Adverse influences during fetal life alter the structure and function of distinct cells, organ systems or homoeostatic pathways, thereby 'programming' the individual for an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes in adult life. Fetal programming can be caused by a number of different perturbations in the maternal compartment, such as altered maternal nutrition and reduc...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether genetic factors contribute to the association between low birth weight and increased blood pressure among adolescents. DESIGN Historical cohort study of twin pairs. It was evaluated whether (1) a negative association between birth weight and systolic blood pressure was found in the overall twin sample and (2) whether the intrapair difference in birth weight corr...

Background. Uterine perforation and transvesical migration of an intrauterine device are rare complications. Case. A 28-year-old woman who had an intrauterine device was admitted to our outpatient clinic with complaints of amenorrhea lasting 5 weeks and pelvic pain lasting a year. Transvaginal ultrasonography revealed embedding of the intrauterine device in the bladder. The misplaced device was...

OBJECTIVES Epidemiological evidence in humans suggests that intrauterine growth retardation is associated with an increased risk of hypertension and coronary heart disease in later life. To begin to understand the mechanisms involved, we developed and exploited a rat model of intrauterine growth retardation to assess predisposition to arrhythmias and resting blood pressure levels at defined age...

Multiple factors determine the susceptibility to intrauterine hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. These factors include the HBV structure, HBV mutation, HBV DNA level, placental barrier, the immune status of the mother, and the genetic make-ups of the newborn infants. Since HLA system is an integral component of the immune response, we hypothesized that the highly polymorphic HLA genes are the k...

BACKGROUND Use of modern contraceptive methods has been shown to reduce unwanted pregnancy, high parity and maternal mortality. Intrauterine contraceptive devices which are among the safest and most effective reversible contraceptives available, are particularly suitable for women in developing countries as they are affordable, convenient to use, do not require re -supply visits and are very co...

OBJECTIVE To detect vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and micro-vessel density (MVD) in patients with severe intrauterine adhesion before and after therapy, and to preliminarily explore the role of angiogenesis in the therapy of severe intrauterine adhesion. METHODS A total of 36 patients with severe intrauterine adhesion were prospectively recruited into the treatment grou...

Background: An intrauterine device is commonly used for contraception globally. Although intrauterine device placement is an effective and safe method of contraception, migration into the bladder with stone formation is a rare and serious complication. The management approaches for an intrauterine device embedded in the bladder include endoscopic procedures and open surgical removal. In this st...

Reproduction is vital for producing offspring and preserving genetic resources. However, incidences of many reproductive disorders (e.g. miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, premature delivery and lower sperm quality) have either increased dramatically or remained at high rates over the last decades. Mounting evidence shows a strong correlation between enteral protein nutrition and rep...