Pregnancy-associated Deaths: 31-year Experience.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to elucidate the clinical characteristics of pregnancy-associated maternal deaths.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis with medical records and autopsy reports of cases of pregnancy-associated deaths. We collected information on all maternal deaths related to pregnancy that occurred in 3 hospitals affiliated with Nippon Medical School in Japan from January 1, 1984, to December 31, 2014.

Huge ovarian endometrioma that grew after menopause: Case report.

Endometriomas occur in women of reproductive age and are rare after menopause. A 56-year-old gravida 3 para 2 woman complained of abdominal fullness that had gradually worsened over approximately one year (i.e.

Effect on clinical work practice of establishing a neonatal intensive care unit at a medical school-affiliated teaching hospital.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a newly established neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on clinical work practice and educational activity at Nippon Medical School Musashikosugi Hospital.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical records of all neonates admitted to the NICU from December 2010 through November 2013. Anthropometric data, clinical status, problems, and outcomes of patients and the related obstetrical history were extracted and analyzed.

Predicting onset of labor from echogenicity of the cervical gland area on vaginal ultrasonography at term.

Background And Aim: On vaginal ultrasonography, cervical gland area (CGA) gradually disappears with advancing gestation. This is attributed in part to the echogenicity of the CGA becoming equal to that of the cervical stroma. The present study aimed to assess the usefulness of echogenicity in the CGA at term for predicting the time of spontaneous onset of labor.

Clinical characteristics of amniotic fluid embolism: an experience of 29 years.

Aim: The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical characteristics and risk factors for amniotic fluid embolism (AFE).

Methods: We performed a retrospective case study analysis of patients using medical records and autopsy records. The diagnosis of AFE was based on the presence of clinical symptoms using Clark's criteria and autopsy results.

A phase II study of paclitaxel and carboplatin with a biweekly schedule in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer: Gynecologic Cancer Network trial.

Aim: The objective of this multicenter phase II study was to evaluate the effects of biweekly paclitaxel and carboplatin combination chemotherapy on response rate and toxicities in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Patients And Methods: Patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage II to IV ovarian cancer received paclitaxel at a dose of 120 mg/m(2) and carboplatin at an area under the curve of 3 mg/mL per minute every 2 weeks for 8 or more cycles. Inclusion criteria included an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 2 and no previous chemotherapy.

Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome due to eclampsia in a woman with a twin pregnancy produced with donated oocytes.

A 35-year-old primigravida with severe ovarian dysfunction underwent in vitro fertilization with oocytes donated by her sister. A twin pregnancy ensued, and she received prenatal care at our hospital. She underwent a cesarean section at 35 weeks' gestation because of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and breech presentation at the onset of labor.

Correlation between an absence of cervical gland area on transvaginal sonography and cervical mucus hyaluronic acid levels in women with threatened preterm delivery.

Purpose: Transvaginal sonographic findings of an absent cervical gland area (CGA) and a short cervical length (CL) are frequently observed in patients with threatened preterm delivery. The present study aimed to clarify whether sonographic findings are due to active production of hyaluronic acid (HA)in the cervix.

Methods: Possible relationships between sonographic findings of the presence or absence of the CGA and/or a short CL and cervical mucus HA concentration were investigated in 68 women with threatened preterm delivery at 22 – 31 weeks’ gestation and 136 women without threatened preterm delivery as controls.

Expression and role of nestin in human cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer.

Nestin expression reportedly correlates with aggressive growth, metastasis, poor prognosis and presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in various tumors. In this study, we determined the expression and role of nestin in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer. We performed immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization analyses of nestin in 26 cases for each stage of CIN and 55 cervical cancer tissue samples.

Hydroxysteroid (17-β) dehydrogenase 1 is dysregulated by miR-210 and miR-518c that are aberrantly expressed in preeclamptic placentas: a novel marker for predicting preeclampsia.

In this study, to search for novel preeclampsia (PE) biomarkers, we focused on microRNA expression and function in the human placenta complicated with PE. By comprehensive analyses of microRNA expression, we identified 22 microRNAs significantly upregulated in preeclamptic placentas, 5 of which were predicted in silico to commonly target the mRNA encoding hydroxysteroid (17-β) dehydrogenase 1 (HSD17B1), a steroidogenetic enzyme expressed predominantly in the placenta. In vivo HSD17B1 expression, at both the mRNA and protein levels, was significantly decreased in preeclamptic placentas.

Spontaneous uterine perforation due to clostridial gas gangrene associated with endometrial carcinoma.

Few cases of clostridial gas gangrene associated with uterine malignancy have been reported. We report on a 46-year-old woman with clostridial sepsis. On the day of admission due to severe abdominal pain, peritonitis was diagnosed, and computed tomography showed free air in the abdomen.

Significance of cervical gland area in predicting preterm birth for patients with threatened preterm delivery: comparison with cervical length and fetal fibronectin.

Background/aims: Absent cervical gland area (CGA) has been considered a predictor of preterm delivery (PTD) for women at low risk. Predictive efficacy was analyzed in women at high risk for PTD and compared with cervical length (CL) <20 mm and fetal fibronectin (fFN) in cervicovaginal secretions.

Methods: Case notes were reviewed for 108 subjects with gestation of 22-33 weeks who had been admitted to hospital with threatened PTD.

