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Introduction: Preterm birth, before 37 weeks of gestation, is the main determinant of neonatal morbidity and mortality and is associated with serious consequences,including compromised quality of life for the affected individual and physical, psychological, and economic costs. Objective: To evaluate the correlation of obstetric history, cervicovaginal infections, and cervical length with preterm birth. A prospective, blind cohort study evaluated 1,370 pregnant women from Ribeirão Preto between 20 and 25 weeks of gestation. Materials and methods: The correlation between obstetric history, cervical length, and gestational age at birth was obtained by calculating the relative risk of the different variables. Results: The distribution of pregnant women according to cervical length (CL) showed a predominance of women with a cervix longer than 2.5 cm (n = 1,308, 95.8%), followed by women with a cervix between 2 and 2.49 cm (n = 42, 3.1%) and < 2 cm (n = 15, 1.1%). Among the 1,370 pregnant women evaluated, 133 had spontaneous preterm birth (< 259 days); 14 (10.5%) preterm births occurred in women under 19 years of age, 105 (79%) in women between 19 and 35 years, and 14 (10.5%) in women older than 35 years. Microbiological analysis showed the growth of Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and other bacteria in 8, 17, and 16 women with preterm birth, respectively. Among the 133 women with spontaneous preterm birth, CL was < 2.5 cm in 15 women, < 2 cm in 3, < 1.5 cm in 3, and < 1 cm in 2. Conclusion: The identification of pregnant women at high risk for preterm delivery can reduce the incidence of preterm birth. Although no gold standard test exists for the prediction of preterm birth, this study confirms that the measurement of CL is a good individual predictor.

Introducción: El nacimiento pretérmino, antes de las 37 semanas de gestación, es el principal determinante de la morbimortalidad neonatal y se asocia a graves consecuencias,incluyendo el compromiso de la calidad de vida del individuo afectado y costes físicos, psicológicos y económicos. Objetivo: Evaluar la correlación de los antecedentes obstétricos, infecciones cervicovaginales y longitud cervical con el parto prematuro. Estudio de cohorte prospectivo, ciego, evaluando 1.370 gestantes de Ribeirão Preto entre 20 y 25 semanas de gestación. Material y métodos: La correlación entre los antecedentes obstétricos, la longitud cervical y la edad gestacional al nacer se obtuvo calculando el riesgo relativo de las diferentes variables. Resultados: La distribución de las gestantes según la longitud cervical (LC) mostró un predominio de mujeres con cuello uterino mayor de 2,5 cm (n = 1,308, 95.8%), seguidas de mujeres con cuello uterino entre 2 y 2,49 cm (n = 42, 3.1%) y menor de 2 cm (n = 15, 1.1%). De las 1,370 embarazadas evaluadas, 133 tuvieron un parto prematuro espontáneo (< 259 días); 14 (10.5%) partos prematuros se produjeron en mujeres menores de 19 años, 105 (79%) en mujeres de entre 19 y 35 años, y 14 (10.5%) en mujeres mayores de 35 años. Los análisis microbiológicos mostraron la proliferación de Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum y otras bacterias en 8, 17 y 16 mujeres con parto prematuro, respectivamente. Entre las 133 mujeres con parto prematuro espontáneo, la CL fue < 2.5 cm en 15 mujeres, < 2 cm en 3, < 1.5 cm en 3 y < 1 cm en 2. Conclusión: La identificación de las gestantes con alto riesgo de parto prematuro puede reducir la incidencia de parto prematuro. Aunque no existe una prueba de referencia para la predicción del parto prematuro, este estudio confirma que la medición de la longitud cervical es una buena predicción individual.

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OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the effect of maternal immunological factors on the etiology of developmental defects of enamel (DDE). RANTES (Regulated on Activation Normal T Cell Expressed and Secreted) is a chemokine produced by fibroblasts, lymphoid and epithelial mucosa cells in response to various external stimuli. Despite its importance for embryogenesis, RANTES expression has been demonstrated in multiple diseases characterized by inflammation, tumor and immune response, and wound healing. We hypothesized that altered levels of RANTES during pregnancy are associated with the immune and inflammatory response in women, which could lead to the occurrence of DDE in utero (DDE-iu), directly or mediated by preterm birth. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of serum levels of RANTES in pregnant women in the occurrence of DDE-iu in children. METHODS: This is a longitudinal case-control study. The mothers and their children (327) were evaluated in three moments: prenatal care, post childbirth, and when the child was between 12.3 and 36 months of age. The analysis was performed with structural equation modeling, estimating the standardized coefficient (SC), adopting α = 5%. RESULTS: There was a direct and negative effect of RANTES on the outcome (SC = -0.137; p = 0.022). This association was not mediated by preterm birth (SC = 0.007; P = 0.551). When considering the specific types of DDE-iu, RANTES had a direct effect on hypoplasia (SC = -0.190; p = 0.007), but not on opacity (SC = 0.343; p = 0.074). CONCLUSION: Lower serum levels of RANTES may contribute to a higher number of teeth with DDE-iu, specifically hypoplasia. However, more evidence supported by clinical, laboratory and epidemiological studies is still needed.

