MicroRNA-34b functions as a potential tumor suppressor in endometrial serous adenocarcinoma.

Endometrial serous adenocarcinoma (ESC) is aggressive and carries a poor prognosis. p53 is frequently mutated in ESC. microRNAs (miRNAs) are a direct p53 target and have been implicated in cancer cell behavior.

Clinical manifestations and outcomes of parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy in Japan.

Parvovirus B19 is a small DNA virus. Infection with parvovirus B19 during pregnancy may cause serious complications in the fetus, including hydrops fetalis and fetal death. The purpose of the present study is to clarify the clinical manifestations and outcomes of parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy.

Prolonged relaxant effects of vecuronium in patients with deliberate hypermagnesemia: time for caution in cesarean section.

We present two cases showing significantly prolonged action of vecuronium from magnesium treatment after general anesthesia for urgent cesarean section. The serum magnesium levels were maintained at a therapeutic range for severe eclampsia in one patient (5.6 mg.

Genetic significance of skewed X-chromosome inactivation in premature ovarian failure.

To determine the relationship between premature ovarian failure (POF) and skewed X-chromosome inactivation (XCI), karyotype, and XCI status in 43 patients with POF (group I) and 43 age-matched control women with regular menstrual cycles (group II) were evaluated. Evaluation of XCI status was based on the CAG triplet repeat polymorphism assay in the androgen receptor gene after sodium bisulfite treatment of DNA samples, and XCI patterns were classified as random (XCI < 70% skewing) or skewed (> or =70%). Furthermore, skewed XCI was classified under three different thresholds (> or =70, > or =80, or > or =90%).

Clinical evaluation of the risk of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome using the relative power contribution of fetal heart rate fluctuations.

Objectives: In twin pregnancies, it has been suggested that fluctuations of the two fetal heart rates should be considered as two variates that affect each other. We therefore investigated whether the relative power contribution (RPC) of heart rate fluctuation between twins reflects the clinical severity of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.

Study Design: Sixty-three cases of twin pregnancy including 43 monochorionic twins and 20 dichorionic twins were studied.