Combined chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin for mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary during pregnancy.

Combined chemotherapy using carboplatin and paclitaxel has been established as a standard regimen for epithelial ovarian carcinoma. We present the case of a 36-year-old woman with ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma who underwent exploratory laparotomy during pregnancy, revealing Stage 1c at gestational week 15. Afterwards, five courses of paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy were administered biweekly from gestational week 24.

Effect of sera on the adhesion of natural killer cells to the endothelium in severe pre-eclampsia.

Objective: To investigate the effect of serum on the interaction between natural killer (NK) cells and endothelial cells in pre-eclampsia.

Methods: Seven severely pre-eclamptic patients, five normal pregnant women, and four normal non-pregnant women were included in this study. Freshly isolated NK cells labeled with Chromium-51 were incubated on an endothelial cell monolayer in the presence of patient serum.

Fetal and neonatal thermoregulation.

The metabolic rate of the fetus per tissue weight is relatively high when compared to that of an adult. Moreover, heat is transferred to the fetus via the placenta and the uterus, resulting in a 0.3 degrees C to 0.

A case report: change in fetal heart rate pattern on spontaneous uterine rupture at 35 weeks gestation after laparoscopically assisted myomectomy.

A 31-year-old nulligravid woman who underwent laparoscopically assisted myomectomy 5 months before becoming pregnant suffered uterine rupture at 35 weeks gestation. A 50 g intramuscular myomatous node had been removed laparoscopically. Early signs of rupture included sudden onset of severe abdominal tenderness and frequent uterine contractions despite reassuring FHR tracing.

Intrauterine therapy for the acutely enlarging fetal cystic hygroma.

Enlarged fetal cystic hygroma is known to cause life-threatening complications such as fetal hydrops and neonatal respiratory difficulty. A 28-year-old Japanese woman, gravida 0, presented with fetal cystic hygroma at 23 weeks of gestation. There were no other structural malformations or hydrops detected by ultrasonographic examination.

Changes in plasma endothelin-1 after elective cesarean section in women with preeclampsia and the relationship to thrombocytopenia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify the time course of plasma endothelin-1 levels and platelet counts after elective cesarean section in women with preeclampsia, and to investigate the relationship between them postoperatively.

Methods: We studied 20 patients with preeclampsia and 25 healthy pregnant women without preeclampsia who underwent cesarean section and 20 women without preeclampsia who had vaginal deliveries. The plasma endothelin-1 and platelet counts were measured serially after cesarean section.

Correlations between interscapular deep temperature and plasma free fatty acid levels in pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether deep temperature directly reflects underlying pathology in pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum. SUBJECTS. We studied 24 women at first trimester hospitalized for hyperemesis gravidarum who had lost a mean of 4.

Windows of therapeutic opportunity on fetal growth retardation induced by transient intrauterine ischemia in rats.

Objective: To assess the windows of therapeutic opportunity for drugs with various chemical actions on fetal growth retardation induced by transient intrauterine ischemia in rats.

Methods: At 17 days of gestation, ischemia was induced by 30 min of right uterine artery occlusion. The administration of either alpha-phenyl-N-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN), FK 506, nifedipine, or MK-801 to pregnant rats was randomly started before occlusion, 1 hour, 3 hours, or 24 hours after recirculation.

Alterations of thermoregulation in women with hyperemesis gravidarum.

We investigated the thermoregulatory alterations to coldness in hyperemesis gravidarum. In pregnant women with hyperemesis (n=22), thermographic measurements for skin temperature and heat dissipation from the back were made during immersions of hands in 15 degrees C water for 50 s. A thermogenic ratio (TR) was calculated as (A-B)/B, where A and B represent the rate of heat dissipation (Cal/hr) from the interscapular and the whole back area, respectively.

Short-term effects of different thermal conditions during uteroplacental ischaemia on fetal growth of Sprague-Dawley rats.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the short-term effect of various body temperatures on fetal growth during uteroplacental ischaemia. Under mild hyperthermia (n = 6), normothermia (n = 6) and hypothermia (n = 6), a 30-min period of ischaemia was induced in Sprague-Dawley rat dams by clamping the uterine arteries of one uterine horn at 17 days of gestation, leaving the other horn undisturbed. Three days later, the bodyweight of the pups, and the weights of the brains, livers and placentas were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test.

Clinical relevance of grade III placenta in assessment of low level of plasma antithrombin III activity in pregnant women at term.

Unlabelled: We previously reported the correlation of placenta grade with low antithrombin III (ATIII) in pregnant women at term. In this report, the clinical relevance of grade III placenta in the assessment of low plasma ATIII was compared with other factors that raise the risk of blood hypercoagulability.

Methods: We investigated the correlation of low ATIII with ultrasonographic placental grade as well as with age, parity, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, platelet counts and hematocrit in 164 healthy pregnant women at term.

Vitamins ameliorate secondary mitochondrial failure in neonatal rat brain.

Recirculation after transient intrauterine ischemia has previously been found to be accompanied by secondary mitochondrial dysfunction in the immature rat brain. This study was performed to assess the efficacy of combined treatment with ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol in improving secondary brain damage. On the 17th day of gestation, transient intrauterine ischemia was induced by 30 minutes of uterine artery occlusion.