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Background: Despite the success of interventional coronary reperfusion strategies, morbidity and mortality from acute myocardial infarction are still substantial. Physical exercise is a well-recognized effective non-pharmacological therapy for cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review was to analyze studies in animal models of ischemia-reperfusion in association with physical exercise protocols. Search strategy: Articles published on the topic over a 13-year period (2010-2022) were searched in two databases (PubMed and Google Scholar) using the keywords exercise training, ischemia/reperfusion or ischemia reperfusion injury. Meta-analysis and quality assessment of the studies were performed using the Review Manager 5.3 program. Results: From the 238 articles retrieved from PubMed and 200 from Google Scholar, after screening and eligibility assessment, 26 articles were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. For meta-analysis comparing the group of previously exercised animals with the non-exercised animals and then submitted to ischemia-reperfusion, the infarct size was significantly decreased by exercise (p < 0.00001). In addition, the group exercised had increased heart-to-body weight ratio (p < 0.00001) and improved ejection fraction as measured by echocardiography (p < 0.0004) in comparison to non-exercised animals. Conclusion: We concluded that the animal models of ischemia-reperfusion indicates that exercise reduce infarct size and preserve ejection fraction, associated with beneficial myocardial remodeling.

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Preterm birth (PTB) and postpartum depression (PPD) are important public health issues, and although literature mainly supports the association between them, some reviews have highlighted methodological limitations in the studies in this field, restricting the interpretation of such finding. This study aimed at assessing the association between PTB and PPD, by comparing groups of preterm and full-term mothers in two Brazilian cities with contrasting sociodemographic indicators. This prospective convenience cohort study assessed 1421 women during pregnancy, at childbirth, and in the postpartum period. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was administrated to assess PPD within 6 months after delivery and women were considered probably depressed if scores were EDPS ≥ 12. PTB was defined as the delivery before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. A multivariate Poisson regression was used to estimate relative risk for PPD in mothers of preterm infants, and the final analysis models were adjusted for psychosocial variables, selected according to the directed acyclic graph (DAG) approach. Frequencies of PPD were not significantly different in mothers of preterm and full-term infants, in neither city. In the final adjusted model, PTB was not associated with PPD. The association between PTB and PPD was not confirmed in two large samples from two Brazilian cities with contrasting socioeconomic profile. However, maternal health during pregnancy plays an important role in predicting PPD. Prenatal care should promote maternal mental health as an effort towards decreasing unfavored outcomes for mothers, infants, and families.

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INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pelvic floor dysfunction may be treated and prevented during pregnancy and postpartum, as it decreases women's quality of life. The aim of the present study was to translate and validate the Brazilian Portuguese questionnaire for the assessment of pelvic floor disorders and their risk factors during pregnancy and postpartum. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. Two translators fluent in German translated the German version of the questionnaire into English. The back translation was performed by two other translators. The final version was tested on Brazilian pregnant/puerperal women. The participants answered the questionnaire twice, with an interval of 7-10 days between sessions. They also completed the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). To evaluate the test-retest reliability, we used the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Cronbach's alpha coefficient, to test the internal consistency, and Pearson's linear correlation to assess construct validity. RESULTS: Sixty-six women were included (77% pregnant; 23% puerperal women), with a mean age of 26.5 ± 5.8 years and a body mass index of 26.4 ± 5.7 kg/cm2. There were no missing ceiling or floor effects. The construct validity presented a moderate correlation with the role physical domain of the SF-36 (r = -0.48), the ICC test-retest showed good reliability of 0.72, and the internal consistency was 0.71. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence that the questionnaire for the assessment of pelvic floor disorders and their risk factors during pregnancy and postpartum is a valid and reliable instrument when utilized in Brazilian pregnant and postpartum women.

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PURPOSE: Fexofenadine is a well-identified in vivo probe substrate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and/or organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP). This work aimed to investigate the transplacental pharmacokinetics of fexofenadine enantiomers with and without the selective P-gp inhibitor fluoxetine. METHODS: The chiral transplacental pharmacokinetics of fexofenadine-fluoxetine interaction was determined using the ex vivo human placenta perfusion model (n = 4). In the Control period, racemic fexofenadine (75 ng of each enantiomer/ml) was added in the maternal circuit. In the Interaction period, racemic fluoxetine (50 ng of each enantiomer/mL) and racemic fexofenadine (75 ng of each enantiomer/mL) were added to the maternal circulation. In both periods, maternal and fetal perfusate samples were taken over 90 min. RESULTS: The (S)-(-)- and (R)-(+)-fexofenadine fetal-to-maternal ratio values in Control and Interaction periods were similar (~0.18). The placental transfer rates were similar between (S)-(-)- and (R)-(+)-fexofenadine in both Control (0.0024 vs 0.0019 min-1) and Interaction (0.0019 vs 0.0021 min-1) periods. In both Control and Interaction periods, the enantiomeric fexofenadine ratios [R-(+)/S-(-)] were approximately 1. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed a low extent, slow rate of non-enantioselective placental transfer of fexofenadine enantiomers, indicating a limited fetal fexofenadine exposure mediated by placental P-gp and/or OATP2B1. The fluoxetine interaction did not affect the non-enantioselective transplacental transfer of fexofenadine. The ex vivo placental perfusion model accurately predicts in vivo placental transfer of fexofenadine enantiomers with remarkably similar values (~0.17), and thus estimates the limited fetal exposure.

