Aim: A myriad of myths surround pregnancy, especially regarding the prediction of the sex of the infant. Some of these myths and old wives' tales are, to this day, widespread among expectant parents. ...The objective of this study was to examine whether common pregnancy-related statements regarding foetal sex prediction vary between mothers of female and male infants.
Methods: The questionnaire-based study was conducted from September 2017 to September 2018 at a well-baby nursery. Participants were mothers of infants (n = 350) admitted to the well-baby nursery with a singleton pregnancy and at > 36 weeks of gestation at birth.
Results: We investigated a number of statements regarding foetal sex prediction. With the exception of one statement, there were no other differences between mothers of male and female infants. Pregnancy with a male foetus is associated with glossier hair during pregnancy. Women with female newborns reported glossier hair during pregnancy in 39.1% of cases, while women with male newborns reported the same in 45.0% of cases (P = 0.04).
Conclusion: Old wives' tales regarding sex prediction of the infant during pregnancy remain myths for a reason, with the possible exception of one statement regarding glossier hair and pregnancy with a male foetus.
(Kardum* D, Kardum Ž, Nađ T, Müller A. He or She, What Will It Be: Old Wivesʹ Tales and Foetal Sex Prediction. SEEMEDJ 2020; 4(1); 96-101)
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic, autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation, vasculopathy, and fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Immunological response in SSc is still poorly ...understood. Cytokines play a significant role in this process leading to vasculopathy and fibrosis. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate serum levels of Th-17-related cytokines, IL-17 and IL-22, and to determine their correlation to the clinical association in SSc patients. Serum IL-17 and IL-22 levels were examined in 42 SSc patients and 29 healthy individuals. Associations between serum IL-17 and IL-22 levels and the duration of the disease, the extent of skin fibrosis, capillaroscopic findings, and involvement of the internal organs were explored. Serum IL-17 levels were not different in SSc and the control group. Serum IL-22 levels were significantly elevated in SSc patients compared to healthy individuals (
p
= 0.04). A positive correlation was found between the IL-22 sera levels and interstitial lung disease (
p
= 0.007). These results suggest IL-22 as a potential biomarker in SSc-related interstitial lung disease.
Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disease characterized with recurrent swelling of subcutaneous or mucosal tissue that resolves in approximately 3 days. It can be presented with peripheral edema, ...abdominal and life-threatening laryngeal angioedema. A variety of triggers are known to cause episodes of angioedema including estrogen exposure. There are different reports regarding the effect of pregnancy on HAE attacks, and in some patients, the pregnancy is a recognized triggering factor.
We present a female Caucasian patient with pre-existing HAE and disease exacerbations during pregnancy, requiring prophylactic use of plasma-derived C1 inhibitor concentrate. She was treated with Cinryze® replacement therapy throughout the pregnancy 1000 IU i.v. 48 times. She gave birth to a healthy male infant, via C-section. After the delivery, the patient was symptom-free for 6 months and required no treatment for HAE.
In the case presented, the angioedema attacks worsened as the pregnancy progressed. The treatment with Cinryze® replacement therapy was effective and safe during pregnancy, with no adverse effects on the infant.
Behçet’s disease (BD) is vasculitis affecting vessels of variable sizes characterized with recurrent oral and/or genital aphthous ulcers accompanied by cutaneous, ocular, articular, gastrointestinal, ...and/or central nervous system inflammatory lesions. The disease is characterized by recurrent attacks and remissions of different durations, which is one of the reasons why the diagnosis is, in most cases, made several years after the onset of first symptoms. We present a 24-year old male, with South Eastern European heritage, with relapsing bilateral optic neuritis as a first symptom of the disease, followed by aseptic meningitis 2 years, and vascular manifestation 3 years after onset, which finally led to the diagnosis of Behçet’s disease. Vascular symptoms were thromboembolism of the right leg and aneurism of the right popliteal artery that due to the size required surgical treatment. The patient was treated with glucocorticoids, azathioprine and anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha therapy, that proved to be the best treatment options for all manifestations of the disease. Based on our literature review, optic neuritis is a known and rare clinical feature of BD. To our knowledge, there are only several literature reports in which optic neuritis is the initial symptom of BD. Our case report and literature review emphasize the importance of recognizing optic neuritis without inflammatory eye disease as a possible presenting symptom of BD and accentuate detailed medical history review at each patient’s visit.
