Introduction of management protocol for early-onset severe pre-eclampsia.

Aim: This quality Improvement study evaluated the applicability of our protocol for early-onset severe pre-eclampsia, prepared in April 2013.

Methods: We collected data from all women with early-onset severe pre-eclampsia treated at our hospital between March 2008 and August 2015. Neonatal and maternal outcomes were compared between protocol-based (n = 17) and non-protocol-based management groups (n = 28).

Planned vaginal delivery versus planned cesarean delivery in cases of low-lying placenta.

Objective: To assess the applicability of trial of labor in cases of low-lying placenta.

Methods: In this observational cohort study, we collected data from the women with low-lying placenta delivered at our hospital between April 2012 and December 2015. Low-lying placenta was diagnosed when the length from the placental lowest edge to the internal cervical os (placenta-os distance) was 0-20 mm at 36 gestational weeks.

Diffusion-Weighted MRI and FDG-PET in Diagnosis of Endometrial Stromal Nodule.

Preoperative differentiation of benign endometrial stromal nodule (ESN) from malignant low-grade endometrial sarcoma (LGESS) is challenging, because it requires histological evaluation of the tumor-myometrium interface, which is difficult to obtain in conventional endometrial curettage. A 72-year-old postmenopausal woman presented with 5-year history of persistent vaginal bleeding. Histological examination of the endometrial curettage specimen revealed hyperplasia of apparently normal endometrial stromal cells.

The relationship between maternal plasma leptin levels and fetal growth restriction.

Leptin is a satiety hormone secreted from the adipose tissue and human placenta. We previously demonstrated that severe preeclampsia up-regulated leptin mRNA expression in the placenta and elevated maternal plasma leptin concentrations. Preeclampsia is frequently related to generation of small for gestational age (SGA) infant especially in cases with severe preeclampsia.

Significant increase in maternal plasma leptin concentration in induced delivery: a possible contribution of pro-inflammatory cytokines to placental leptin secretion.

Maternal plasma leptin concentration is significantly increased during pregnancy. However, its roles in pregnancy, especially in labor, have not been fully clarified. We measured plasma leptin concentrations in pregnant women during the course of induced labor, just after spontaneous vaginal delivery and Cesarean section at term.

Free-to-total leptin ratio in maternal plasma is constant throughout human pregnancy.

To clarify the mechanism of leptin resistance during pregnancy, we measured plasma leptin concentrations, free to total leptin ratio (percent free leptin) and soluble leptin receptor concentrations in pregnant women, and compared the results with those in non-pregnant women. We collected plasma samples from 23 non-pregnant and 31 pregnant women in the third trimester. Plasma samples from 5 pregnant women were collected longitudinally in each trimester.