Predictors of the quality of life of women in peri-menopausal period

INTRODUCTION

The peri-menopausal period is the time of many biological, psychological and social changes. The quality of life of women in this period may be conditioned by many factors, and analysis of these factors may indicate the optimum directions of prophylactic and educational actions.

OBJECTIVE

Analysis of selected predictive factors of the quality of life of women in the peri-menopausal period.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

The study covered 268 peri-menopausal women. The qualification criteria were: age 45-55, lack of mental disorders and diseases requiring hospitalization during the period of study. The study was conducted using standardized instruments: Women's Health Questionnaire - WHQ, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and an author-constructed questionnaire.

RESULTS

The presented study of the quality of life showed that the women examined felt physically unattractive, lacking the full joy of life, and frequently experienced somatic complaints. Nevertheless, the respondents enjoyed life, had no constant feeling of anxiety and concern. Multi-factor analysis showed that the quality of life in the group of women in the study was affected by the following factors: level of depression, self-reported state of health, occurrence of menopausal symptoms, education level, and marital status.

CONCLUSIONS

The quality of life of the peri-menopausal women examined was the highest with respect to depressive mood (DEP) and anxiety/depressed mood (ANX), while it was the lowest with respect to the sense of attractiveness (ATT), and somatic symptoms (SOM). In addition, in the group of women in peri-menopausal period the quality of life was conditioned: level of depression, self-reported state of health, occurrence of menopausal symptoms, education level, and marital status.

Alcohol consumption and quality of embryos obtained in programmes of in vitro fertilization

INTRODUCTION

Infertility is defined as a state when a couple fails to conceive a pregnancy after one year of regular intercourse without the use of contraception. Alcohol consumption is one of the main stimulants which negatively affect the female and male reproductive system.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was analysis of the effect of alcohol consumption by the examined women on the quality of embryos obtained during in vitro fertilization programmes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study covered 54 women who received treatment due to infertility. The database and statistical analyses were performed using computer software STATISTICA 7.1 (StatSoft, Poland).

RESULTS

The study showed that 42.59% from among 100% of the women in the study consumed alcohol. In the group of women who consumed alcohol, class A embryos constituted 4.35%, class B embryos - 86.96%, while embryos of class C - 8.69%. A statistically significant difference was observed between the classes of embryos and alcohol consumption by the women examined (p=0.001). In addition, a statistically significant relationship was found between the amount of alcohol consumed and the classes of embryos (p=0.005). A significantly larger number of class B embryos came from women who consumed more than 25 grams of ethyl alcohol daily (72.72%), compared to those who consumed alcohol sporadically (44.44%), or those who abstained entirely from alcohol (30.00%).

CONCLUSIONS

Alcohol consumption causes the development of poorer quality embryos. Significantly more embryos of class B came from oocytes of women who consumed alcohol, compared to class A. An active campaign against alcohol consumption should be carried out among women at reproductive age to safeguard their fertility and future motherhood.

Intensification of anxiety and depression, and personal resources among women during the peri-operative period

AIM

Surgical treatment of women due to gynaecological disorders is the cause of stress and may lead to psychological changes. Studies concerning human response to stress emphasize the importance of the effect of the level of the sense of coherence, anxiety, depression, dispositional optimism and skills of expressing emotions on the quality of feelings and experiences in difficult situations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study covered 232 women who had undergone gynaecological surgery due to various causes. Permission to conduct the research was obtained from the Bioethical Commission at the Medical University in Lublin. The study was carried out with the use of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Beck Depression Inventory, Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS), and Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The study showed that investigations of the sense of coherence, level of anxiety and depression, and personal resources allow determination of the characteristics of patients who should be covered with special psycho-prophylactic care during the peri-operative period. In addition, the results of own studies obtained may be used for the development of adequate principles of psycho-prophylactic management in the course of the diagnostic-treatment process with respect to women who had undergone surgical treatment due to gynaecological disorders.

