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Purpose: One of the hypothetical reasons of the increased incidence of caries in women during the pregnancy may be the increased activity of alpha-amylase, which can be found in their saliva. The enzyme takes part in the process of decomposition of simple sugars, which make basic substrate for caries-causing bacteria. The aim of the paper was the evaluation of the influence of pregnancy and gestational age on the activity of alpha-amylase and the concentration of protein in women's saliva., Material and Methods: The examined group consisted of 64 pregnant women at age 17-39, between 21st and 40th week of pregnancy. The control group consisted of 44 healthy women at age 20-35, who were not pregnant. In saliva, which was taken before morning meal, without stimulation, protein concentration was determined by Bradford method and the activity of amylase was determined by kinetic method., Results: The activity of amylase correlated strongly and positively with protein concentration in saliva of both the pregnant (RS = +0.65; p < 0.00001) and the control group (RS = +0.74; p < 0.00001) women. There were no significant differences between examined parameters in the examined and the control group. It has been observed in the examined group, that there is the significant negative correlation between protein concentration in saliva and the week of pregnancy (RS = -0.35; p <0.01). It has been observed, in conducted researches, that there is no relation between the activity of amylase and the pregnancy and gestational age, which proves against the essential role of this enzyme in the increased caries incidence of pregnant women. However, the observed changes of total protein concentration in saliva during pregnancy, suggest that the exact cognition of proteins in pregnant women's saliva may reveal new mechanisms, which lead to an increase of caries risk.

Among available methods to estimate the exposure to tobacco smoke, cotinine, a major metabolite of nicotine is considered the most accurate marker. The aim of this study was to evaluate environmental tobacco smoke exposure in pregnancy and postpartum period. The cohort study was conducted in 2004 and 2006 in public maternity units in Lodz, Poland. The study population consisted of women between 32-36 weeks of pregnancy who have quit smoking within 2 months before pregnancy or no later than three months prior to participation in the study. Women were interviewed twice: during pregnancy and three months after delivery. Self-reported non-smoking status was verified using saliva cotinine level. Cotinine level in saliva sample was analyzed using Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry. We included into the analysis 62 women who, based on self-reported smoking status and saliva cotinine level were classified as non-smokers. There were no statistically significant differences in mean saliva cotinine level measured in pregnancy and postpartum period. Pregnant women who smoked more cigarettes per day before quitting smoking had significantly higher cotinine level comparing to women who smoked < or = 10 cigarettes per day (p = 0.03). Saliva cotinine level was significantly higher among women exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at home compared to non-exposed (p = 0.02).

In the serum of women during the pregnancy and during the stages of the delivery the activity of creatine kinase (CK) was measured using the test by Fermognost. The investigations were led in three 20-personal groups of women: non-pregnant, pregnant examined three times, in each trimester of pregnancy, and labored women examined three times, one time in each stage of delivery. The age of investigated women was between 18-39 years. According to obtained results, it was noticed statistically significant increase in the activity of this enzyme during the pregnancy. Measuring the activity of creatine kinase in three stages of delivery, the highest increase in this enzyme activity was observed in the third stage.

Sixty five women were in the third trimester of pregnancy (29-40 weeks of gestation) submitted to the study including 35 with primary hypertension (the studied group) and 30 healthy (control group). The following parameters were measured in blood serum and urine from 24 hrs, collection: total Ca and Ca++, inorganic phosphorus (Pi) and magnesium. Generally accepted micromethods were used; Ca++ was measured using AVL type 9140 analyser. Women of the studied group presented mean blood pressure 164 +/- 14/106 +/- 9.7 mm Hg and did not have proteinuria and oedema. They presented decreased concentrations of total Ca (p < 0.004) and ionised Ca++ (p < 0.004), and an increase of Pi (p < 0.002) in blood serum. No differences in magnesium concentrations were found. Distinct decrease of calcium excretion in urine was found in hypertensive women (4.50 +/- 2.76 vs 6.60 +/- 3.4 mmol/24 hrs, p < 0.024). No alterations in phosphorus and magnesium urine excretion were observed in women with hypertension (women of both groups had the same volume of 24 urine). Our study concludes the main alterations in calcium-phosphorus-magnesium homeostasis in pregnant women with primary hypertension are the calcium homeostasis alterations. Phosphorus homeostasis is less affected while magnesium distribution does not change. Hypocalciuria might be related to impaired glomerular filtration in this pathology in pregnancy. Hypocalciuria and lowered serum concentrations of total Ca and ionised Ca++ might prove general deficiency of this element in pregnancy complicated by primary hypertension.

Concentrations of calcium, sodium, magnesium, calcium (total and ionised) and inorganic phosphorus were determined in amniotic fluid. Samples were taken from patients between 42-43 week of gestation (investigated group) and between 38 and 40 week (control group). Micro-methods, generally acknowledged in laboratories of clinical biochemistry were used. In the protracted pregnancies increase of magnesium levels and decrease of sodium levels were observed. No differences in concentrations of calcium, calcium (total and ionised) and inorganic phosphorus between investigated and control group were noted. Independently of the duration of pregnancy, near term or post term, ionised calcium constituted 90% of total calcium in amniotic fluid.

Concentrations of glucose, bilirubin, H+ ions, estriol, HPL were determined in the samples of amniotic fluid from post term and near term pregnancies. Investigated group consisted of samples taken between 42-43 week of gestation, control group between 38-40 week. In both groups biochemical tests of pulmonary maturation--Lectin/Sphingomyelin ratio, foam test, 650 nm absorbance were carried out. In the diagnosis of post term pregnancy glucose concentrations, oestrogens, HPL, 650 nm adsorption, foam test and L/S ratio had proper diagnostic value. No differences were observed in bilirubin concentrations.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to evaluate the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA)--end product of lipid peroxidation, activity of antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (Cat) as well as selenium (Se), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) concentration in erythrocytes in 63 patients divided into the three groups: I--control group, II--normal pregnancy, III--pregnant type I diabetics. All parameters were investigated in hemolysate of erythrocytes. MDA concentration increased significantly in pregnant women when compared with control group, as well as in pregnant diabetics when compared with healthy pregnant women. The activity of GSH-Px decreased significantly in pregnant diabetics in comparison with groups I and II. The activity of CuZn-SOD and Cat was significantly lower in III group than in control group. The concentration of Se and Zn decreased, and the concentration of Cu increased significantly in pregnant diabetics in comparison with the other groups. No differences in concentration of MDA, Se, Zn, Cu and activity of GSH-Px were found between particular trimesters in studied patients. The activity of CuZn-SOD and Cat were significantly higher in III trimester than in II one in pregnant diabetics while the activity of GSH-Px remained unchanged during pregnancy., Conclusions: Increased lipid peroxidation and the lack of compensatory mechanisms--an increase in antioxidant enzymes activity as well as disorder of trace elements concentration are found in pregnant type I diabetics.