RESUMEN
Estrogens may influence the expression of various cytokines, adhesion molecules, von Willebrand factor and prostacyclin produced by endothelial cells. However, reports concerning expression of the estrogen receptor in endothelial cells are controversial. Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUV-EC), the non continuous human umbilical vein endothelial cell line HUV-EC-C (ATCC CRL 1730) and endothelial cells from 10 frozen umbilical cords were analyzed for the expression of the estrogen receptor. Immunological studies using estrogen receptor specific antibodies failed to detect the expression of the receptor in all human umbilical vein endothelial cells tested. No estrogen receptor transcripts were found in primary HUV-EC or HUV-EC-C by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Weak hybridization signals were detected when the PCR amplicons were hybridized with estrogen receptor cDNA sequences as a probe. In vitro protein-DNA interaction studies revealed no complexes between a fully consensus estrogen response element and HUV-EC-C extracts. Finally, transient transfection studies in HUV-EC-C could not demonstrate 17beta-estradiol-induced transcription of the beta-galactosidase reporter gene linked to a consensus estrogen response element. These observations suggest that human umbilical vein endothelial cells lack the estrogen receptor.
Asunto(s)
Endotelio Vascular/metabolismo , Receptores de Estrógenos/metabolismo , Western Blotting , Células Cultivadas , ADN/metabolismo , Estradiol/farmacología , Humanos , Hibridación in Situ , Transducción de Señal/efectos de los fármacos , Venas Umbilicales/citología , Venas Umbilicales/metabolismoRESUMEN
A one-stage ultrasound screening program was evaluated, using a pregnancy/perinatal database containing information from 2766 pregnancies and deliveries. Among women who did not have a second-trimester ultrasound examination, labor was induced for presumed post-term pregnancy in 4.0% versus 1.6% of pregnancies in the screening group (p = 0.007). In the group with second-trimester ultrasound scanning other than screening, the frequency was 3.2%. Of women with spontaneous labor or who were induced for presumed post-term pregnancy, 3.8% in a screening group and 8.0% in a group with other second-trimester ultrasound examination were post-term according to BPD measurements (p = 0.0003). In the screening group, 6.2% of liveborn singletons were small for gestational age (less than the 10th percentile) compared with 8.5% in the non-screening group (p less than 0.05). A subset of 365 screened women with optimal menstrual history had spontaneous labor or were induced for presumed post-term pregnancy. According to menstrual history and ultrasound examination, 7.4% and 3.8% of these were post-term, respectively (p = 0.04). It is concluded that the main value of screening lies in a more accurate dating of pregnancy, even when menstrual history is optimal, with a lower incidence of induced labor for believed post-term pregnancies. In addition, there may be an improvement in the obstetric management of pregnancy, reflected in our study as a lower incidence of small for gestational age infants.
Asunto(s)
Ultrasonografía Prenatal , Adulto , Cesárea , Anomalías Congénitas/diagnóstico por imagen , Estudios de Evaluación como Asunto , Femenino , Enfermedades Fetales/diagnóstico por imagen , Edad Gestacional , Humanos , Trabajo de Parto Inducido , Embarazo , Segundo Trimestre del Embarazo , Embarazo MúltipleRESUMEN
We have previously reported the existence of a phospholipase C-sensitive form of factor VII-probably a factor VII-phospholipid complex in normal pregnancy. By bivariate regression analysis, the level of this complex shows highly significant positive correlations with serum triglycerides (r = 0.90, p less than 0.0001) and blood platelet count (r = 0.067, p = 0.0004). This high degree of correlation was verified by stepwise multiple regression analysis. It is presently not known how this factor VII complex formes.