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Effect of latent toxoplasmosis on the thyroid function during pregnancy
Procházková, Lucie ; Kaňková, Šárka (advisor) ; Springer, Drahomíra (referee)
While several past studies dealt with the effects of latent toxoplasmosis on the function of the thyroid gland and on the pregnancy separately, the former one with varied results, this work combines the two areas together with goals to determine whether the latent toxoplasmosis affects levels of antibodies against thyroid peroxidase (TPO) in the 1st trimester of pregnancy, to analyze the effect of toxoplasmosis on the levels of the thyrotrophic hormone and to learn whether the interactions between latent toxoplasmosis and autoimmune thyropathies affect conception, foetal development, length of pregnancy and mode of delivery in childbirth. The work follows on the recent years' discoveries of our laboratory that showed the latent toxoplasmosis to affect both the course of pregnancy and the prenatal development of a child. It also takes up directly on a screening of autoimmune thyropathies in pregnant women conducted in years 2006 to 2009 in General University Hospital. The retrospective study comprised of 1434 pregnant women who underwent serological examination as a part of the 1st trimester screening and whose serum was subsequently examined for toxoplasmosis. The data set obtained from medical databases contained results of serological screening of the mothers, ultrasound examination of the...
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Disgust sensitivity during pregnancy: testing the Compensatory Prophylaxis Hypothesis
Dlouhá, Daniela ; Kaňková, Šárka (advisor) ; Třebická Fialová, Jitka (referee)
Disgust is an important adaptive mechanism in protection against disease. Disgust sensitivity is very variable between individuals and, according to the compensatory prophylaxis hypothesis (CPH), should be adjusted to individual's vulnerability to disease. The beginning of pregnancy is associated with a number of changes in the immune system and thus disgust sensitivity is expected to be increased. The aim of this thesis was to test the CPH in relation to longitudinal changes in disgust during pregnancy and after birth, as well as in comparison with non-pregnant control sample of women. Another aim was to observe the maladaptive role of disgust, specifically the relationship between trait anxiety and disgust. Against the set expectations, disgust was observed to increase during pregnancy in the animal reminder domain of disgust. However, the function of this domain in protection against disease has been criticized. These changes were only observed in pregnancies with a male fetus. In line with the CPH predictions, it was shown that women who reported having recent health problems also had higher disgust. Similarly, the results showed a possible protective role of mothers' increased disgust in the beginning of pregnancy, which was related to new-borns having a higher 10 minute APGAR score. When...
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Maternal immune response to HY antigen and its consequences for offspring
Bystrá, Veronika ; Kaňková, Šárka (advisor) ; Echalar, Barbora (referee)
H-Y antigens are specifically male histocompatibility antigens, that are presented in the human body by glycoproteins HLA-A2, HLA-B7 and HLA-B8. If they reach the body of women (by transplantation or transfer trough the placenta from a male fetus etc.), they can provoke an alloimmune reaction. In its first half, this thesis introduces the concept of alloimmunity, describes male histocompatibility antigens and their molecular nature, and the related modulation of the maternal immune system. In the main part, the thesis focuses on the effect of H-Y antigens on offspring. Studies have shown that it is the maternal immune response to H-Y antigens during pregnancy that could cause premature births, reduced birth weight, secondary miscarriages and consequently changes in the secondary sex ratio. Various hypotheses also attribute to these antigens to the contribution to the development of homosexuality in men. A common precondition for all observed phenomena is that the mother has already encountered male cells in the past, which, when contacted repeatedly, provoked a disproportionate maternal immune response.
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Factors affecting nausea and disgust in pregnancy
Benešová, Jana ; Kaňková, Šárka (advisor) ; Havlíček, Jan (referee)
Pregnancy is accompanied by big hormonal and immune changes. These changes are related to the adaptation of a woman's organism that leads to the protection of the developing fetus against damages. Pregnancy nausea or activation of the behavioural immune system through increase in disgust are other similar adaptations. Both phenomena were observed at a higher rate at the beginning of pregnancy when the fetus is the most vulnerable. Based on two independent data sets this thesis aims to analyse interdependencies among disgust and nausea in pregnant women and seek possible physiological mechanisms in common. Although, the results of the analyses were not consistent among both sets of data, they showed that there is a possible positive correlation between disgust and nausea during pregnancy and even that the rate of disgust at the beginning of pregnancy predicts the intensity of nausea during the third trimester of pregnancy. The complexity of the studied issue was further increased by the fact that the level of biochemical markers from a screening of developmental defects had an opposite effect among both studied variables, lower levels were linked to higher disgust and at the same time to lower level of nausea. Also, parity is another important factor that probably influences the level of disgust and...
