bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antibodies to the Chlamydial 60 Kilodalton Heat Shock Protein in Women With Tubal Factor Infertility
Authors: Ault K. A. , Statland B. D. , King M. M. Smith , Dozier D. I. L. , Joachims M. L. , Gunter J. 
Published: March 2007

Introduction:Fallopian tube damage and subsequent infertility are common sequelae of upper genital tract infection withChlamydia trachomatis. This fallopian tube damage is thought to be immune mediated. The 60 kilodalton chlamydial heat shock protein (hsp) may be the key antigen associated with this pathogenic response. Our objective was to study the relationship between antibody response to 60 kilodalton chlamydial hsp and tubal factor infertility (TFI).Subjects and Methods:Twenty-three women with TFI and 33 women with male factor infertility (controls) were studied. Tubal factor infertility was defined as infertility for one year with hydrosalpinx or distal tubal occlusion. Patients’ sera were tested for antibodies to the chlamydial hsp using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A stepwise logistic regression was performed by each patient’s age, race/ethnicity, self-reported history of chlamydia infection, gonorrhea, or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), history of ectopic pregnancy, and antibodies to the chlamydial hsp.Results:Eighteen of the 23 women with TFI had a positive result on the hsp ELISA (78.6%) versus 23.4% of controls. Risk factors for TFI were a history of PID (P= 0.022), “nonwhite” race (P= 0.004), history of ectopic pregnancy (P = 0.027), and antibodies to the 60 kilodalton chlamydial hsp (P< 0.001).Conclusions:Antibodies to 60 kilodalton chlamydial hsp are strongly associated with TFI.
Clinical Utility of CA125 Levels in PredictingLaparoscopically Confirmed Salpingitis in PatientsWith Clinically Diagnosed PelvicInflammatory Disease
Authors: Moore E. , Soper D. E. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of serum CA125 determinations in
diagnosing acute salpingitis.Methods: CA125 levels were determined for 34 women with the clinical diagnosis of pelvic
inflammatory disease (PID). Acute salpingitis was confirmed laparoscopically in 28 women (82.3%).Results: Twenty patients (71.4%) with laparoscopically confirmed acute salpingitis had CA125
levels greater than 7.5 units, compared with no patients (0/6) with laparoscopically normal tubes (P = 0.002). The degree of elevation of CA125 levels correlated with the severity of tubal inflammation
noted at laparoscopy. All patients with levels above 16 units had laparoscopically severe salpingitis.Conclusions: We conclude that while CA125 levels above 7.5 units may modestly improve the
ability of the clinical diagnosis of PID to accurately reflect visually confirmed acute salpingitis,
limitations of the test make its clinical utility questionable.
[Retracted] Induction of Heat Shock Protein Expression in Cervical Epithelial Cells by Human Semen
Authors: Jeremias J. C. , Bongiovanni A. M. , Witkin S. S. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: The 70kD heat shock protein (Hsp70), induced when cells are subjected to environmental stress, prevents the denaturation and incorrect folding of polypeptides and may expedite replication and transmission of DNA and RNA viruses. We analyzed whether messenger RNA (mRNA) for Hsp70 was expressed following exposure of a cultured human cervical cell line (HeLa cells) to human semen or in cervical cells from sexually active women.Study Design: HeLa cells were co‐cultured with a 1:50 dilution of semen from four men or with purified spermatozoa or cell‐free seminal fluid. Endocervical swabs were acquired at mid‐cycle from 53 women. Heat shock protein 70 mRNA was detected by a reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction utilizing specific primer pairs and analysis on agarose gels. In cervical cells Hsp70 mRNA was measured identically followed by hybridization with an Hsp70‐specific internal probe and detection by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cervical immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies to the human Hsp70 were determined by ELISA.Results: HeLa cell‐semen co‐culture resulted in the induction of Hsp70 mRNA. In addition, cell‐free seminal plasma and motile sperm incubated individually with HeLa cells also induced this mRNA. Heat shock protein 70 mRNA was detected in 28 (52.8%) of 53 endocervical samples obtained from women at various time points following intercourse. The percentage of samples expressing this mRNA was 37.5% at less than 10 hours, 64.3% at 10 hours, 70% at 11 hours, and
between 36% and 50% at later times after semen exposure. The detection of cervical IgA antibodies to the Hsp70 was highly associated with Hsp70 gene transcription.Conclusion: Human semen induces transcription of Hsp70 in cervical epithelial cells. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 7:17–22, 1999.
