29 January, 2014

Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy 'increases preeclampsia risk'

Research led by investigators from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health suggests that women who have a vitamin D deficiency in the first 26 weeks of pregnancy are more likely to develop severe preeclampsia. This is according to a study recently published in the journalEpidemiology.

Preeclampsia is a potentially life-threatening pregnancy complication that usually occurs after the first 20 weeks of gestation or shortly after birth. According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, around 5-8% of pregnancies are affected by the condition.

Early signs of the condition include high blood pressure and albuminuria - excess protein that leaks into the urine.

Some women may also experience swelling of the feet, ankles, face and hands - caused by fluid retention - as well as severeheadaches, problems with vision and pain just below the ribs.

Vitamin D and pregnancy

Vitamin D is known to be important for regulating and absorbing calcium and phosphorus in the body.

The majority of people are able to get all the vitamin D they need from the sun and various foods, such as oily fish, eggs and fortified fat spreads.

However, according to the Vitamin D Council, pregnancy is a known risk factor for vitamin D deficiency.

Previous research has suggested that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy may lead to gestational diabetes, increased risk of infections and cesarean section, and low offspring birth weight.

To determine whether there is an association between vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and risk of preeclampsia, the research team analyzed the blood samples of 700 pregnant women who later developed preeclampsia, alongside the blood samples of 3,000 pregnant women who did not develop the condition.

All samples were collected between 1959 and 1965 from 12 US institutions. The researchers note that the blood samples were well-preserved and they were able to test the samples for vitamin D levels decades after they were collected.

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com

29.01.2014

New classification system for breast cancers

Breast cancer tumors have long been classified according to their expression of three surface proteins: estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2).

These classifications are used to determine best treatments and prognoses, but are not adequate to describe tumorcharacteristics or compare them to normal breast tissue.

In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Tan Ince and colleagues of the University of Miami devised a method to categorize normal breast tissue cells as a reference point to classify tumor cells. By analyzing sections of normal breast tissue from 36 donors, the group delineated 13 previously undescribed cell types within the lobular structures of the tissue.

These cell types fit four patterns of hormone receptor expression, which could then be used to classify breast tumor samples, and correlated with distinct survival outcomes.

In an accompanying commentary, Robert Cardiff and Alexander Borowsky of University of California, Davis indicate that this new classification scheme be used to refine patient treatment plans and expand our understanding of breast cancer development.

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com

29.01.2014

Be strong when you are weak, brave when you are scared and humble when you are victorious