Mišićno-koštana bol najčešći je simptom prisutan u gotovo svim reumatskim bolestima. Reumatske
bolesti obuhvaćaju više od 150 kliničkih entiteta. Nema jedinstvene klasifi kacije reumatskih bolesti. ...Općenito ih dijelimo
na upalne reumatske bolesti, neupalne bolesti zglobova degenerativnog karaktera, sustavne bolesti vezivnog tkiva,
metaboličke poremećaje s manifestacijom na zglobovima, regionalne i proširene bolne sindrome. Bol je prema Međunarodnom
udruženju za proučavanje boli (IASP) defi nirana kao neugodan osjećaj povezan s oštećenjem tkiva ili opisan
u vrijeme takvog oštećenja. Ona ima svoju tjelesnu, duševnu i socijalnu komponentu. Najčešće se u reumatskim
bolestima radi o kroničnoj boli koja može narušiti opće stanje organizma, traje duže od 3 ili 6 mjeseci, a prema nekim
defi nicijama, već i ako postoji duže od 6 tjedana. Uglavnom je nociceptivna, a rjeđe neuropatska. Mišićno-koštana bol,
osobito kronična, globalni je javnozdravstveni problem zbog svoje učestalosti, nerijetko oštećenja funkcije i razvoja
kroničnoga bolnog sindroma koji se može smatrati zasebnim kliničkim entitetom i zahtijeva biopsihosocijalni pristup
u liječenju bolesnika.
Musculoskeletal pain is the most common symptom present in almost all rheumatic diseases. Rheumatic
diseases include more than 150 clinical entities. There is no uniform classification of rheumatic ...diseases. In general, we
distinguish inflammatory rheumatic diseases, non-inflammatory degenerative articular diseases, systemic connective tissue
diseases, metabolic disorders with articular manifestations, and regional and extended pain syndromes. According to
the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), pain is defined as an unpleasant sensation associated with tissue
damage or reported simultaneously with such damage. Pain has a physical, mental, and social component. In rheumatic
diseases the pain is mostly chronic and may severely impair the patient’s general condition. The defining criteria involve a
period of more than 3 or 6 months, and according to some definitions more than 6 weeks. In most cases the pain is nociceptive
rather than neuropathic. Musculoskeletal pain, especially chronic pain, is a global public health problem because of its
prevalence, as well as the frequently associated muslculoskeletal function impairment and development of chronic pain
syndrome, which can be considered as a separate clinical entity and requires a biopsychosocial treatment approach.
Uvod: Antisintetazni sindrom (ASS) je rijetka autoimunosna sustavna bolest koju karakteriziraju miozitis, artritis, Raynaudov sindrom, mehaničarske ruke i intersticijska bolest pluća. Materijali i ...metode: Prikazujemo 50-godišnjeg bolesnika sa znacima polimiozitisa i zahvaćanja plućnog intersticija uz pozitivna anti-Jo1 protutijela kod kojega je postavljena sumnja na antisintetazni sindrom. Rezultati: Liječen je glukokortikoidima, a potom je kao dodatna imunosupresivna terapija uveden azatioprin koji je isključen zbog jetrene lezije, a liječenje je nastavljeno ciklofosfamidom. U kasnijem tijeku bolesti pratila se radiološka regresija plućnih promjena te se kao terapija održavanja uvede mikofenolat mofetil. Zaključak: Ako ostane neprepoznat ASS dovodi do razvoja ireverzibilne plućne fibroze, međutim pravovremenom
primjenom imunosupresivne terapije može se poboljšati kvaliteta života i prognoza bolesnika s ASS-om.
Ravnoteža razgradnje i stvaranja kosti važna je za normalan proces pregradnje i održavanja koštane mase. Genetski, hormonski, imunološki i drugi čimbenici utječu na pregradnju kosti tijekom cijelog ...života. Poremećaj koštane pregradnje ključni je patofiziološki mehanizam nastanka osteoporoze i predstavlja složen proces u kojem sudjeluju koštane stanice, citokini i njihovi receptori. Danas je već poznata važna uloga RANK/RANKL/OPG sustava u patofiziologiji osteoporoze, ali se i dalje istražuju važni unutarstanični signalni putovi u nastanku osteoporoze i drugih metaboličkih bolesti kosti.
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