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Biomedical subjects

P Blot

Publications and source records attributed to P Blot.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Bundle of His tachycardia and chronic reciprocating rhythm: rare forms of prenatal tachycardia].

In cases of permanent tachycardia, ante-natal diagnosis of chronic reciprocating rhythms with long RP' intervals or His bundle tachycardias is difficult. The authors report two cases of permanent foetal tachycardia with 1/1 atrioventricular conduction. In one case, the tachycardia rate was 170/min with anasarca treated by amiodarone in view of a family history of His bundle tachycardia. In the other case, the tachycardia rate was 200/min but with no signs of cardiac failure and was, therefore, not treated. The ECG at birth confirmed the diagnosis of His bundle tachycardia in the first case and identified a chronic reciprocating rhythm in the other.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Failure of differentiation of the trophoblast in trisomy 21].

The syncytiotrophoblast is the major component of the human placenta as it is involved in the feto-maternal exchanges and the secretion of pregnancy-specific hormones. In normal placenta, the multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast is formed by fusion of mononuclear cytotrophoblast cells. In trisomy 21-affected placenta, we show that it exists a defect (or a delay) in the syncytiotrophoblast formation and a decrease of the production of pregnancy-specific hormones. We show that it is related to the over expression of the SOD-1 located on chromosome 21. These results will be of help for the understanding of maternal hormonal markers of fetal trisomy 21 and the consequences of the placental defects on the fetal development.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1999

Frequent detection of HIV-1 in the gastric aspirates of neonates born to HIV-infected mothers.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency and correlates of oral route exposure of infants born to HIV-1-infected women. METHODS: A multicenter study was performed within the prospective French Perinatal Cohort Study of mother-to-child HIV transmission. Oropharyngeal and gastric aspirates from 122 neonates were studied by reverse transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of HIV-1, as well as for standard microbiology (Gram staining and culture). RESULTS: Aspirates from 101 neonates were analyzed by RT-PCR; 28% of these were positive for HIV RNA. Another 21 aspirates could not be tested because of PCR inhibition. The median concentration of HIV RNA in the positive aspirates was 126 copies/ml (range: 8-1270). Detection of HIV-1 in the aspirate was significantly related to high maternal plasma-viral load, presence of blood in the aspirate, positive Gram stain or culture, episiotomy or perineal lesions, and sexually transmitted infections during the pregnancy. Most of the mothers received zidovudine prophylaxis during pregnancy and delivery. Among the six infants who were infected with HIV, three had positive aspirates. Of the three assumed to have acquired the infection intrapartum, only one had an HIV RNA-positive aspirate. CONCLUSION: Exposure of the fetus to HIV via the oral route occurs frequently, even in the presence of zidovudine prophylaxis, and is likely to be one of the mechanisms of intrapartum transmission, but not the only one.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Environmental lead exposure and activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) in maternal and cord blood.

The hypothesis that environmental lead exposure measured from blood (Pb-B) inhibits delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity (ALA-D) from whole blood was tested in 241 urban mothers and their newborns. Geometric means and (5th and 95th Percentiles) for maternal and cord Pb-B were 6.4 microg dl(-1) (3.4-11.9) and 4.6 microg dl(-1) (2.8-9.2). Spearman correlations between mother and cord Pb-B and ALA-D were all negative but statistically significant only for cord Pb-B and mother ALA-D. A potential lead threshold, was identified between 3.2 and 4.8 microg dl(-1), above which ALA-D may be inhibited by lead, and below which ALA-D may be insensitive or even activated. In conclusion, low environmental exposure to lead is responsible for a demonstrable biochemical effect. This potential ALA-D inhibition may lead to neurotoxic effects, especially in newborns who have high level of neurogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Defective IL2 gene expression in newborn is accompanied with impaired tyrosine-phosphorylation in T cells.

Here we confirmed that IL2 mRNA expression in CD3-stimulated T cells is defective at birth. Because protein-tyrosine phosphorylation is an important part of signaling through CD3 and plays a key role in IL2 transcription, we further investigated whether impaired IL2 response to CD3 in newborns would be accompanied with an alteration of tyrosine phosphorylation. In this purpose, CD3-induced tyrosine phosphorylation was evaluated comparatively in newborn and adult cells by immunoblotting of total cellular extract with an antiphosphotyrosine antibody. Results show that, in both peripheral lymphocytes or purified CD4 T cells from both cord and adult, CD3 stimulation could induce small even significant tyrosine-phosphorylation. Tyrosine phosphorylation occurs as soon as 2' following CD3 ligation and was still evident up to 15-20'. Yet, by using a highly sensitive method to analyze CD3-induced accumulation of phosphorylated substrates, which consisted in adding pervanadate, an inhibitor of phosphatases, during the last 2 min of CD3 stimulation, we showed that the intensity of tyrosine phosphorylation was clearly decreased in cord cells. From these results, it is tempting to speculate that suboptimal capacities of cord T cells to up-regulate tyrosine phosphorylation might contribute to defective IL2 production in neonates.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Naive CD4+ T cell subset is the predominant population involved in cytolysis through Fas-ligand in human at birth.

