[Vaccinations Before and During Pregnancy]. / Impfungen bei Kinderwunsch und Schwangerschaft.

Vaccinations before and during pregnancy are of great significance-through a consistent vaccination strategy, infections can be totally prevented or the course of a disease can be attenuated and risks for mother and child avoided. The recommendations for immunizations before pregnancy are adapted to the general vaccination recommendations. Two vaccinations are explicitly recommended during pregnancy. On the one hand this is immunization against seasonal influenza, which protects the pregnant woman against infection as she has a higher risk for a serious course of disease and for complications. On the other hand vaccination against pertussis is recommended, which provides protection for the newborn in the first months of life. During breastfeeding, insufficient vaccination status should be completed according to the general recommendations.

Experimental heart failure induces alterations of the lung proteome--insight into molecular mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (CHF) is characterized by dyspnea and pulmonary changes. The underlying molecular adaptations are unclear, but might provide targets for therapeutic interventions. We therefore conceived a study to determine molecular changes of early pulmonary stress failure in a model of tachycardia-induced heart failure. METHODS: CHF was induced in rabbits by progessive right ventricular pacing (n=6). Invasive blood pressure measurements and echocardiography were repeatedly performed. Untreated animals served as controls (n=6). Pulmonary tissue specimens were subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. Selected proteins were validated by Western Blot analysis and localized by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: CHF animals were characterized by significantly altered functional, morphological, and hemodynamic parameters. Upon proteomic profiling, a total of 33 proteins was found to be differentially expressed in pulmonary tissue of CHF animals (18 up-regulated, and 15 down-regulated) belonging to 4 functional groups: 1. proteins involved in maintaining cytoarchitectural integrity, 2. plasma proteins indicating impaired alveolar-capillary permeability, 3. proteins with antioxidative properties, and 4. proteins participating in the metabolism of selenium compounds CONCLUSION: Experimental heart failure profoundly alters the pulmonary proteome. Our results supplement the current knowledge of pulmonary stress failure by specifying its molecular fundament.