An analysis of the feelings of pregnant women at risk of preterm labour

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the study was an analysis of the feelings of pregnant women at risk ofpreterm labour.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

313 expectant mothers aged between 18 to 44 years (ranges: 18-25, 26-30 and 31-44 years) with no psychological disorders, hospitalized and treated due to the risk of preterm labour were surveyed. All the examined pregnant women expressed voluntary and informed consent for the participation in the survey. Each of the questionnaires given to the examined pregnant women contained: a questionnaire form devised by the authors, to establish the characteristics of the surveyed expectant mothers, and the following research standardized tool - Negative and Positive Feelings Scale by P. Brzozowski.

RESULTS

The value of the mean level of positive feel- ings state in the group of patients aged 31-44 years with higher education was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the mean value in the group of patients aged 26-30 years with secondary or primary/vocational education. Marital status and place of residence had no effect on the level of positive feelings as a condition of pregnant women in the study group (p > 0.05). There were no significant statistical differences (p > 0.05) between the level of negative feel- ings trait and age. It was found, however, that the level of negative feelings trait was significantly lower (p = 0.0009) in pregnant women with higher education than in pregnant women who had completed secondary education.

CONCLUSION

1. Among pregnant women at risk of pre- term labour, higher levels of positive feelings were found in pregnant women aged 31-44 years with higher education, being married and residents of a provincial city. 2. In order to reduce negative feelings in pregnant women at risk of preterm labour it seems important to implement appropriate psychological and prophylactic management, provide adequate care in the pregnancy pathology department, as well as support from the medical staff and the family. These activities should be targeted particularly at younger women with primary education or vocational training, not being married and living in rural areas.

Oriented immobilization of His-tagged protein on a redox active thiol derivative of DPTA-Cu(II) layer deposited on a gold electrode--the base of electrochemical biosensors

This paper concerns the development of an electrochemical biosensor for the determination of Aβ_16–23′ and Aβ_1–40 peptides. The His-tagged V and VC1 domains of Receptor for Advanced Glycation end Products (RAGE) immobilized on a gold electrode surface were used as analytically active molecules. The immobilization of His₆–RAGE domains consists of: (i) formation of a mixed layer of N-acetylcysteamine (NAC) and the thiol derivative of pentetic acid (DPTA); (ii) complexation of Cu(II) by DPTA; (iii) oriented immobilization of His₆–RAGE domains via coordination bonds between Cu(II) sites from DPTA–Cu(II) complex and imidazole nitrogen atoms of a histidine tag. Each modification step was controlled by cyclic voltammetry (CV), Osteryoung square-wave voltammetry (OSWV), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The applicability of the proposed biosensor was tested in the presence of human plasma, which had no influence on its performance. The detection limits for Aβ_1–40 determination were 1.06 nM and 0.80 nM, in the presence of buffer and human plasma, respectively. These values reach the concentration level of Aβ_1–40 which is relevant for determination of its soluble form in human plasma, as well as in brain. This indicates the promising future application of biosensor presented for early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.

Somatic and non-somatic problems connected with psoriasis in pregnancy

Hormonal, metabolic and immunological changes occurring during pregnancy have significant effects on the function of the skin. Psoriasis is one of the most common dermatological diseases and it is known as a nonspecific dermatosis in pregnancy. The aim of this article is to present the importance of support in the course of psoriasis in pregnant women. Psoriasis may cause recurrent miscarriages, chronic hypertension, diabetes or obesity leading to perinatal complications and premature birth. The coexistence of psoriasis and pregnancy requires emotional prophylaxis, as well as support and psychotherapeutic care. Medical staff requires knowledge of skin diseases and skills to assess a patient's mental state.

