Seasonal variation in home blood pressure during pregnancy and frequency of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a multicenter prospective study of home blood pressure measurements in pregnant women using information technology.

This multicenter prospective study investigated seasonal variation in home blood pressure (HBP) during pregnancy and its association with the frequency of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and developed trimester-specific upper limits of HBP according to season. Low-risk women with singleton pregnancies were recruited at six university hospitals and three maternity clinics. HBP was measured by a sphygmomanometer twice daily and recorded online using a mobile application.

The Influence of Nicotine on Trophoblast-Derived Exosomes in a Mouse Model of Pathogenic Preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious complication of pregnancy with a pathogenesis that is not fully understood, though it involves the impaired invasion of extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) into the decidual layer during implantation. Because the risk of PE is actually decreased by cigarette smoking, we considered the possibility that nicotine, a critical component of tobacco smoke, might protect against PE by modifying the content of exosomes from EVTs. We investigated the effects of nicotine on our PE model mouse and evaluated blood pressure.

Exponential increase of the gestational-age-specific incidence of preeclampsia onset (COPE study): a multicenter retrospective cohort study in women with maternal check-ups at <20 weeks of gestation in Japan.

According to the 2004 Japanese definition, early-onset (EO) preeclampsia (PE) is defined as PE occurring at <32 weeks of gestation. This was based on the presence of "dual peaks" (30-31 and 34-35 weeks) in the prevalence of severe forms of hypertension. In contrast, the international definition adopted a cutoff of 34 weeks based on the consensus.

Prevalence of common aneuploidy in twin pregnancies.

The incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in twin pregnancies is not well-studied. In this retrospective study, we investigated the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in twin pregnancies and compared the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in dichorionic diamniotic (DD) and monochorionic diamniotic (MD) twins. We used data from 57 clinical facilities across Japan.

Evaluation of the clinical performance of noninvasive prenatal testing at a Japanese laboratory.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in high-risk pregnant women.

Methods: Pregnant women who underwent GeneTech NIPT, the most commonly used NIPT in Japan, between January 2015 and March 2019, at Japan NIPT Consortium medical sites were recruited for this study. The exclusion criteria were as follows: pregnant women with missing survey items, multiple pregnancy/vanishing twins, chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus other than the NIPT target disease, and nonreportable NIPT results.

HMGA1 Is a Potential Driver of Preeclampsia Pathogenesis by Interference with Extravillous Trophoblasts Invasion.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious disease that can be fatal for the mother and fetus. The two-stage theory has been proposed as its cause, with the first stage comprising poor placentation associated with the failure of fertilized egg implantation. Successful implantation and placentation require maternal immunotolerance of the fertilized egg as a semi-allograft and appropriate extravillous trophoblast (EVT) invasion of the decidua and myometrium.

Pathophysiology of Preeclampsia: The Role of Exosomes.

The pathogenesis of preeclampsia begins when a fertilized egg infiltrates the decidua, resulting in implantation failure (e.g., due to extravillous trophoblast infiltration disturbance and abnormal spiral artery remodeling).

Qualitative investigation of the factors that generate ambivalent feelings in women who give birth after receiving negative results from non-invasive prenatal testing.

Background: Women who receive negative results from non-invasive prenatal genetic testing (NIPT) may find that they later have mixed or ambivalent feelings, for example, feelings of accepting NIPT and regretting undergoing the test. This study aimed to investigate the factors generating ambivalent feelings among women who gave birth after having received negative results from NIPT.

Methods: A questionnaire was sent to women who received a negative NIPT result, and a contents analysis was conducted focusing on ambivalent expressions for those 1562 women who responded the questionnaire.

Relationship Between Human β-Defensin 2 and the Vaginal Environment.

As one of the main antimicrobial peptides, human β-defensin 2 (HBD2) plays multiple roles in the lower genital tract. Based on the Nugent score as a diagnostic criterion for bacterial vaginosis, we sought to clarify the correlations among the Nugent score and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and HBD2 levels in vaginal secretions in association with various types of infection. Ninety-eight women were recruited for this study.

Clinical course in a patient with myopathic VLCAD deficiency during pregnancy with an affected baby.

Very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency is an autosomal recessive mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation disorder that manifests in three clinical forms: (a) severe, (b) milder, and (c) myopathic. Patients with the myopathic form present intermittent muscular symptoms such as myalgia, muscle weakness, and rhabdomyolysis during adolescence or adulthood. Here, the clinical symptoms and serum creatine kinase (CK) levels of a pregnant 31-year-old woman with the myopathic form of VLCAD deficiency were reduced during pregnancy.

Significance of pre-hospital care to reduce the morbidity of eclampsia in rural Zambia.

Objectives: Preeclampsia (PE) is the 2nd leading cause of maternal mortality in developing countries. Maternal deaths caused by PE mainly result from eclampsia. The aim of this study was to survey the current status of PE at a local hospital in Zambia and identify preventive measures against eclampsia.

Baby survival in Zambia: stillbirth and neonatal death in a local hospital setting.

Background: Globally, 2.6 million stillbirths occur every year. Of these, 98% occur in developing countries.

Cloning of carrier cells infected with oncolytic adenovirus driven by midkine promoter and biosafety studies.

Background: A549 carrier cells infected with oncolytic adenovirus can induce complete tumor reduction of subcutaneous ovarian tumors but not intraperitoneal disseminated ovarian tumors. This appears to be a result of the insufficient antitumor effect of A549 carrier cells. Therefore, in the present study, we cloned a novel carrier cell with the aim of improving the antitumor effects.

Assessment of laparoscopic training for gynecological malignancies using Thiel-embalmed human cadavers.

The introduction of laparoscopic surgery has also been beneficial for patients with gynecological malignancies. In this respect, surgeons should receive related training in the context of human resource development. Hands-on training was introduced using Thiel-embalmed human cadavers (THCs) in 2014.

Distribution of PAPP-A and total hCG between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation in Japanese pregnant women.

To establish the reference values for PAPP-A and total hCG between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation for the use of risk assessment of fetal aneuploidy in Japanese pregnant women. A multicenter prospective study was conducted. The subjects included only Japanese pregnant women with viable singleton who requested the first trimester combined (nuchal translucency and maternal serum marker) screening for fetal aneuploidy.

Extranuclear Translocation of High-Mobility Group A1 Reduces the Invasion of Extravillous Trophoblasts Involved in the Pathogenesis of Preeclampsia: New Aspect of High-Mobility Group A1.

Objective: High-mobility group A1 (HMGA1) protein is known to express in trophoblast; however, the role of migration has not been reported to date. In this study, we investigated the role of HMGA1 on the pathogenesis of preeclampsia using immortalized human trophoblast cell (HTR-8/SVneo).

Materials And Methods: We investigated HMGA1 expression in cytotrophoblasts derived from our preeclampsia model mouse, the CD40L mouse, using immunofluorescence.

A survey on awareness of genetic counseling for non-invasive prenatal testing: the first year experience in Japan.

The purpose of this study is to summarize the results from a survey on awareness of genetic counseling for pregnant women who wish to receive non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in Japan. As a component of a clinical study by the Japan NIPT Consortium, genetic counseling was conducted for women who wished to receive NIPT, and a questionnaire concerning both NIPT and genetic counseling was given twice: once after pre-test counseling and again when test results were reported. The responses of 7292 women were analyzed.