ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Women with a history of vascular complicated pregnancy are at risk for developing remote cardiovascular disease. It is associated with underlying cardiovascular risk factors both jeopardizing trophoblast and vascular function. Subclinical hypothyroidism may relate to both conditions. METHODS: In 372 women with a history of vascular complicated pregnancy, we assessed thyroid function. RESULTS: Subclinical hypothyroidism was diagnosed in 73/372 women (19.6%). It occurred more often when pregnancy ended before 32 weeks of gestation (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: In this cohort, subclinical hypothyroidism is more common after very preterm delivery. It may contribute to the elevated risk of remote cardiovascular disease.
Subject(s)
Fetal Growth Retardation/epidemiology , Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced/epidemiology , Hypothyroidism/epidemiology , Abruptio Placentae/blood , Abruptio Placentae/epidemiology , Adult , Female , Fetal Growth Retardation/blood , Humans , Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced/blood , Hypothyroidism/blood , Hypothyroidism/etiology , Lipids/blood , Netherlands/epidemiology , Pregnancy , Prevalence , Thyroid Function TestsABSTRACT
Oxazolone (OXA) is a potent contact allergen in man, and it is used as a model Th1-allergen to test (Q)SAR's and screening assays for allergenic potential of chemicals. However, it elevates serum IgE levels and Thelper2 cytokines at relatively low doses in test animals, suggesting that it has also respiratory allergenic potential. The lack of human data on respiratory allergenic potential of OXA may be due to lack of significant inhalation exposure. Here, female Brown Norway rats (BN) were sensitized by two or five dermal applications of OXA at the same total dose of 3.75mg. Controls received vehicle. All animals were challenged by inhalation to 45mg/m(3) OXA on day 21 and necropsy was performed on day 22. All sensitized animals had increased serum IgE. OXA challenge decreased breathing frequency, and induced apnoeic breathing in the sensitized animals - a hallmark of respiratory allergy in our model. An exudative, granulocytic inflammation was observed primarily in the larynx of the sensitized and challenged rats. Microarray analysis of lung tissue, sampled 24h after challenge, revealed upregulation of several genes and activation of Gene Ontology (GO) pathways, which resembled more closely those found previously in lung tissue of rats sensitized and challenged by the respiratory allergen trimellitic anhydride than by the contact allergen dinitrochlorobenzene. The results indicate that the contact allergen OXA can also be a respiratory allergen, provided that it is inhaled. Its use as a model contact sensitizer must be reconsidered.