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Sexual disgust in an evolutionary perspective
Šeda, Jan ; Kaňková, Šárka (advisor) ; Kuncová, Lucie (referee)
Disgust is one of the basic human emotions, its purpose being protection of individuals from situations that could potentially harm them. Disgust can also play a part in many mental disorders. One of the domains of disgust is sexual disgust, which allows an individual to choose the optimal sexual partner and to distance themselves from other individuals who exhibit inappropriate sexual behavior. The sexual disgust sensitivity is influenced by a range of individual factors, such as political orientation, religion, culture and social norms, personality differences, preferred reproductive strategies and gender. Higher average rate of sexual disgust has been observed in women than in men, which is related to their different sexual and social lives. Disgust also plays an important role in prejudice against homosexuals. Keywords: sexual disgust, mating strategies, homosexuality, basic emotions, adaptive behavior
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The role of gut microbiota and HPA axis in childhood
Trunečková, Naděžda ; Kaňková, Šárka (advisor) ; Kreisinger, Jakub (referee)
The microbiota-host relationship is a complex system of interactions, which has evolved over thousands of years. Colonization of the gastrointestinal tract begins in prenatal period, continues after birth, and can be disrupted by different factors like a mode of delivery, lactation, or antibiotics. Main development of the intestinal microbiota and the central nervous system takes place in the first two or three years of life. The microbiota and the brain can mutually influence their development. For the communication is used the microbiota-gut-brain axis, which includes the neural, endocrine, metabolic and immunological pathways. Exposure to stress, whether in the prenatal period or in the first few years of life, can have a negative impact on the composition of the intestinal microbiota and the developing brain, including areas associated with the regulation of the HPA axis - one of the main mechanisms of stress regulation, which includes all interactions between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands. Dysregulation of the microbiota-gut-brain axis can affect our response to stress, cognitive function, and emotions. The modified HPA axis response can affect our physical and mental health. It is associated with immune system disorders, behavioural disorders, social integration...
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Factors influencing initiation of breastfeeding
Šámalová, Pavlína ; Havlíček, Jan (advisor) ; Kaňková, Šárka (referee)
Breastfeeding is a natural way of mammalian offspring nutrition and we can see analogous situation in human newborns. In addition to nutrition itself, breastfeeding has a wide range of other positive effects on the mother and her child. Many factors can influence the onset of breastfeeding and its successful continuation (BMI, alcohol consumption during pregnancy or early mother-infant contact). The main aim of this thesis was to test the effect of mother-newborn contact and the medical procedures in early postpartum care on the onset of lactation. Further, we aimed to investigate other possible factors that influence the initiation of lactation. We found that attaching newborn to the breast in the delivery room significantly decreased the time from birth to the onset of lactation. Moreover, the onset of lactation was significantly positively affected by parity, BMI before pregnancy and negatively by presence of a close person in the delivery room, and illness during pregnancy. To investigate breastfeeding-related postpartum care, we carried out a one week internship at the maternity hospital. We can influence some of the factors by education of the society and in early postpartum care. Keywords Breastfeeding, newborn, early contact, delivery, lactation 5
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Evolutionary theories of homosexuality
Fořt, Jakub ; Kaňková, Šárka (advisor) ; Štěrbová, Zuzana (referee)
This thesis deals with male homosexuality from an evolutionary viewpoint. In the first part, it provides a review of knowledge about the genetic and immunological origin of male homosexuality, this consequently serves as a theoretical base for the main part of the thesis. Regarding the fact that homosexuals leave less offspring than heterosexuals do, it is appropriate to raise a question by which mechanism is male homosexuality maintained in population and what could eventually be its evolutionary role. The thesis summarizes five most influential theories which were constructed in a purpose to answer this question. The thesis also posits and critically evaluates results of empirical research that support particular theories or give evidence against them.
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The application of Trivers-Willard hypothesis in humans
Kukla, Pavol ; Kaňková, Šárka (advisor) ; Kuba, Radim (referee)
Thesis deals with the application of Trivers-Willard hypothesis on people. Trivers-Willard hypothesis is one of the most cited hypotheses connected with evolution of sex ratio. The thesis briefly summarizes research of the evolution of sex ratio from before the hypothesis was formed. Furthermore, it defines conditions of the hypothesis as defined by their authors Robert Ludlow Trivers and Dan Edward Willard, it deals with its interpretation and the validity of the conditions within human populations. It subsequently introduces cases of effects influencing human sex ratio and possibilities of the application of the hypothesis as an explanation of those effects. It also deals with application of this hypothesis in broader context of the evolution, so-called "generalized Trivers- Willard hypothesis ". Towards the end, it summarizes the criticism of the validity of the hypothesis in human population. Key words: Trivers-Willard hypothesis, human, sex ratio, evolution, good condition, generalized Trivers-Willard hypothesis, parental investment
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Changes in disgust sensitivity associated with hormonal shifts in women - adaptive system or maladaptive response?
Dlouhá, Daniela ; Kaňková, Šárka (advisor) ; Landová, Eva (referee)
Disgust (the feeling of aversion or repulsion) is based on experiencing something distasteful. As an adaptive system, it works as a protection of oneself, especially against infection by pathogens or behavior that could negatively affect one's evolutionary success. Disgust can be observed in women during times of significant hormonal changes, such as pregnancy or the luteal phase of the ovulation cycle. It was observed that these times can also be related to immunological changes, when the woman and (during pregnancy) the fetus require more intensive protection. Hormonal changes can be a sensitive time for the onset of different psychopathological disorders. These disorders are also often associated with heightened levels of disgust. Studies focusing on disgust and the onset of anxiety disorders indicate that the heightened disgust observed in pregnancy could in some cases be just the maladaptive reaction of a developing mental disorder.
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