Characterization of Mild Whole‐Body Hyperthermia Protocols Using Human Breast, Ovarian, and Colon Tumors Grown in Severe Combined Immunodeficient Mice
Authors: Repasky E. A. , Tims E. , Pritchard M. , Burd R. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: We have shown that one treatment of fever‐like whole body hyperthermia (WBH) on mice bearing human breast tumors results in a tumor growth delay. Our goal was to repeat this study in mice bearing human ovarian or colon tumors. We further evaluated this WBH protocol by performing multiple and interrupted WBH treatments.Methods: Human tumors were grown in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. For WBH, core body temperatures were maintained at 39.8±0.2℃ for 6–8 hours. Multiple treatments were given 6–7 days apart. Interrupted WBH consisted of three 2‐hour heatings, 15 minutes apart.
Tumor growth time (TGT) was the number of days to grow 1.5 or 2 times in volume.Results: For WBH‐treated ovarian tumors, TGT was 12±1.2d, compared with 5.0±0.1d for untreated mice (P < 0.05). For colon tumors with one WBH treatment TGT was 4.4± 1.1d. Two and three treatments had TGTs of 9±2.3d and 8±1.6d. For the untreated tumors, TGT was 2±0.7d
(P < 0.01 for one, two, and three treatments). Histological examination indicated that one and two treatments were associated with cellular damage within the tumors. With a slower growing colon tumor, the TGT was 24±3.3d with three WBH treatments, compared with 14±1.8d for controls (P < 0.01). The TGT of breast tumors treated with interrupted WBH was not significantly different than the noninterrupted, with TGT of 7.3±0.8d and 6.2±1.0d, respectively.Conclusions: These data illustrate thatWBH causes a tumor growth delay in mice bearing human ovarian and colon tumors. This response is enhanced with a second treatment ofWBH. Interrupted and noninterrupted WBH give comparable anti‐tumor results. We will continue to evaluate WBH in various animal models to optimize its potential for clinical administration and maximize the anti‐tumor response. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 7:91–97, 1999.
Circulating Heat Shock Proteins in Women With a History of Recurrent Vulvovaginitis
Authors: Giraldo P. C. , Ribeiro-Filho A. D. , Simões J. A. , Neuer A. , Feitosa S. B. N. , Witkin S. S. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: Predisposing factors influencing recurrences of bacterial vaginosis (BV) or vaginitis from Candida remain unidentified for most women. As a component of studies to determine host susceptibility
factors to genital tractiiafeetions in women, we measured expression of the 60‐kDa and
70‐kDa heat shock proteins (hsp60 and hsp70, respectively) in the circulation of women with or without a history of recurrent BV or candidal vaginitis and with or without a current lower genital tract infection. Heat shock protein expression is associated with a down‐regulation of proinflammatory immune responses that would inhibit microbial infection.Method: The investigators measured hsp60 and hsp70, antibodies to these proteins, the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), and the anti‐inflammatory cytokine interleukin‐ 10 (IL‐10) in sera by ELISA. The study population consisted of 100 women who attended a gynecology clinic in Campinas, Brazil. Of those, 55 had a history of recurrent vulvovaginitis (RV), while 45 were controls with no such history. Only women who were asymptomatic for at least 1 month were studied.Results: Although all were asymptomatic, clinical and microbiological examination revealed that five of the women with a history of RV and two controls had a current candidal vaginal infection; 16 RV patients and 12 controls had BV; and six RV patients had both BV and candidiasis. Twenty‐eight RV patients and 31 controls had no clinical or microbiological detectable vaginal infection. Among the RV patients, hsp60 and hsp70 were more prevalent in those with current BV (40.9% and 50.0%, respectively) or a candidal infection (45.5% and 54.5%) than in women with no
current infection (21.4% and 17.9%). In the women with no history of RV, BV was not associated with a high prevalence of hsp60 (8.3%) or hsp70 (8.3%). Interleukin‐10 and TNF were not more prevalent in vaginitis patients or controls with a current candidal infection or BV than in uninfected subjects.Conclusion: The high prevalence of circulating hsp60 and hsp70 in women with a history of RV and current BV or vaginal candidiasis, but not in women with no history of RV, suggests that differences in heat shock protein induction may be related to susceptibility to recurrent vaginal infections. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 7:128–132, 1999.
