Miscarriage Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Miscarriage, including details on signs, symptoms, recurrent, pregnancy. | ||||||
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Single choroideremia gene in nonmammalian vertebrates explains early embryonic lethality of the zebrafish model of choroideremia.Moosajee M, Tulloch M, Baron RA, Gregory-Evans CY, Pereira-Leal JB, Seabra MC Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Neuroscience and MentalHealth, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom. PURPOSE: Mutations of the CHM gene underlie the X-linked chorioretinal degeneration choroideremia (CHM). The affected gene product, Rab Escort Protein (REP)1, mediates the posttranslational prenyl modification of Rab GTPases. In patients with CHM, the related REP2 partially compensates for the loss of function of REP1. The objective of this investigation was to study the natural history of disease in a zebrafish model of CHM. METHODS: Zebrafish chm(-/-) were bred and subjected to extensive histologic analysis and TUNEL assays, and cellular extracts were used for immunoblot and in vitro prenylation assays. A detailed evolutionary analysis was performed on the REP family. RESULTS: The retina of chm(-/-) zebrafish develops normally for the first 4 days postfertilization (dpf) but that catastrophic multilayer degeneration synchronous with severe multisystem disease follows. Mean survival time is 4.8 dpf. At the onset of generalized disease, a significant reduction in rep expression levels and activity, with unprenylated rabs accumulating in the cytosol was demonstrated. Extensive bioinformatic analysis of the REP family of proteins revealed a single rep isoform in fish and other nonmammalian vertebrates and invertebrates that is similar to mammalian REP1. CONCLUSIONS: REP1 appears to be the ancestral gene in the family, whereas the intronless REP2 gene is restricted to the mammalian lineage. The results of this study propose that in chm(-/-) zebrafish, maternally derived rep allows initial successful development of the embryo, but its gradual loss leads to multisystem disease and invariably to lethality. In its current form, the chm(-/-) zebrafish has limited usefulness. Published 27 May 2009 in Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 50(6): 3009-16. Articles on Miscarriage published 14 May 2009: Self-reported vitamin supplementation in early pregnancy and risk of miscarriage. Am J Epidemiol, 169(11): 1312-8. Miscarriage is a common and poorly understood adverse pregnancy outcome. In this study, the authors sought to evaluate the relation between self-reported use of prenatal vitamins in early pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage. Between 2000 and 2008, 4,752 US women were prospectively enrolled in Right From the Start. Information about vitamin use was obtained from a first-trimester interview. Discrete-time hazard models were used, candidate confounders were assessed, and the following variables ... [Abstract] [Full-text] Articles on Miscarriage published 12 May 2009: Higher maternal TSH levels in pregnancy are associated with increased risk for miscarriage, fetal or neonatal death. Eur J Endocrinol, 160(6): 985-91. BACKGROUND: To examine the relationship between maternal TSH and free thyroxine (FT(4)) concentrations in early pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage, fetal or neonatal death. METHOD: Cohort study of 2497 Dutch women. TSH, FT(4), and thyroid peroxidase antibodies concentrations were determined at first booking. Child loss was operationalized as miscarriage, fetal or neonatal death. Women with overt thyroid dysfunction were excluded. RESULTS: Twenty-seven cases of child loss were observed. The ... [Abstract] [Full-text] Articles on Miscarriage published 7 May 2009: Medical treatment with misoprostol for early failure of pregnancies after assisted reproductive technology: a promising treatment option. Fertil Steril, 91(5): 1881-5. OBJECTIVE: To assess the success rate of misoprostol to induce abortion in early pregnancy failure and to define the factors associated with success of treatment. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University-affiliated tertiary medical center. PATIENT(S): Two hundred twenty women with the diagnosis of blighted ovum or missed abortion with a crown-rump length (CRL) up to 25 mm (<9 w). INTERVENTION(S): Treatment protocol included two doses of 800 microg misoprostol given vaginally and orally ... [Abstract] [Full-text] The value of vascular endothelial growth factor, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, and progesterone for early differentiation of ectopic pregnancies, normal intrauterine pregnancies, and spontaneous miscarriages. Fertil Steril, 91(5): 1657-61. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the capacity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), and progesterone (P) to discriminate ectopic pregnancies (EP) from nonectopic ones. DESIGN: Prospective, case-controlled study. SETTING: Tertiary care center. PATIENT(S): Twenty-nine women with EP, 29 women with normal intrauterine pregnancy (nIUP), and 28 women with spontaneous miscarriage, all matched for gestational age. INTERVENTION(S): Serum samples were ... [Abstract] [Full-text] Tumor necrosis factor alpha and lymphotoxin alpha haplotypes in idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss. Fertil Steril, 91(5): 1903-8. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the contribution of the -238G/A and -308G/A tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, and +252A/G lymphotoxin (LT) alpha gene polymorphisms to idiopathic recurrent miscarriage (RM). DESIGN: A retrospective case-control study. SETTING: Outpatient maternity center. PATIENT(S): Study subjects comprised 372 RM women and 274 age-matched parous control women. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The TNFalpha and LTalpha gene variants and idiopathic RM. RESULT(S): Higher ... [Abstract] [Full-text] Articles on Miscarriage published 5 May 2009: Human pregnancy up-regulates Tim-3 in innate immune cells for systemic immunity. J Immunol, 182(10): 6618-24. Pregnant women have both the local immune tolerance at the maternal-fetal interface and the systemic immune defense against pathogens. To date, regardless of the extensive investigation on the maternal-fetal immune tolerance, the maintenance of systemic immune defense in pregnant women still remains poorly understood. In the present study, we demonstrate that the immunoregulatory molecule T cell Ig and mucin domain (Tim)-3 plays important roles in innate and adaptive immunity of human ... [Abstract] [Full-text] Articles on Miscarriage published 28 April 2009: Effect of tamoxifen treatment on global and insulin-like growth factor 2-H19 locus-specific DNA methylation in rat spermatozoa and its association with embryo loss. Fertil Steril, 91(5): 2253-63. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of tamoxifen treatment on global and insulin-like growth factor 2-H19 imprinting control region (Igf2-H19 ICR)-specific DNA methylation in rat spermatozoa and analyze its association with postimplantation loss. DESIGN: Experimental prospective study. SETTING: Animal research and academic research facility. SUBJECT(S): Male and female 75-day-old Holtzman rats. INTERVENTION(S): Global and Igf2-H19 ICR-specific DNA methylation was analyzed in an epididymal sperm ... [Abstract] [Full-text] Increased fetal abortion rate in autoimmune thyroid disease is related to circulating TPO autoantibodies in an autoimmune thyroiditis animal model. Fertil Steril, 91(5): 2104-9. OBJECTIVE: To determine the fertility and abortion rates in a mouse model of autoimmune thyroiditis and its relationship with circulating anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibody. DESIGN: Experimental animal study. SETTING: University research laboratory. ANIMAL(S): C57bl/6 mice. INTERVENTION(S): Female C57bl/6 mice immunized with recombinant mouse TPO (rmTPO) in complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) or glutathione-S-transferase (GST-CFA) were allowed to mate. The pregnant mice were killed on day 14 of ... [Abstract] [Full-text] © 2004-2009 Miscarriage Research Today. All Rights Reserved. |
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