A glycoprotein immunologically related to plasma cold-insoluble globulin (CIG) and fetal skin fibroblast fibronectin has been purified from second-trimester human amniotic fluid. This protein (amniotic fluid fibronectin) migrated more slowly than CIG on sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and showed greater polydispersity which could result, at least in part, from heterogeneity in glycos...

OBJECTIVE To investigate methionine metabolism during normal human embryonic development by measuring levels of methionine and total homocysteine in samples of maternal serum, extra-embryonic coelomic fluid, and amniotic fluid. DESIGN Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING Collaboration between St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, and the University Hospital of Nijmegen in The Netherlan...

Introduction: Metritis is one of the causes of maternal morbidity and there are many risk factors for it. Because of the importance of possible association of meconium-stained amniotic fluid and maternal metritis the present study was done to determine whether meconium stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) is associated with puerperal infection. Methods: In this case-control study 150 women with MSAF a...

OBJECTIVE The high risk of nonunion represents a challenge in vertebral surgery, thus stimulating new strategies to improve fusion rates. We investigated the effect of 2 different bone grafts and amniotic fluid application on radiologically and histologically evaluated vertebral fusion in an experimental rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-eight 24-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were include...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether treatment with interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1-ra) would affect amniotic fluid concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and prostaglandins or clinical or microbiological outcomes in a model of ascending bacterial infection in pregnancy. METHODS Timed pregnant New Zealand white rabbits at 70% of gestation underwent endoscopic inoculation o...

Introduction: meconium is the thick, Green - Black, with a bad odor material,  that founded around the third month of pregnancy in the intestines of fetus. 8 to 15 percent of infants has the evidence of meconium stained fluid at birth. In this study the factors affecting maternal and neonatal meconium-stained amniotic fluid be examined. Methods: This study was done in the Vali-e- asr hospital ...

In the last ten years, placenta, fetal membranes (i.e. amnion and chorion), and amniotic fluid have been extensively investigated as a potential non-controversial source of stem cells. They are usually discarded after delivery and are accessible during pregnancy through amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling [1] Several populations of cells with multi-lineage differentiation potential and ...