[Characteristics of miscarriage and women's rights after pregnancy loss]

The term "miscarriage" refers to the end of pregnancy before the 22nd week of gestation, or taking into account the criterion of foetal weight (less than 500 g). Approximately 15-20% of recognized pregnancies and miscarriage involve spontaneous expulsion of the blastocyst from the uterine cavity. This constitutes about 80% of miscarriages in the first 12 weeks of gestation. The literature lists a number of factors which cause the loss of pregnancies. The most frequently cited causes of abortion are: genetic, anatomical, immunological and hormonal factors, and infections. A large number of miscarriages remain unexplained (idiopathic miscarriages). Clinical signs of miscarriage include bleeding and pain. Bleeding or spotting is the earliest sign of miscarriage. Data from the patient's history, physical examination, ultrasound examination and tests for hCG level can enable diagnosis of bleeding in early pregnancy, help to assess the degree of risk, and implement an appropriate treatment regimen and care for pregnant women adapted to their needs. Loss of pregnancy is an interdisciplinary problem involving obstetrics, epidemiology, public health, psychology, and other specialities. The role of medical personnel in the care of women after the loss of a child, regardless of the week and therapeutic procedures, as well as for giving adequate information regarding the rights of women after pregnancy loss. The obligation to inform women of their rights concerns medical staff, and it is important to promote knowledge in this field among doctors, nurses and midwives who care for women after miscarriage.

[Level of depression in women undergoing gynecologic surgery]

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine the level of depression in women during the early post-operative period.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

220 women treated surgically for various gynecologic conditions were enrolled. The study was done between day 4-6 after surgery using Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). The results were analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

It was found that the mean level of depression on the BDI scale in the study group of women was 12.24 +/- 8.73. The mean level of depression in patients who underwent surgery using the vaginal route was significantly greater (p = 0.003) than in patients after laparoscopy and patients after laparotomy.

CONCLUSIONS

The mean level of depression in the study group approached values found in depression. Patients after surgery using the vaginal route demonstrated higher levels of depression than patients after laparoscopy. Age, education, source of subsistence, and number of children had an impact on the level of depression in the study group. Marital status and place of residence were without effect on the level of depression in the patients.

Phenotypic characteristics of familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease associated with the codon 178Asn PRNP mutation

A group of 43 patients from seven families affected by Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) with the codon 178Asn mutation of the PRNP amyloid precursor gene is compared to a group of 211 patients with the sporadic form of the disease. As a group, the patients with the codon 178Asn mutation had an earlier age at onset of illness (almost always presenting as an insidious loss of memory), a longer duration of illness, and an absence of periodic electroencephalographic activity. Transmission of disease to primates was accomplished using brain tissue homogenates from 6 of 10 patients, resulting in significantly shorter incubation periods than those due to sporadic CJD inocula. These findings are interpreted and discussed in terms of possible differences in the temporospatial evolution of damage to the brain, and of accelerated induction of polymerized amyloid protein by its mutationally altered template precursor.

The molecular genetics of familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in France

Five French families with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) were found to have either of 2 different point mutations (at codons 178 and 200) in the amyloid precursor gene (PRNP) on chromosome 20. The ancestry of these and other CJD families outside of France suggests that the codon 178 mutation had a northern European origin, while the codon 200 mutation originated in central Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Evidence is presented that the mutations either cause or predispose to familial forms of CJD, and also influence their phenotypic expression, although considerable clinical and neuropathological heterogeneity may occur between and even within families having the same mutation. Experimental transmission of disease was successful in 4 of 5 inoculated cases, comparable to the transmission rate in sporadic CJD.

Failure to detect scrapie virus in sheep at slaughter in a highly endemic region of France

A study was carried out in a sheep slaughterhouse located in a region of France where scrapie has been endemic for several decades. Neuropathological examination of 63 randomly selected lambs and adult sheep revealed no scrapie-related abnormalities, and inoculation of mice with brain, tonsil, lateropharyngeal ganglia, and intestine from the same animals did not transmit scrapie. The failure to detect any evidence of scrapie infection in commercially-bred sheep, the absence of an increased mortality rate for human CJD in the surrounding consumer region, and the absence of a single case of CJD among slaughterhouse personnel, do not support the hypothesis that exposure to potentially scrapie-contaminated products is responsible for CJD in humans.