Prophylactic Cefazolin in Amnioinfusions Administered for Meconium‐Stained Amniotic Fluid
Authors: Edwards R. K. , Duff P. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: To determine if amnioinfusion with an antibiotic solution decreased the rate of clinical chorioamnionitis and puerperal endometritis in patients with meconium‐stained amniotic fluid.Methods: Patients in labor at 36 weeks of gestation or greater with singleton pregnancies and meconium‐stained amniotic fluid were randomized to receive either cefazolin, 1 g/l,000 mL, of normal saline (n = 90) or normal saline (n = 93) amnioinfusion. Rates of clinically diagnosed chorioamnionitis and endometritis and of suspected and culture‐proven neonatal infection were determined.Results: Between the study and control groups, the incidences of clinical chorioamnionitis (7.8% vs. 8.6%), endometritis (2.4% vs. 3.5%), aggregate intrauterine infection (10.0% vs. 11.8%), suspected neonatal infection (17.8% vs. 21.5%), and proven neonatal infection (0.0% vs. 2.2%) were not significantly different.Conclusions: Prophylactic use of cefazolin in amnioinfusions did not significantly reduce rates of maternal or neonatal infection in patients with meconium‐stained amniotic fluid. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 7:153–157, 1999.
A Matched Prospective Study of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Serostatus, Human Papillomavirus DNA, and Cervical Lesions Detected by Cytology and Colposcopy
Authors: Eckert L. O. , Watts D. H. , Koutsky L. A. , Hawes S. E. , Stevens C. E. , Kuypers J. , Kiviat N. B. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: To compare the prevalence and type of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in the genital tract of human‐immunodeficiency‐virus‐ (HIV) seropositive and ‐seronegative women
matched for cytology and to examine prospectively the relationship of HPV DNA, colposcopic findings and cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) in these matched seropositive and seronegative cohorts.Methods: A matched prospective study of HIV‐seropositive and ‐seronegative women undergoing cytologic screening, colposcopy, and testing for HPV DNA and other infections at each visit.Results: Twenty‐three HIV‐seropositive women were matched with 23 seronegative women by cervical cytology reading, lifetime number of sexual partners, age, and follow‐up length. Fourteen pairs of these women had follow‐up visits every 4 months, for 56 and 53 total visits in seropositive and seronegative women, respectively. After matching, the groups had a similar overall prevalence ofHPV DNA and ofHPV oncogenic (high risk) types at baseline. On follow up, HIV‐seropositive women were more likely than seronegative women to develop SIL (38% vs. 10%), less likely to have negative cytology (34% vs. 60%, overall P = 0.03), more visits with HPV DNA detected (68% vs. 40% P = 0.04), and more visits with multiple HPV DNA types detected (18% vs. 0%, P = 0.02).
Colposcopic lesions in the seropositive women were more likely to have sharp borders or mosaicism or to be thick white (P = 0.009).Conclusions: After matching for baseline Papanicolaou smear readings, these data suggest that over time seropositive women have more visits that yield abnormal cytology, more persistent HPV DNA detection, and more colposcopic abnormalities than seronegative women. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 7:158–164, 1999.