Here we show that Fas ligand, a death factor that plays a key role in peripheral T cell tolerance and homeostasis, can be induced in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from both newborns (cord) and adults. Indeed, stimulation of both populations by ionomycin and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or through the T cell receptor (anti-CD3) leads to a selective lysis of targets transfected with Fas but not of the parental cell line. This lysis clearly involves a Fas-based mechanism inasmuch as it was correlated with the appearance of Fas ligand transcripts and competitively inhibited by a Fas-Fc fusion protein. Yet, the use of separated T cell populations revealed that both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells express this function in adults whereas the CD4 subset is primarily involved in lysis by a Fas-based mechanism in cord. Altogether these results suggest that distinct T cell subsets might be recruited to exert Fas-based lysis during T cell ontogeny. Furthermore, it is tempting to speculate that CD4+ T cells are primarily involved in peripheral T cell homeostasis and tolerance in early life because they are committed to exert Fas-based lysis before any antigen-priming. Finally, the model of Fas ligand exploration described herein might be of great help for the identification of Fas ligand dysregulation in various diseases in infants, including those patients with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome in which Fas is functional.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis: point evaluation of practices].

Compliance of prophylactic antimicrobial therapy (PAMT) in surgical patients with consensus-based recommendations was evaluated at the Montfermeil Hospital Center, France, in 1996, based on data for given days. All patients who had surgery on the study days were included. Data on the patient, surgery, and PAMT were collected. Practices were evaluated based on seven criteria: need for PAMT, type of drug used, dosage, time of first administration in relation to the time the incision was made, time of administration during surgery, administration time schedule, and total duration. Of the 93 patients who had surgery on one of the five study days, 59.1% received PAMT. All seven evaluation criteria were met in 68.2% of cases. Failure to adhere to the recommended time of first administration was the most common form of noncompliance.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1998

Lack of association between anorexia nervosa and D3 dopamine receptor gene.

BACKGROUND: Evidence from family and twin studies suggests a genetic contribution to the etiology of anorexia nervosa. Different genes could contribute to the vulnerability to anorexia nervosa, but dopamine could be more specifically implicated in anorexia nervosa because of pharmacologic, endocrine, and neurobiological specificities. The dopamine receptor D3 (DRD3) may be of additional interest, since it is specifically located in the limbic area, an area implicated in reward and reinforcement behavior. METHODS: We performed an association study between 39 patients with severe (requiring hospitalization and with young age at onset) anorexia nervosa (DSM-III-R), and 42 controls, with the Bal I polymorphism in exon I of the DRD3 gene. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between patients with anorexia nervosa and controls in allele frequencies or genotype count. The association was still negative between subgroups separated according to family history of anorexia nervosa or comorbid mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the fact that the number of patients tested is small, there is good evidence that the Bal I DRD3 polymorphism does not play a major role in the genetic component of anorexia nervosa. It would be useful to test polymorphisms of the other genes coding for dopamine receptors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

[Prenatal diagnosis and outcome of patients with spina bifida].

The frequency of new cases of myelomeningocele has largely decreased in the last 10 years in several countries of western Europe; the emergence of widespread prenatal diagnosis is probably one of the main reasons. However, the outcome of spina bifida which eludes the prenatal diagnosis, or in cases where termination was refused by parents, remains badly known. To our knowledge, there is no recent data on the outcome of children with spina bifida. Moreover, available data, depending on their European or American origin, indicate different functional outcomes. This led us to re-evaluate the mechanisms involved in the prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida and the outcome of our patients with spina bifida. The aim of this paper is to give a short description of the "rules and principles" of prenatal diagnosis as it is applied in our centres, as well as a brief overview of the outcome of 137 cases of spina bifida. In the retrospective study, three major aspects were evaluated: 1) frequency and types of surgeries and their benefits; 2) socio-psychological adaptation of the patients; 3) educational level and learning disabilities.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1998

[Social problems encountered during prenatal care in a Paris maternity ward].

In 1993, about 2,600 children are born in Robert Debré Hospital (RDH), a hospital specialized in pediatrics and obstetrics located in Paris. One hundred and seventy nine of the mothers contacted the hospital social service during pregnancy. The main goal of this study was to describe the social problems encountered by these women and the solutions proposed by the social service of RDH. The second aim was to describe the socio-demographic profile and medical problems of this population. At first contact, 45% of the women had no social coverage, and only 18% had a steady job. Most social problems were related to administrative procedures. Financial and housing problems were more difficult to solve in this context. These figures reflect the growing problem of precarity, with its consequences. A hospital social service is not the right place to solve these very complex problems. The most worrisome point is that the living conditions of newborn children are often unknown after delivery.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The c-ets1 protooncogene is expressed in human trophoblast during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Expression of the c-Ets1 protooncogene which codes for a transcription factor is associated with neovascularization and invasive processes. In order to determine c-Ets1 expression at the mRNA level, during the process of implantation during the first trimester of human pregnancy, samples of trophoblast were retrieved at the time of legal abortion and processed for in situ hybridization. We found that c-Ets1 mRNAs are transcribed in the endothelial cells of villous trophoblast and in the extravillous trophoblastic cells invading the uterine vessels. However, no transcript was found in maternal endothelial cells. We conclude that c-Ets1 plays a role in angiogenesis occurring in the development of the villous tree and is involved during the invasive process of the endometrium and maternal vessels by trophoblastic cells; this latter physiological event is crucial for a normal development of the fetus, its failure leading to pathological cases. We suggest that the role of the c-Ets1 protooncogene is related to the regulation of metalloproteinase genes transcription, a gene family which is known to be a target for Ets protein.

