Introduction:
Natural Killer cells play an important role in the development of the placenta during the early stages of pregnancy. The mechanism of angiogenesis is controlled in part by the effect of uterine natural killer cells (uNK) and their production of cytokines. The mechanisms and role of the uNK cells will be examined and the importance of the uNK cells become clear when disorders relating to dysfunctional NK cells are examined.
Peripheral Natural Killer Cells:
Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes that are part of the innate immune system and have different functions depending on their location. Peripheral NK (pNK) cells recognise MHC class 1 molecules on the surface of stressed cells. There are two phenotypes of pNK cells. CD56dim CD16+ NK cells make up 90% of the pNK cell population and have cytotoxic tendencies, whereas CD56bright CD16- cells are less cytotoxic but produce the majority of cytokines that are important for immunological regulation and make up 10%. The presence of receptors on the surface of the NK cells contributes to their function (table 1).
Uterine Natural Killer Cells:
uNK cells, also known as decidual NK (dNK) cells are present in the decidua, which is the lining of the uterus. This lining is in close contact with fetal trophoblast cells (Fig. 1) and is necessary to separate the fetus from the maternal circulatory system. uNK cells have the CD56bright CD16- phenotype, so are similar to the less cytotoxic pNK cells. Research by Spornitz (1992) showed that uNK cells have different stages of growth (Fig. 2) and that their numbers decline dramatically after the first trimester. The origin of uNK cells has been debated and different theories have been suggested. Yamaguchi et al. (2006) sugge...
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Pam Jenkins is a 36 year-old woman that is 30 weeks into her third pregnancy. Since her pregnancy began, Pam has gained 20 pounds. Although Pam has reduced the amount that she smokes, she continues to smoke 5 cigarettes per day, which may cause some issues with her worry of another preterm birth. Another factor that could also cause complications is her delayed prenatal vitamin use. After logging her dietary intake within a 24 hour period into SuperTracker, I will be making recommendations on how she can alter her diet and lifestyle to ensure that Pam receives the nutrients she needs for herself and for her baby.
The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body, and it defends the body from “foreign invaders.” Immunity can be divided in two three different defenses, and these are defined as first, second and third lines of defense. The first line of defense for the immune system is the primary defense against pathogens entering the body from the surface in order to prevent the start of disease and infection. Some examples of the first line of defense is the skin, protecting the external boundaries of the body, and the mucous membranes, protecting the internal boundaries of the body. Although the skin and mucous membranes work on the internal and external boundaries, they both release chemicals
In most hospital delivery rooms, the doctors will routinely clamp and sever the umbilical cord with in fifteen to thirty seconds of the mother giving birth. When clamping the cord, the doctors will clamp the cord in two places, one close to the infant and then again in the middle of the cord another clamp. By delaying the clamping, fetal blood in the placental transfusion can provide the infant with an additional thirty percent more blood volume and up to sixty percent more blood cells (McDonald, S., & Middleton, P., 2009). This reduces the risk of the hemorrhaging that could occur after birth. But with new ongoing studies, it is said that by delaying the clamping of the cor...
Thrombocytopenia affects 6% to 10% of all pregnant women and, other than anemia, is the most common hematologic disorder in pregnancy (McCrae, 2010). The blood consists of three main ingredients: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Each plays an essential function to provide the human body with elements and protects the body against any exterior viral and infection. Platelets are responsible to help blood to clot. The deficiency or disorder of platelets lead to disease called Thrombocytopenia. This issue is diagnosed when platelets are less than 150,000 platelets per microliter of blood (Erkurt, et. al, 2012).
“Cells Involved In Immune Responses and Antigen Recognition.” Microbiology and Immunology. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. .
The ethical dilemma raised by abortion has led scientists to look for an alternative to embryonic stem cells in which the killing of humans is not involved. Induced ...
Association of Placenta Preparation Arts board member Nikole Keller says, “the placenta is often referred to as a filter; this isn’t an ideal term for the placenta considering its function in the body… A more suitable way of looking at it would be as a gate keeper between the mother and the fetus. The placenta’s job is to keep the maternal and fetal blood separate, at the same time allowing nutrients to pass to the fetus, gas exchange to occur, and allowing waste from the fetus to pass through the mother, . The placenta does prevent some toxins from passing through to the fetus but they are not stored in the placenta. Toxins in the body and waste from the fetus are processed by the mother’s liver and kidneys for elimination”
The history in a family can influence many generations. Certain families have stereotypes about them based on family history. This is a real world situation; the movie The Pregnancy Project, stereotypes about teen pregnancy where shown, and how they affect people. In the Pregnancy Project, the use of Gabi’s background influenced people’s reactions because her family has a history of teen pregnancy.
18. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Maternal serum screening. ACOG Educational Bulletin, 1996; no. 228.
Again, the major upsets this disease causes is infertility and abortions (Hansen, 1914). Vibriosis in females causes endometritis. This means there is a failure to conceive or the death of the embryo. Affected cows may conceive and not return to heat 21 da...
The author of this book is 21 year old Gaby Rodriguez. She came up with the idea for this project because she was told repeatedly by her brothers and sisters that she would end up getting pregnant as a teen just like all of them. I believe that the purpose of this project and subsequently the book, was to show that you do not have to live your life on the basis of stereotypes. It does not and should not matter what anyone says about you, you are the master of your life and nothing anyone says about you should change what you believe about yourself, or what you want to do with your life. I love this book, and the Lifetime movie was great too. I have known too many young girls who have gotten pregnant, and it does not mean that their life is over. If they believe in themselves and have the help and support of loved ones, there is no reason why they cannot finish school and get a college degree.
Every woman when pregnant has a 3-5% chance of having a baby born with a birth defect, and these chances increase when the developing fetus/ embryos are exposed to teratogens, whether it’s intentional or unintentional (Bethesda (MD), 2006). Teratogens can cause severe birth defects, malformations, or terminate the pregnancy altogether (Jancárková, & Gregor, 2000). The placenta is known as an effective barrier from any detrimental pathogen that can potentially hurt the fetus. The timing of exposure of any teratogen is critical to the impact of prenatal development (Bethesda (MD), 2006). The most vulnerable time of the fetus for severe damage is during early pregnancy when all the major organ and central nervous system (CNS) are developing. Miscarriages have an important role in keeping a pregnancy from evolving when there is something serious going on with the developing fetus/embryo. Miscarriages are more common than we think and are the most familiar type of pregnancy loss (Bethesda (MD), 2006).
To start this off, conception is the action of conceiving a child, and pregnancy is the period from conception to birth. They both share the same meaning: the process of getting pregnant. Conception happens when a sperm penetrates on one of the female’s eggs. Then, at around day 14 of a 28 day cycle, the egg leaves the ovary, and it is surrounded by a protective layer of cells. The fallopian tube is lined with cilia, which helps move the egg towards the womb. This is called ovulation. In the next 12-24 hours, the egg waits to be fertilized by a single sperm. The sperm then swims through the womb to meet the egg in the fallopian tube. And the sperm secretes enzymes to help penetrate the outer layer of the egg. Once the
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The aim of this study was to find out the impact of MgSO4 on the bolus dose requirement of oxytocin to achieve adequate uterine tone in patients with mild preeclampsia during CS.