<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Protonotariou, E.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Rizos, D.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Malamitsi-Puchner, A.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sarandakou, A.</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Botsis, D.</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Tissue polypeptide specific antigen and soluble Fas during normal pregnancy and early life</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">In Vivo</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Immunotolerance</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Labor</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Postnatal period</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">SFas</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">TPS</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Trimesters of pregnancy</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2006</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2006///</style></date></pub-dates></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">20</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">901 - 906</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Background: Intrauterine fetal development is characterized by increased rates of proliferation and apoptosis, while both these processes may be attenuated post-natally. Aim: Tissue polypeptide specific antigen and sFas serum concentrations were determined during pregnancy and post-natally, in order to evaluate their alterations during these crucial periods. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven healthy pregnant women, their full-term newborns and 35 healthy adults (controls) were included in the study. Markers were measured: a) in maternal serum (MS), during the 1st, 2nd, 3rd trimester and at the 1st stage of labor; b) in the umbilical cord (UC), during the 2nd stage of labor; c) in neonatal serum in the 1st (1N) and 5th (5N) day after birth; and d) in controls. Results: The serum TPS concentrations in MS increased significantly with gestational age, being higher in the 3rd trimester and labor, than those in controls (p&lt;0.001). TPS values were significantly lower in the UC, compared to those in MS (p&lt;0.001), while they were markedly elevated in 1N, compared to MS and UC (p&lt;0.001), and subsequently decreased in 5N (p&lt;0.001), remaining higher, than those in the controls (p&lt;0.001). Serum sFas concentrations in the MS depended significantly on gestational age (p&lt;0.001), being significantly lower in the first trimester, than those in the second (p&lt;0.003), the third (p&lt;0.03), in labor and controls (p&lt;0.005). sFas concentrations in the UC were significantly lower than in MS and controls (p&lt;0.001), while they increased significantly in 5 N samples (p&lt;0.01). Conclusion: Our results demonstrate: a) a higher apoptosis rate in the first trimester of pregnancy, possibly affecting maternal immuno-tolerance, followed by a down-regulation during the post-natal period; b) a progressively increased proliferation from the first trimester to parturition, reflecting the fetal and placental growth and development, that seems to be thereafter moderated.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">6 B</style></issue></record></records></xml>