Measurement of endometrial thickness in premenopausal women in office gynecology.

Purpose: To define the median endometrial thickness (ET) in office gynecology is thought to be important for clinical practice. However, there are few reports about ET that have included the general female population on a large scale. The median ET was determined prospectively in premenopausal women who attended office gynecology for cervical cancer screening.

Multiple pregnancy, short cervix, part-time worker, steroid use, low educational level and male fetus are risk factors for preterm birth in Japan: a multicenter, prospective study.

Aim: To examine the relationship between preterm birth and socioeconomic factors, past history, cervical length, cervical interleukin-8, bacterial vaginosis, underlying diseases, use of medication, employment status, sex of the fetus and multiple pregnancy.

Methods: In a multicenter, prospective, observational study, 1810 Japanese women registering their future delivery were enrolled at 8⁺⁰ to 12⁺⁶ weeks of gestation. Data on cervical length and delivery were obtained from 1365 pregnant women.

Effect of the umbilical cord blood acid-base status and gas values on the yield of mononuclear cells and CD34⁺ cells.

Aim: To investigate the influence of umbilical cord blood (CB) acid-base status and gas values on the yield of mononuclear cells and CD34⁺ cells, pH, pCO₂, pO₂, HCO₃⁻ and base excess were measured in arterial CB samples obtained from normal full-term deliveries. The relationship of these values with the yield of mononuclear cells and CD34⁺ cells detected in venous CB was analyzed.

Material And Methods: A total of 145 CB units were collected from full-term vaginal deliveries at a single hospital.

Correlations between the detection of stress-associated hormone/oxidative stress markers in umbilical cord blood and the physical condition of the mother and neonate.

Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the correlations between the detection of stress-associated hormone/oxidative stress markers in umbilical cord blood (CB) and the physical condition of the mother and neonate.

Methods: CB units collected from normal vaginal deliveries were analyzed for various biochemical markers, some stress-associated hormones, such as progesterone, cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) and oxidative stress marker 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), respectively.

Results: The progesterone concentration closely correlated with Apgar score, hemoglobin, maternal smoking and insulin concentration, respectively.

Influence of obstetric factors on the yield of mononuclear cells, CD34+ cell count and volume of placental/umbilical cord blood.

Aim: Placental/umbilical cord blood (CB) has been used increasingly not only for transplantations, but also in the field of life science research. However, little information is available on the biological characteristics of CB units collected in rural areas because no medical facilities are affiliated with CB banks. Little attention has been paid to the collection of CB units in rural areas compared to CB collected in metropolitan areas.

Maternal and neonatal factors associated with the high yield of mononuclear low-density/CD34+ cells from placental/umbilical cord blood.

Placental/umbilical cord blood (CB) contains nucleated cells and hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (CD34(+) cells). However it is difficult to predict the number of nucleated/CD34(+) cells in each CB before cell processing. Despite many previous studies from institutes affiliated with CB banks in metropolitan areas, little information is available regarding the characteristics of CB units from other medical facilities.