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OBJECTIVE: To study the association of plasma and vaginal levels of matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP-2) and 9 (MMP-9), determined between 20+0 and 25+6 weeks of gestation, with preterm birth and its predictive value. STUDY DESIGN: All 129 cases of preterm birth (cases) and 258 randomly selected term patients (control group) were included in a cohort study with a nested case-control design. Inclusion criteria were living in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, and gestational age 20+0 to 25+6 at enrollment. Exclusion criteria were multiple fetuses, congenital malformations or chromosome syndromes, and loss to follow-up. Maternal age, parity, smoking, and previous preterm birth were included as covariates. A blood sample and vaginal secretion were obtained for the determination of MMP-2 and MMP-9; the patients were screened for urinary tract infection and bacterial vaginosis, and cervical length was measured by ultrasound. The cut-off values for matrix metalloproteinases were calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for logistic regression analysis (crude and adjusted odds ratios). RESULTS: According to the WHO, in this study, preterm subtypes included 3.8 % extremely preterm, 6.9 % very preterm, and 89.2 % late preterm births. The plasma MMP-9 cut-off was 63.25 ng/mL and the area under the ROC curve was 0.725 (standard error 0.03; 95 % confidence interval, 0.677-0.769). The cut-off for plasma MMP-2 was 239.4 ng/mL and the area under the ROC curve was 0.585 (standard error 0.03, 95 % confidence interval, 0.521-0.649). Crude odds ratios showed an increased risk of preterm birth associated with plasma MMP-2 (odds ratio, 1.75; 95 % confidence interval, 1.14-2.68) and plasma MMP-9 (odds ratio, 3.26, 95 % confidence interval, 2.09-5.07); no association was detected for vaginal MMP-2 or 9. For plasma, adjusted odds ratios were 1.42 (95 % confidence interval, 0.80-2.53) for MMP-2 and 2.71 (95 % confidence interval, 1 .52-4.83) for MMP-9, along with an increased risk in other covariates. CONCLUSION: Elevated plasma MMP-9 levels and decreased MMP-2 levels were positively associated with preterm birth. Plasma MMP-9 level increased nearly three times the preterm risk.

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Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and it is one of the main causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is known that oxidative stress plays a role in its pathophysiology, therefore we investigated the effects of trans-resveratrol, a potent antioxidant, on the Nrf2/ARE pathway, nitric oxide (NO) production, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in an in vitro model of PE. Plasma from PE patients increased ARE activity in endothelial cells compared with plasma from healthy pregnant (HP), and the addition of resveratrol was able to potentiate this increase only in PE. Resveratrol also decreased ROS levels in the cells incubated with plasma from PE. Based on these results, we performed a pilot clinical study to compare the effects of serum from PE women before and 1 h after ingestion of polyphenol-rich whole red grapefruit juice incubated on endothelial cells, since grapefruit contains large amounts of resveratrol. Serum from PE patients, obtained one hour after juice intake, decreased antioxidants markers in cells compared with the serum before juice intake, besides, it increased NO production. In conclusion, resveratrol and polyphenol-rich red grape juice have potentially beneficial effects on endothelial cells incubated with PE plasma/serum, which could aid in the management of PE.

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BACKGROUND: The Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) is a tool designed to assess women's perceptions about labor and delivery. The aim of this study was to perform the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the CEQ (CEQ-Br). METHODS: The original version of the CEQ was translated into Portuguese, analyzed by a committee of experts, back translated, and finally submitted to pilot-test. Two applications of the CEQ-Br were performed along with the quality of life questionnaire Medical Outcomes Study 36 - Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The SPSS software was used for statistical analysis, the intraclass correlation coefficient was used to investigate test-retest reliability, the internal consistency was investigated with the Cronbach's Alpha, and the construct validity was investigated via the Spearman correlation test. The level of significance was set at 5%. RESULTS: The study included 308 women with a mean age of 31.1 ± 8.7 years. The internal consistency results for the total CEQ-Br score was considered adequate (0.89), the test-retest showed a substantial result with an ICC of 0.90, and the construct validity was analyzed via the Spearman correlation between all SF-36 dimensions and the total CEQ-B score, the analyses were considered adequate. CONCLUSIONS: The results presented in this CEQ-Br validation study showed that the instrument was reliable in measuring the established psychometric properties and was considered valid. Therefore, the CEQ-Br can be applied to the Brazilian population.

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