pneumonia and describe the contemporary ...

PURPOSE: To describe the course of ocular toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. METHODS: This study was a retrospective, non-comparative case series of four pregnant women who were treated for ocular toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. RESULTS: All of the participants had severe and treatment-resistant toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis during pregnancy, leaving three of them with decreased ...

BACKGROUND: Disseminated gonococcal infection in pregnancy is rare with the incidence of 0.04-0.09% in pregnant women. Its most common manifestation is arthritis. CASE: A 38-year-old woman, G1P0, 36+ weeks pregnancy came to hospital with decreased fetal movement. She had purulent vaginal discharge and history of self treatment 1 month earlier. ...

Viruses of the human herpesvirus family can have profound effects on pregnancy. Primary maternal infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) and varicella during pregnancy has been associated with fetal abnormalities and neonatal disease. Public awareness of the role of cytomegalovirus in the etiology of developmental disorders and chronic disabilities needs to increase. ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe maternal and fetal outcome among pregnancies complicated with malarial infection. METHODS: Charts of pregnancies complicated with malarial infection were reviewed. Parasital etiology and maternal/fetal data was analyzed. RESULTS: During the year 2001, at the Enrique C. Sotomayor Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Guayaquil-Ecuador, 80 pregnancies complicated with malarial ...

The present study aimed at allocating the time during pregnancy at which transplacental transmission of Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) larvae took place. Swiss albino mice were infected at different durations of pregnancy; five days before mating, on gestation day zero and five days after mating. Furthermore, to study the effect ...

In utero viral infections have been associated with an adverse pregnancy outcome and may have a causative role in the unexplained fetal death file. Parvovirus B19 and cytomegalovirus are among the most common pathogens implicated in fetal loss cases. Parvovirus B19 has been reported to account for cases of spontaneous ...

Leishmania infantum, an etiologic agent of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis, is widespread among foxhounds in the United States. Although sand flies are widely distributed throughout the United States, epidemiological data do not support a major role for sand flies in the transmission of L. infantum in foxhounds in this country. Congenital ...

In the present work we have studied in Neospra caninum aborted bovine foetuses the influence of foetal age (first, second and third gestational periods) on parasite distribution by nested PCR, parasite loads by real-time PCR and N. caninum associated lesions. For this purpose, a total of 220 aborted foetuses were ...

Acute infections by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy (gestational toxoplasmosis) are known to cause serious health problems to the fetus (congenital toxoplasmosis). In Brasília, there have been few studies on the incidence of toxoplasmosis. This report summarizes a retrospective study performed on 2,636 selected pregnant women attended by the ...

BACKGROUND: In the absence of interventions and breast-feeding, the in utero transmission rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is estimated to be 10%-15%, and the role that amniotic fluid (AF) plays in this is unclear. OBJECTIVES: Levels of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in AF and levels of HIV-1 in AF, maternal blood, ...

Varicella infection during the first and second trimester of pregnancy may increase the risk for congenital varicella syndrome 0.5-1.5% above the baseline risk for major malformation. Third trimester infection may lead to maternal pneumonia which can be life threatening if not treated appropriately. Varicella-zoster immune globulin (VZIG) should be administered ...

BACKGROUND: Among HIV-infected pregnant women, low selenium status may increase risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV and poor pregnancy outcomes (low birthweight, small for gestational age, preterm birth, and fetal death) through several mechanisms, such as by promoting maternal HIV disease progression, viral shedding in the genital tract, and ...

PURPOSE: To study the effect of antiretroviral drugs administered during pregnancy on CD4 lymphocyte counts and HIV-1 RNA levels of pregnant women and on the anthropometric parameters of their neonates. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 57 pregnant women and their neonates divided into 3 groups: ZDV Group, HIV-infected ...

Chlamydophila abortus is one of the major causes of infectious abortion in pregnant sheep (enzootic abortion of ewes or EAE) worldwide. Organisms shed in infected placentas and uterine discharges at lambing time are the main sources of environmental contamination, responsible for transmission to susceptible animals and possible human contacts. In ...

Infection with the protozoan parasite Neospora caninum is an important cause of abortion in cattle. A major source of infection is transplacental transfer of the parasite from mother to offspring during pregnancy. This study describes investigations on the immunisation of outbred Qs mice before pregnancy with live or a crude ...

During human gestation, viruses can cause intrauterine infections associated with pregnancy complications and fetal abnormalities. The ability of viruses to spread from the infected mother to the fetus arises from the architecture of the placenta, which anchors the fetus to the uterus. Placental cytotrophoblasts differentiate, assume an endothelial phenotype, breach ...

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested that subclinical infection may be an important cause of low birth weight. Campylobacters are important human pathogens, causing septicemia and occasionally abortion, premature labor, or severe perinatal infection. The potential role of oral species of Campylobacter in mediating adverse pregnancy outcomes in animal models has ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there is any correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and platelet counts during pregnancy. METHODS: One hundred and twenty pregnant women without any complications were evaluated. Platelet counts were determined during pregnancy and postpartum. H. pylori infection was assessed by the detection of serum antibodies at the ...

Advances in HIV therapy and mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) prophylaxis have led to increasing use of antiretroviral drugs in pregnancy. Highly active antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy has been associated with prematurity, pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. Women may be at increased risk of nevirapine-associated hepatotoxicity but whether or not pregnancy is an ...

Manuls or Pallas' cats (Felis manul, syn. Otocolobus manul) are endangered wild cats from Central Asia kept and bred in many zoos. Despite good breeding success young cats frequently die from acute toxoplasmosis. From 1998 to 2002, a breeding pair in the Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria, gave birth to ...

Recent research suggests that vertical transmission may play an important role in sustaining Toxoplasma gondii infection in some species. We report here that congenital transmission occurs at consistently high levels in pedigree Charollais and outbred sheep flocks sampled over a 3-year period. Overall rates of transmission per pregnancy determined by ...

INTRODUCTION: Streptococcus agalactiae, also known as Group B Streptococcus (GBS), is a formidable pathogen that is commonly responsible for early-onset and late-onset infections with high morbidity and mortality in the neonatal period. Since this organism is usually acquired via the mother's birth canal during labor, this study investigated the maternal ...