No abstract

No abstract

Problem Preeclampsia has a multifactorial origin with genetic, immunological, and environmental factors described as main contributors to its onset. This study aimed to investigate glutathione‐S‐transferase M1 (GSTM1) and glutathione‐S‐transferase T1 (GSTT1) gene polymorphisms, the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines (TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐6), and the potential relationship between GST polymorphisms and cytokine expression levels in preeclampsia and uncomplicated pregnancy. Method of Study This prospective case‐control study included 50 women with preeclampsia and 50 healthy pregnant women. DNA and RNA were extracted from women leukocytes. Deletion polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR, while cytokine mRNA expression was analyzed by real‐time PCR. Results GSTM1 null genotype with present GSTT1 increased the risk for preeclampsia development. Deletion of GSTT1 without deletion of GSTM1 increased the risk for early preeclampsia. Relative mRNA expression of TNF‐α was significantly higher in preeclampsia compared to healthy pregnant women (P = 0.006). Expression of IL‐1β was significantly higher in severe and late preeclampsia compared to the control group (P = 0.005, P = 0.007, respectively). A significant positive correlation between TNF‐α and IL‐1β was observed (Spearman's ρ = 0.312, P = 0.028) and between IL‐1β and IL‐6, in preeclampsia group (Spearman's ρ = 0.296, P = 0.037). IL‐1β was significantly increased in patients with GSTT1 null genotype (P = 0.015) while IL‐6 was increased in patients with GSTM1 null genotype (P = 0.015). Conclusions GSTM1 null genotype represents a risk factor for preeclampsia development, while GSTT1 null genotype favors early preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is also associated with increased expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, predominantly TNF‐α and IL‐1β.

Background The association between adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) and maternal apical periodontitis remains unclear as it has not been examined rigorously or reviewed systematically. Objective To systematically review and critically evaluate the available evidence on the association of maternal apical periodontitis with several APOs. Methods A literature search was conducted using the following electronic databases: Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), from inception to 25 February 2021, with no language restrictions. Observational studies including longitudinal clinical trials, cohort, case–control and cross‐sectional studies of prospective and retrospective design were included. Articles with duplicate or overlapping results, abstract‐only papers, case reports, case series, animal studies and reviews were excluded. Two independent reviewers were involved in study selection, data extraction and appraising the included studies; disagreements were resolved by a third reviewer. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the adapted form of the NOS were used to assess the quality for case–control and cross‐sectional studies, respectively. Results Two case–control and one cross‐sectional study were included in the current review. The included studies were published between 2015 and 2017, with a total of 1187 participating individuals with an approximate age range of 15 to 40 years. As the included studies reported different outcomes, the heterogeneity of data prevented a meta‐analysis being undertaken. The overall quality of the evidence was ‘Fair’ for two out of three included studies, while one study was categorized as ‘Good’. Discussion Two out of three included primary studies had a substantial number of methodological inconsistencies and flaws, and therefore caution should be exercised in interpreting the results of this systematic review because several important covariates were not considered in the original investigations. Conclusion Based on a limited volume and ‘Fair’ and ‘Good’ quality of evidence, a positive association between maternal apical periodontitis and APOs was observed. However, more ‘Good’ quality clinical studies are needed to confirm the results of the current review. Funding None Registration PROSPERO database (CRD42‐2191987)

Although it is an integral part of global change, most of the research addressing the effects of climate change on forests have overlooked the role of environmental pollution. Similarly, most studies investigating the effects of air pollutants on forests have generally neglected the impacts of climate change. We review the current knowledge on combined air pollution and climate change effects on global forest ecosystems and identify several key research priorities as a roadmap for the future. Specifically, we recommend (1) the establishment of much denser array of monitoring sites, particularly in the South Hemisphere; (2) further integration of ground and satellite monitoring; (3) generation of flux‐based standards and critical levels taking into account the sensitivity of dominant forest tree species; (4) long‐term monitoring of N, S, P cycles and base cations deposition together at global scale; (5) intensification of experimental studies, addressing the combined effects of different abiotic factors on forests by assuring a better representation of taxonomic and functional diversity across the ~73,000 tree species on Earth; (6) more experimental focus on phenomics and genomics; (7) improved knowledge on key processes regulating the dynamics of radionuclides in forest systems; and (8) development of models integrating air pollution and climate change data from long‐term monitoring programs.