Biomedical subjects

Barbara Lisowska-Myjak

Publications and source records attributed to Barbara Lisowska-Myjak.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Alpha-1-antitrypsin and IgA in serial meconium and faeces of healthy breast-fed newborns.

BACKGROUND: Meconium is a series of layers formed in the foetal intestine from the 12th week of gestation. High content of meconial alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), decreasing within the first several days of extrauterine life appears to reflect the meconium clearance of the gut. At birth, IgA is not present in the meconium and breast-fed infants receive this antibody postnatally with human milk. The aim of the study was to determine changes in AAT concentrations, functional activity of that inhibitor expressed as trypsin inhibitory capacity (TIC) and IgA concentration in serial meconium and faeces, as endogenous biochemical markers discriminating between faeces portions formed in intrauterine and extrauterine life periods of healthy breast-fed newborns. METHODS: A group of 24 healthy breast-fed newborns delivered by spontaneous labour were studied prospectively during the first 4 days of postnatal life. AAT and IgA concentrations in the newborn's meconial and faecal samples and IgA concentration in mother's milk samples taken on the third day after delivery, were determined by radial immunodiffusion. TIC was assessed using BAPNA (N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide). RESULTS: The medians (range) of AAT concentrations in milligrams per gram of dry meconium or faeces were: 68.8(29.2-138.4) (day 1), 56.9 (30.8-112.8) (day 2), 26.2 (6.8-80.7) (day 3), and 6.6 (1.4-27.1) (day 4). The medians (range) of TIC in milligrams of trypsin/g dry mass of meconium or faeces were: 0.76 (0.33-1.79) (day 1), 0.44 (0.17-1.08) (day 2), 0.16 (0.03-0.56) (day 3), and 0.03 (0-0.11) (day 4). The median (range) of IgA concentration in mothers' milk was 715 mg/dl (420-890). IgA was absent in meconium portions from the first day of life while on the successive days the medians (range) of IgA concentration in mg/g dry mass of meconium and faeces were as follows: 0 (0-2.90) (day 2), 2.50 (1.10-9.60) (day 3), 7.05 (4.10-30.60) (day 4). On day 4 of extrauterine life a negative correlation was found between AAT and IgA concentrations in faeces of the newborns (r = -0.46) and a positive correlation was seen between IgA concentrations in faeces and milk (r = 0.93). CONCLUSIONS: Analyses of the systematic decrease in AAT and increase of IgA concentration in serial portions of meconium and faeces over the first days of extrauterine life of breast-fed newborns can date newborn's faeces portions formed during intrauterine and extrauterine maturation. AAT deposited in foetal intestine is an active antiprotease.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2006

Trypsin and antitrypsin activities and protein concentration in serial meconium and feces of healthy newborns.

BACKGROUND: Meconium has the potential for being the matrix on which markers of fetal exposure to physiologic and non-physiologic agents during intrauterine life can be analyzed. The aim of this study was to compare trypsin and antitrypsin activities and protein concentration during intra- and extrauterine human development based on an assessment of these parameters in serial meconium and first feces of healthy, term newborns during the first four days of life. METHODS: One hundred and eighteen mature, term newborns were studied. Single portions of meconium or feces were taken prospectively from day 1 to day 4. In ten newborns each meconium and feces passed by the infant from birth up to the fourth day after delivery was collected individually. Trypsin activity was measured using L-TAPA (N-alpha-tosyl-l-arginine-p-nitroanilide) as substrate, trypsin inhibitory capacity (TIC) with N-alpha-benzoyl-dl-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) as substrate, and protein concentration by the method of Lowry et al. RESULTS: Meconium and feces of healthy newborns demonstrated a decrease in TIC during the first two days of life and an increase in trypsin activity over the first three successive days of life. No correlation was observed between the variability of both parameters. During the first three days of a newborn's life, significant correlation was observed between TIC and protein concentration in meconium and first feces. In the course of proteolytic activity changes in successive portions of meconium and feces, a transient peak occurs on the 2nd-4th day of life. CONCLUSIONS: The gradual decrease in protease inhibitor activity and low trypsin activity in successive portions of meconium from the first two days of extrauterine life may provide a retrograde chronological depiction of the course of the second and third trimesters of intrauterine life. Serial collection of feces over 2-4 days may provide a reflection of the dynamics of the postnatal increase in the newborn's pancreatic exocrine functions.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2005

AAT as a diagnostic tool.

Serum alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) concentration can be affected by both inflammatory and non-inflammatory conditions. This paper characterizes the nature of AAT in physiology and pathologic deficiency and increasing states. The relationships between the AAT concentration in different clinical materials (serum, urine, faeces) and various diseases connected with different organs were analyzed.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

[Meconium as a new biological material for detecting intrauterine exposure to toxic substances].

The use of licit and illicit drugs and exposure to other xenobiotic agents during pregnancy is common. These substances are known to have adverse effects on the pregnancy and fetus; however information on fetal exposure is sparse due to the lack of an appropriate measure of exposure. Meconium analysis is a new method for identifying in utero exposure of infants to a number of illicit and legal drugs, alcohol, nicotine, heavy metals, pesticides, congenital infections. It's testing is non-invasive, highly accurate and able to detect prior exposure in utero during 12-40 weeks of gestation. This has implications for toxicology to develop improved methods to identify exposed infants.

Designer Drugs↗

PubMed2003

Antigenic and functional levels of alpha-1-antitrypsin in serum during normal and diabetic pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: Serum alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) concentration may not be representative of the functional capacity of this inhibitor. The aim of this study was to determine the antigenic and functional serum levels of AAT during normal and diabetic pregnancy. METHODS: Serum AAT concentration was measured on NOR-Partigen plates (Dade Behring). Trypsin inhibitory capacity (TIC) in the serum was determined with N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroaniline (BAPNA, Sigma) as substrate. The examined material included pregnant women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (n=16) studied prospectively in successive stages of pregnancy, healthy pregnant women in the first trimester (n=12), second trimester (n=15), third trimester (n=15) and healthy non-pregnant women (n=14). RESULTS: Serum concentration of AAT in all consecutive phases of diabetic pregnancy is higher as compared to normal pregnancy (P<0.0001). Serum TIC is significantly lower in the first and third trimesters in diabetic pregnancy (P<0.05, 0.001, respectively). Specific activity of serum AAT (mg of trypsin inhibited by 1mg of AAT) does not change between subsequent trimesters both in normal and diabetic pregnancy and in diabetic pregnancy is two times lower as compared to normal pregnancy. CONCLUSION: In spite of the higher level of AAT in the serum in diabetic pregnancy, the ability of this inhibitor to inhibit trypsin is two times lower as compared to normal pregnancy.

Adult↗