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F Al-Qattan

Publications and source records attributed to F Al-Qattan.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Changing trends in the obstetric indications for cervical cerclage.

Cervical incompetence causes repeated mid-trimester miscarriage and preterm delivery with high fetal wastage. Since the introduction of cervical cerclage in 1951, it has undergone many changes with regard to the techniques, indications and postoperative care. The objective of this study is to review the changing trends in the current indications of cervical cerclage and subsequent perinatal outcome at the maternity hospital from January 1992 to December 1999. All the files of women who had had cervical cerclage were evaluated in terms of characteristics of the women, indications and obstetric outcome after cervical cerclage. Of 65539 who delivered in the hospital, 1021 women had had cervical cerclage, giving an incidence of 1.21%. There was a significant increase in the incidence of cervical cerclage, from 1.13% in 1992 to 1.40% in 1999 (P < 0.01). More women with multiple pregnancy in 1996 - 99 had cerclage than in 1992 - 94 period [22.7 vs. 8.5% (P < 0.01)]. It is clear that more cervical sutures are being performed in multiple pregnancies arising from assisted reproductive technology as well as after ultrasonographic evidence of cervical dilatation. A multicentre randomised clinical trial is therefore advocated to evaluate its effectiveness in these cases.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Differential levels of interleukin 6 in maternal and cord sera and placenta in women with pre-eclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a T helper 2 cytokine with a variety of properties including pro-inflammatory characteristics. It has, therefore, been implicated in the pathophysiology of abnormal pregnancies. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between IL-6 and pre-eclampsia by estimating the differential levels of IL-6 in maternal and cord serum and supernatant of homogenized placental tissue. METHODS: 50 primigravidae with pre-eclampsia and 50 matched normotensive primigravidae served as controls. At delivery, maternal and cord blood were collected and the serum extracted. Placental blocks were homogenized and sonicated in RPMI solution and the supernatant collected. The total protein concentration was determined and IL-6 levels assayed with an ELISA technique. RESULTS: Placental IL-6 (170 and 186 pg/mg protein) was threefold that in the maternal (64 and 58 pg/mg protein) and cord serum (63 and 72 pg/mg protein; p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the mean IL-6 levels in maternal and cord serum or placenta in both pre-eclamptic women and normotensive controls nor in pre-eclamptic patients with babies with intra-uterine growth restriction or in pre-eclamptic patients with babies with an appropriate birth weight and in normotensive controls. CONCLUSION: There are no differences in the maternal and cord sera and placental levels of IL-6 in pre-eclamptic and normotensive women, indicating that IL-6 may not have a role in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Seminal immune response in infertile men with leukocytospermia: effect on antioxidant activity.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of leukocytospermia and relation to T helper cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), antisperm antibodies and antioxidant activity. DESIGN: Semen samples from 176 infertile men and 24 fertile controls were investigated. METHODOLOGY: The protocol included tubal patency test, hysterosalpingography and laparoscopy and dye test and ovulation through mid-luteal phase progesterone for the wives. The husbands had semen analysis, cytomorphology evaluation and semen culture. Seminal TNFalpha and IL-4, antisperm antibodies, total antioxidant activity, superoxide dismutase and zinc were determined. RESULTS: Leukocytospermia occurred in 44.3% of the infertile men compared to 12.5% of the fertile men (P<0.01). Thirty-six (20.5%) men had pathogenic bacterial organisms which constituted 46.2% of those with leukocytospermia. Sperm parameters were worse with leukocytospermia in terms of sperm count (P<0.01), total motility progressive motility (P<0.01), morphology, asthenozoospermia, sperm membrane integrity and antisperm antibodies. TNFalpha and IL-4 had an inverse relationship; the expression of TNFalpha was higher with leukocytospermia and bacteriospermia (P<0.001), while IL-4 was higher in fertile controls (P<0.005). Incidence of antisperm antibodies was higher with leukocytospermia. Total antioxidant activity, superoxide dismutase and zinc were lower with leukocytospermia. CONCLUSION: Leukocytospermia impairs sperm function through reduced antioxidant activity and enhanced T helper 1 modulation.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Differential levels of T helper cytokines in preeclampsia: pregnancy, labor and puerperium.

BACKGROUND: There are suggestions that T helper 1 cytokines may be detrimental to early pregnancy and T helper 2 cytokines protective of the pregnancy. Their role in preeclamptic pregnancy, labor and puerperium, is not clear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight preeclamptic women and their matched controls were evaluated, at the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University and Maternity Hospital, Kuwait. Outcome measures evaluated were serum levels of TNF alpha and interleukin-4 at 12, 24, 36 weeks of gestation, advanced labor and at 1 hour and daily postpartum until they were undetectable, using ELISA technique. RESULTS: T helper cytokines showed higher serum levels in preeclampsia than normotensive pregnancy (p < 0.01, 0.01), in established labor (p < 0.05) and at 1 hour postpartum (p < 0.01 for IL-4) and p < 0.02 for TNF alpha. There was significant increase of IL-4 between 12 to 24 weeks in normal pregnancy compared to preeclampsia (p < 0.001) but not for TNF alpha. By 24 hours postpartum, IL-4 was still detectable in eight parturients compared to one patient with detectable TNF alpha (p < 0.04). Detectable IL-4 levels after 24 hours postpartum were associated with intrauterine growth retardation (p < 0.03). CONCLUSION: IL-4 has a dichotomous role in pregnancy. Normotensive pregnancy is associated with high increase in IL-4 in the first half of the pregnancy, but in the second half of pregnancy and puerperium, high levels of IL-4 are associated with preeclampsia.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

ABO blood group and expression of antisperm antibodies in infertile couples in Kuwait.

Two hundred and fifty infertile couples and 102 fertile controls were evaluated to determine the association between ABO blood group status and seminal blood group substances among infertile couples and expression of circulating antisperm antibodies. Antisperm antibodies occurred in 18.8 and 17.7% of the infertile men and women, compared to 3.9% in the fertile women (p < 0.01). The 23 ABO blood group combinations in the infertile and fertile couples revealed no significant association with infertility except the predominance of B+/O+ spouses in the fertile group (p < 0.03). Although 76.8% of the men were secretors of seminal blood group substances, there was no significant association with development of antisperm antibodies. This shows that ABO blood group is not directly associated with infertility nor antisperm antibody formation.

ABO Blood-Group System↗