ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Males have higher weight and length at birth than females. AIM: To verify the influence of the Y chromosome and the action of intrauterine androgens on weight and length at birth of children with Disorders of Sex Development (DSD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional and retrospective study. Patients with Turner syndrome (TS), complete (XX and XY), mixed (45,X/46,XY) and partial (XY) gonadal dysgenesis (GD), complete (CAIS) and partial (PAIS) androgen insensitivity syndromes and XX and XY congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) were included. Weight and length at birth were evaluated. RESULTS: Weight and length at birth were lower in TS and mixed GD when compared to XY and XX DSD cases. In turn, patients with increased androgen action (117 cases) had higher weight and length at birth when compared to those with absent (108 cases) and decreased (68 cases) production/action. In birthweight, there was a negative influence of the 45,X/46,XY karyotype and a positive influence of increased androgen and gestational age. In birth length, there was a negative influence of the 45,X and 45,X/46,XY karyotypes and also a positive influence of increased androgen and gestational age. CONCLUSIONS: The sex dimorphism of weight and length at birth could possibly be influenced by intrauterine androgenic action.
Subject(s)
Androgen-Insensitivity Syndrome , Androgens , Male , Child , Infant, Newborn , Female , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Sex Characteristics , Cross-Sectional StudiesABSTRACT
This randomized, prospective, non-inferiority study aimed to quantify anti-HBs titers induced by recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine from healthy infants vaccinated with combined Hepatitis B and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines (HbsAg 10 microg plus BCG suspension 0.1mg) and compare them to titers obtained with separated vaccines. Infants were immunized at birth either with combined intradermal (ID) BCG and Hepatitis B or ID BCG alone and intramuscular (IM) Hepatitis B. Both groups received IM Hepatitis B at 1 and 6 months of age. After the third dose anti-HBs titers > or =10 IU/mL were observed in 99% of vaccinees and > or =1000 IU/mL in 71%. There were no adverse events in both groups. Combination of HbsAg with BCG as first dose did not modify the profile of the humoral immune response for Hepatitis B indicating safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine in newborn.
Subject(s)
BCG Vaccine/administration & dosage , Hepatitis B Antibodies/blood , Hepatitis B Vaccines/administration & dosage , Hepatitis B Vaccines/immunology , Hepatitis B virus/immunology , Hepatitis B/immunology , Vaccination , Female , Hepatitis B/blood , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/immunology , Hepatitis B Vaccines/adverse effects , Humans , Immunization Schedule , Infant, Newborn , Injections, Intradermal , Male , Prospective Studies , Vaccines, Combined/administration & dosage , Vaccines, Combined/adverse effects , Vaccines, Combined/immunology , Vaccines, Synthetic/administration & dosage , Vaccines, Synthetic/adverse effects , Vaccines, Synthetic/immunologyABSTRACT
Cell-mediated immune responses to BCG vaccine were evaluated in 7-month-old infants vaccinated with intradermal combined BCG and Hepatitis B or intradermal BCG and intramuscular Hepatitis B at birth. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures from both groups showed CD4(+), CD8(+) and remarkable gammadelta(+) T cell BCG-specific proliferation, without significant differences. Also, IL-10, IL-12, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha concentrations in culture supernatants, measured by ELISA, were similar. The results suggested that the combined BCG and Hepatitis B vaccine was as immunogenic as BCG separated from Hepatitis B vaccine.
Subject(s)
BCG Vaccine/immunology , Hepatitis B Vaccines/immunology , Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta/analysis , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Cytokines/biosynthesis , Female , Humans , Immunization , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Lymphocyte Activation , Male , Vaccines, Combined/immunologyABSTRACT
This review focuses on the mechanisms of DNA methylation, DNA methylation pattern formation and their involvement in gene regulation. Association of DNA methylation with imprinting, embryonic development and human diseases is discussed. Furthermore, besides considering changes in DNA methylation as mechanisms of disease, the role of epigenetics in general and DNA methylation in particular in transgenerational carcinogenesis, in memory formation and behavior establishment are brought about as mechanisms based on the cellular memory of gene expression patterns.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , DNA Methylation , Epigenesis, Genetic/genetics , Gene Silencing/physiology , Inheritance Patterns/genetics , Neoplasms/genetics , Cell Differentiation/genetics , CpG Islands/genetics , Epigenesis, Genetic/physiology , Gene Expression Regulation , Inheritance Patterns/physiology , MemoryABSTRACT
This review focuses on the mechanisms of DNA methylation, DNA methylation pattern formation and their involvement in gene regulation. Association of DNA methylation with imprinting, embryonic development and human diseases is discussed. Furthermore, besides considering changes in DNA methylation as mechanisms of disease, the role of epigenetics in general and DNA methylation in particular in transgenerational carcinogenesis, in memory formation and behavior establishment are brought about as mechanisms based on the cellular memory of gene expression patterns.
