Biomedical subjects

Niels Uldbjerg

Publications and source records attributed to Niels Uldbjerg.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Antimicrobial factors in the cervical mucus plug.

OBJECTIVE: The cervical mucus plug is positioned between the microbe-rich vagina and the normally sterile uterine cavity, which suggests a host defense function, but few relevant data are available. We analyzed the composition and antimicrobial activity of cervical mucus plugs. STUDY DESIGN: Cervical mucus plugs were collected from healthy women at delivery. Groups of plugs were randomly selected for electrolyte analysis, antimicrobial activity assays against group B Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and assays of known antimicrobial polypeptides. RESULTS: Both intact cervical mucus plugs and their aqueous extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity against aerobic microbes, in the order of potency: group B Streptococcus > E coli > C albicans. Semiquantitative Western blotting of extracts showed that secretory leukoprotease inhibitor, lysozyme, lactoferrin, and neutrophil defensins were present at concentrations that were sufficient for antimicrobial activity. CONCLUSION: The cervical mucus plug is not only a mechanical but also a chemical barrier to infection that ascends from the vagina.

Anti-Infective Agents↗

PubMed2002

S-relaxin as a predictor of preterm delivery in women with symptoms of preterm labour.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether serum relaxin (S-relaxin) can predict spontaneous delivery before 34 weeks of gestation in high risk pregnancies. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: Calculated sample size was reached over a two-year period, during which 9507 women gave birth. Of these, 157 healthy women were eligible for the study as they were admitted with symptoms of delivery before 34 weeks of gestation. Ninety-three women were included. Overall participation rate was 59%. POPULATION: Healthy women with singleton pregnancies with symptoms of delivery before 34 weeks of gestation. METHODS: S-relaxin was measured using a standard sandwich ELISA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: End points were preterm delivery before 34 weeks of gestation and delivery within three days from initiation of symptoms. The best possible prediction of preterm delivery was established using logistic regression for risk factors individually associated with preterm delivery before 34 weeks of gestation. S-relaxin was dichotomised to obtain best possible fit and then entered into the model. The same analyses were done for delivery within three days. RESULTS: Median S-relaxin levels varied significantly in the women with preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (PPROM) (316 pg/mL), contractions (222 pg/mL) or ripe cervices (203 pg/mL) (P < 0.05). S-relaxin above the 80th centile (> or = 300 pg/mL) was associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery [crude OR = 4.8; (95% CI: 1.9-12)]. Likelihood ratio of a positive test is 2.6 (1.5-4.9) and S-relaxin resulted in a post-test probability of preterm delivery of 0.72, compared with a pre-test probability of 0.49. S-relaxin contributed to the identification of delivery within three days [adj. OR = 11 (95% CI: 1.8-64)]. CONCLUSION: S-relaxin may be a useful predictor in women with symptoms of delivery before 34 weeks of gestation.

Body Mass Index↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Serum 17 beta-estradiol in newborn and neonatal hip instability.

This study evaluates the association between the level of 17 beta-estradiol in the umbilical cord blood and neonatal hip instability (NHI) in a population-based prospective case-control study comprising 2,185 consecutively newborns. beta-Estradiol levels were measured with a standard fluoroimmunoassay kit. Neonatal hip instability was determined by the anterior dynamic ultrasound method. An increased risk of NHI was found after breech malposition and in girls. Levels of beta-estradiol were higher in boys without NHI than in girls. A negative association between beta-estradiol level and parity was found. A significant association between beta-estradiol level and NHI was shown in boys with low serum concentrations. High levels of beta-estradiol tended to be associated with an increased risk of NHI in girls. An association was found between gender, parity, and beta-estradiol level in cord blood. No firm conclusion on the association between NHI and beta-estradiol level can be made; the possible association may be gender-dependent.

Biomarkers↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Biphasic effect of relaxin, inhibitable by a collagenase inhibitor, on the strength of human fetal membranes.

BACKGROUND: Relaxin has been proposed as a hormone involved in the collagen remodeling of the utero-placental unit. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human fetal membrane explants were incubated with H1 or H2 relaxin for 48 hours and stretched until rupture in a materials testing machine. Co-incubation with a synthetic collagenase inhibitor was performed in order to examine whether the effects of relaxin could be inhibited. The effects on hydroxyproline and histology were evaluated. RESULTS: Biomechanical testing showed that H2 relaxin induced a biphasic weakening of human fetal membranes, an effect that was abolished after co-incubation with a collagenase inhibitor. H1 relaxin produced no significant effects on the biomechanical properties. The effects of H2 relaxin on the biomechanical properties were, however, not followed by changes in the hydroxyproline concentration or the histology. CONCLUSION: H2 relaxin had an effect on human fetal membranes and this effect may be mediated through collagenases.

Dose-Response Relationship, Drug↗