Is cyclooxygenase-2 overexpressed in chronic pancreatitis?
Our results support the hypothesis that COX-2 may be involved in inflammatory responses in chronic pancreatitis and in the progression of this chronic inflammatory disease.
Our data suggest that offspring of obese women (but not underweight women) are at an increased risk of neural tube defects and several other malformations. If these findings are confirmed, further research will be necessary before it can be concluded that weight reduction before pregnancy will lower the risk of birth defects among obese women. Until then, obese women can address their risk of birth defects with the same measures that are recommended for all women, such as adequate daily intake of folic acid and alpha-fetoprotein screening to identify malformed fetuses.