Heat Shock Proteins and Heat Shock Protein‐Antibody Complexes in Placental Tissues
Authors: Ziegert M. , Witkin S. S. , Sziller I. , Alexander H. , Brylla E. , Härtig W. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: The relationship between pregnancy outcome and expression of the heat shock proteins
(hsps) or hsp‐antibody complexes of 60kD (hsp60), 70kD (hsp70), and 90kD (hsp90) in placental tissue and circulating antibodies to hsps was evaluated.Method: Expression of hsp60, hsp70, and hsp90 in placentae from 12 women with preterm birth, eight with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and 10 with term birth, as well as the presence of the corresponding antibodies, was investigated by a new carbocyanine double fluorescence technique. Results were compared with microbiological findings and circulating antibodies to hsps in sera.Results: In each placental specimen examined, hsp60, hsp70, and hsp90 were identified. However, hsp70‐antibody complexes were detected in only four of the preterm labor cases. Similarly, hsp60‐antibody complexes were detected in only five preterm labor patients and in one patient with IUGR. None of the placentae contained hsp90‐antibody complexes. In the preterm birth group, all patients with hsp60‐antibody complexes were also positive for circulating antibodies to hsp60. The presence of hsp70‐antibody complexes also correlated with hsp70 antibody in sera.Conclusions: Formation of hsp60‐ and hsp70‐antibody complexes in the placenta may contribute to the induction of preterm birth. Women sensitized to these antibodies may be at increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcome. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 7:180–185, 1999.
Bacterial Isolates From Patients With Preterm Labor With and Without Preterm Rupture of the Fetal Membranes
Authors: Mikamo H. , Sato Y. , Hayasaki Y. , Kawazoe K. , Hua Y. X. , Tamaya T. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the bacterial flora of women in preterm labor with or without premature rupture of membranes.Methods: Retrospective studies of 239 patients with preterm labor were performed.Results: One hundred and twenty‐three of 239 patients with preterm labor (51.5%) had bacterial vaginosis. Seventy of the 239 patients with preterm labor (29.3 %) developed premature rupture of the membranes (preterm PROM). Ofthe 70 patients with preterm PROM, 51 (72.9%) had bacterial vaginosis. Therefore, 51 of the 123 patients with bacterial vaginosis (41.5%) developed preterm PROM. An increased number of organisms detected from the vaginal discharge in patients with preterm labor was associated with preterm PROM by Cochran‐Armitage test. An increased number of organisms detected from the vaginal discharge in patients with preterm labor complicated with bacterial vaginosis was significantly associated with preterm PROM by Cochran‐Armitage test.Conclusions: In preterm labor, the number of different species detected in the vagina provide sensitive and specific prediction of preterm PROM in patients with preterm labor. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 7:190–194, 1999.
Increased Susceptibility to Helicobacter pylori Infectionin Pregnancy
Authors: Lanciers S. , Despinasse B. , Mehta D. I. , Blecker U. 
Published: March 2007

Objective: Helicobacter pylori plays, a major role in abdominal symptoms and gastroduodenal pathology, including gastric cancer. Pregnancy has been associated with changes in both humoral and cell‐mediated immunity. These changes include alterations in the various classes of antibodies during different gestational periods. It has been previously suggested that these alterations may
expose pregnant women to an increased risk of infection with this microorganism.Methods: To further investigate this hypothesis, we assayed sera from 229 asymptomatic pregnant women for the presence of H.-pylori‐specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies by means of a commercially available serum ELISA test (Malakit™, Biolab, Belgium). Both tests were previously validated in large series of H.-pylori‐positive and ‐negative subjects. While the presence of H.-pylori‐specific IgG antibodies is only a marker for a “chronic” infection with this bacterium and therefore no indicator of the time of acquisition of the infection,
specific IgM antibodies are a more specific marker for a recently acquired infection
with H. pylori. Results were compared with those previously obtained in asymptomatic, healthy, nonpregnant individuals.Results: One hundred twenty of 229 women (52.4%) and 55/118 nonpregnant subjects (46.6%) were seropositive for H.-pylori‐specific IgG antibodies (P > 0.3). Out of these 120 IgG‐antibodypositive women, 36 (30%) were positive for H.-pylori‐specific IgM antibodies, as were 25/109 (22.9%) in the IgG‐antibody‐negative group (P > 0.3). Overall, 61/229 (26.6%) of the pregnant women had recently been infected with H. pylori, compared with 11% of the healthy, nonpregnant population (P > 0.01).Conclusions: Our observations confirm the possibility of an increased susceptibility to H. pylori infection in pregnancy. Additional studies are necessary to further understand the immune response to H. pylori in pregnancy. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 7:195–198, 1999.
