Evaluation of maternal serum and umbilical cord brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in COVID-19-infected pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 is a disease that affects and damages the neurological system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fetal neurodevelopmental status through maternal serum and umbilical cord BDNF levels. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 88 pregnant women were evaluated. Demographic and peripartum characteristics of the patients were recorded. Samples were collected from pregnant women for maternal serum and the umbilical cord BDNF levels during delivery. RESULTS: In this study, 40 pregnant women hospitalized with COVID-19 formed the infected group and 48 pregnant women without COVID-19 formed the healthy control group. Demographic and postpartum characteristics were similar in both groups. Maternal serum BDNF values were significantly lower in the COVID-19 infected group (1597.0 ± 337.3 pg/ml) than in the healthy group (1783.2 ± 394.1 pg/ml) (p=0.019). Fetal BDNF levels were 1794.9 ± 440.3 pg/ml in the healthy group and 1691.0 ± 368.6 pg/ml in COVID-19 infected pregnant women group and statistically similar between groups (p=0.232). CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that while maternal serum BDNF levels decreased in the presence of COVID-19, there was no difference in umbilical cord BDNF levels. This may be an indication that the fetus is not affected and is protected.

Induced sputum-retrieved matrix metalloproteinase 9 and tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor 1 in granulomatous diseases.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) capable of degrading various components of connective tissue matrices, and tissue inhibitor metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are considered important in lung parenchymal remodeling and repair processes in pulmonary diseases. Induced sputum (IS) is a reliable noninvasive method to investigate pathogenesis, pathophysiology and treatment of lung disease. This study was designed to determine whether IS-MMP9/TIMP1 levels demonstrate lung parenchymal remodeling in sarcoidosis (SA) and Crohn's disease (CRD) patients. Sputum was induced and processed conventionally in 13 SA patients, 18 CRD patients and 9 controls. Two-hundred cells were counted on Giemsa-stained cytopreps, and T lymphocytes subsets (CD4 = T helper and CD8 = T suppressor cytotoxic cells) were analysed by FACS using monoclonal antibodies.MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were measured using commercial ELISA kits. MMP-9 concentrations, but not those of TIMP-1, were significantly greater in the sputum supernatant in SA and CRD patients compared to controls (P = 0.018 and P = 0.0019, respectively). The molar ratio, MMP-9/TIMP-1, was significantly higher in SA and CRD patients compared to controls (P = 0.008 and P = 0.024, respectively). Gelatinase species having a molecular weight similar to that of MMP-9 were demonstrated by zymographic analysis. MMP-9 levels were highly correlated with the CD4/CD8 ratio and DLCO capacity in SA but less in CRD patients. MMP-9 levels in IS provide a sensitive marker for pulmonary damage.