ABSTRACT
This paper reported the management of a pregnant women with inherited protein C deficiency. The patient had a history of recurrent deep vein thrombosis before pregnancy and was diagnosed with inherited protein C deficiency by a pedigree-based whole exome sequencing, which revealed PROC gene mutations. She received anticoagulation treatment and was managed by a multidisciplinary team during pregnancy. No significant abnormalities were found during routine prenatal examination and a male infant was delivered vaginally at 38 +2 gestational weeks. No postpartum hemorrhage was reported and the maternal and infant outcomes were good. The management of such patients during pregnancy mainly relied on anticoagulation therapy to avoid serious thrombotic events and ensure the safety of the mothers and fetuses.
ABSTRACT
Three short-chain neurotoxins named NT-1, NT-II, and NT-III were purified from the venom of Naja kaouthia, a snake distributed throughout the south of Yunnan province, China, by a series of chromatographic steps, including an FPLC Resource S column. Their molecular weights, determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) MS, were 6952.19 Da, 6854.92 Da, and 6828.80 Da, respectively. NT-I consisted of 62 amino acid residues, and the other two consisted of 61 amino acid residues, including 8 cysteines. After hydrolysis by endoproteinase Glu-C, their primary sequences were determined. A test of their activities demonstrated that they effectively inhibited muscle contractions induced by electric stimulation. Furthermore, the extent of inhibition caused by NT-II and NT-III was less than that of NT-I. The IC50s were 0.04 microg/ml, 0.20 microg/ml, and 0.23 microg/ml for NT-I, NT-II, and NT-III, respectively. Compared with NT-II and NT-III, the higher activity of NT-I may be a result of the amino acid residue substitution Ile36 to Arg36.