Peritoneal Tuberculosis: Diagnostic Options
Authors: Lal N. , Soto-Wright V. 
Published: March 2007

Background: Extrapulmonary tuberculosis has vague symptoms and few signs. It is essential to recognize and diagnose this curable disease prior to performing definitive surgery. Newer tests such as DNA or RNA amplification allow for early diagnosis but have limitations.Case: We report a case of peritoneal tuberculosis in an immigrant woman. She had vague symptoms of low‐grade fever, mild abdominal pain, obstipation, and bloating. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed to establish the diagnosis. Tuberculosis was confirmed by DNA extraction from the frozen section specimen with subsequent analysis using polymerase chain reaction.Conclusion: Peritoneal tuberculosis is a disease that often simulates malignancies. With the increasing prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus in developed countries, tuberculosis is also on the rise and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient with an abdominal/ pelvic mass and ascites. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 7:244–247, 1999.
Word-Level Confidence Estimation for Machine Translation
Authors: Ueffing Nicola , Ney Hermann 
Published: March 2007

This article introduces and evaluates several different word-level confidence measures for machine translation. These measures provide a method for labeling each word in an automatically generated translation as correct or incorrect. All approaches to confidence estimation presented here are based on word posterior probabilities. Different concepts of word posterior probabilities as well as different ways of calculating them will be introduced and compared. They can be divided into two categories: System-based methods that explore knowledge provided by the translation system that generated the translations, and direct methods that are independent of the translation system. The system-based techniques make use of system output, such as word graphs or N-best lists. The word posterior probability is determined by summing the probabilities of the sentences in the translation hypothesis space that contains the target word. The direct confidence measures take other knowledge sources, such as word or phrase lexica, into account. They can be applied to output from nonstatistical machine translation systems as well. Experimental assessment of the different confidence measures on various translation tasks and in several language pairs will be presented. Moreover,the application of confidence measures for rescoring of translation hypotheses will be investigated.
Palliative care in patients with severe multiple sclerosis: two case reports and a survey among German MS neurologists
Authors: Kümpfel T , Hoffmann L A , Pöllmann W , Rieckmann P , Zettl U K , Kühnbach R , Borasio G D , Voltz R 
Published: March 2007

Due to its chronic and fluctuating time course, multiple sclerosis (MS), thus far, has not been regarded as a focus of palliative care. However, sometimes we are confronted with severely affected MS patients, who suffer from complex medical, physical and psychosocial problems, which are not fully covered by the current health care services. We present two cases of severely affected MS patients we saw in our outpatient MS clinic, and who, we believe, are candidates for palliative care. The first patient, with primary chronic progressive (pcP) MS for many years (Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS): 8.0) presented with complex painful dysaesthesias and a depressive syndrome. He refused any treatment, and finally committed suicide with the help of a euthanasia group in Switzerland. The second patient was also severely affected by a secondary chronic progressive (scP) MS (EDSS: 9.0) and was finally admitted to our palliative care unit due to a complex pain syndrome associated with panic attacks and anxiety. She spent three weeks on the palliative care unit and her symptoms improved gradually after changing and optimising her pain medication. The patient was discharged with home care and is seen regularly on the palliative care unit. Additionally, as a first step, a questionnaire was sent to 53 German MS specialists regarding their general view on the needs for palliative care in MS. Our two cases and the results of the questionnaire demonstrated that MS patients and their caregivers are confronted with a variety of symptoms which are difficult to treat, and are a cause of great suffering for the patients, including ataxia, depression and fatigue. The data of the questionnaire also showed that neurologists usually do not deal with end-of-life care issues in MS. More research is needed to define the role of palliative care in MS and establish appropriate interventions to improve the quality of life in advanced stage MS patients and their relatives.