Antigens, CD34↗
PubMed1997

Computerized microscope morphometry of umbilical vessels from pregnancies with intrauterine growth retardation and abnormal umbilical artery Doppler.

Computerized microscope morphometry was used to study cross sections from the vessels of the umbilical cord in placentas of patients with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) that displayed either normal or abnormal umbilical arteries (UA) Doppler flow velocity waveforms (FVW). Cords from 63 eutrophic fetuses with normal Doppler (controls), 47 IUGR fetuses with normal Doppler and 32 IUGR fetuses with abnormal Doppler underwent morphometric analysis using a highly optimized microscope environment (HOME) and "CordHOME" software. IUGR with an accompanying normal Doppler versus control showed a reduction of Wharton jelly and both the total and lumen vein areas. IUGR with an accompanying pathological Doppler showed a comparable reduction in wall thickness and areas of every vessel. These findings indicate that the hypoplastic umbilical vessels are associated with an increase in placental vascular resistance that may be the consequence of underdevelopment in response to a chronic reduction in placental blood flow.

Blood Flow Velocity↗
PubMed1997

Fetal fibronectin in the cervical secretion predicts accurately the onset of labor at term.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to check if presence of fetal fibronectin in the cervical secretion of full term patient predicts accurately the onset of labour at term. STUDY DESIGN: 78 women in the term period were included in the study, serial samples for fetal fibronectin were assessed, each patient underwent spontaneous labour, delay between last sample and delivery were analysed. RESULTS: Patient with positive fetal fibronectin delivered within 3 +/- 1.9 days where as patient with negative fetal fibronectin delivered within 5.7 +/- 3.9 days (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Presence of fetal fibronectin in cervical secretions seems to be a powerful tool to predict in a short delay the onset of labour at term, it should be used in conjunction with clinical and fetal assessment data.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Clinical biological features of Ballantyne syndrome and the role of placental hydrops.

Ballantyne syndrome was first described in association with severe hydrops fetalis caused by rhesus isoimmunization, and lately, in association with diverse etiologies of nonimmunological severe fetal hydrops. This report is a case of typical Ballantyne syndrome in association with lethal hydrops fetalis caused by Ebstein's anomaly. It is likely that any severe fetal hydrops with massive placental hydrops may produce Ballantyne syndrome. Hemodilution could be the main biological feature, differentiating Ballantyne syndrome from usual preeclamptic syndromes. Pathophysiological hypotheses are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Supratentorial parenchyma in the developing fetal brain: in vitro MR study with histologic comparison.

PURPOSE: To assess the in vitro MR signal of the developing brain through histologic comparisons. METHODS: Five healthy fetal specimens aged 16, 19, 22, 27, and 34 gestational weeks were studied in vitro using T1- and T2-weighted sequences in frontal and axial planes. Neuropathologic studies included sections in the same frontal plane. Comparison of histologic sections with measurements of the relative widths of the layers of different signal intensities enabled us to assign cellular correspondence to each MR layer. RESULTS: In the cerebral mantle, a layered pattern was observed on both T1- and T2-weighted images. In the basal ganglia, signal from the pallidum and thalamus was isointense with white matter from 16 to 22 weeks' gestation; then, from 27 and 34 weeks' gestation, the signal was relatively high on T1-weighted images and low on T2-weighted images. The neostriatum had a relatively low signal on T1-weighted images and a high signal on T2-weighted images from 16 to 27 weeks' gestation: then, at 34 weeks' gestation, the signal was relatively high on T1-weighted images and low on T2-weighted images. CONCLUSION: MR imaging can clearly show specific patterns of growing fetal brain in vitro.

Basal Ganglia↗
PubMed1996

[Amnioinfusion: indications and results].

Amnioinfusion is a recent procedure introduced for routine obstetrical care fifteen years ago. The most widely recognized indication for amnioinfusion is in labor, to reduce fetal distress due to variable decceleration associated with oligohydramnios and probable presence of thick meconium stained amniotic fluid. During pregnancy, amnioinfusion can help in the diagnosis and morphologic evaluation in case of anamnios. The indication for amnioinfusion in the management of oligohydramnios at term before labour remains controversial. As a new procedure amnioinfusion must be managed with extreme caution.

Amnion↗