Evaluating the association between all components of the metabolic syndrome and pre-eclampsia.

Objective: Hypothesising that metabolic syndrome may be associated with or useful in the prediction of pre-eclampsia, we investigated the association between all components of metabolic syndrome and C-reactive protein (CRP) in women with and without pre-eclampsia.

Methods: A case-control study was performed. Cases had gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia and controls were term deliveries.

Is factor V Leiden mutation a cause of in vitro fertilization failure?

This prospective cohort study tested whether the most common hereditary thrombophilia, factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation, is associated with nonpregnancy after IVF. Factor V Leiden mutation prevalence was very low (1.6%) and had a preliminarily positive association with pregnancy, suggesting that routine testing in a general IVF population for FVL mutation as a cause of IVF failure and infertility is not indicated.

Time to relapse after short- or long-term treatment of severe premenstrual syndrome with sertraline.

Context: The duration of treatment after achieving a satisfactory response is unknown in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome. This information is needed in view of the improvement provided by medication vs the adverse effects and costs of drugs.

Objective: To compare rates of relapse and time to relapse between short- and long-term treatment with sertraline hydrochloride administered in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.

Association of cyclophosphamide drug-metabolizing enzyme polymorphisms and chemotherapy-related ovarian failure in breast cancer survivors.

Objective: To determine if genetic variation in chemotherapy metabolism are associated with risk of ovarian failure in breast cancer patients after adjuvant chemotherapy.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Comprehensive cancer center.

Periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes: is there an association?

Objective: We assessed the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (preterm birth [PTB], preeclampsia [PRE], fetal growth restriction [FGR], or perinatal death) in women with periodontal disease (PD) compared to those without.

Study Design: A multicenter prospective cohort study enrolled women from 3 sites between 6 and 20 weeks' gestation. The presence of PD was defined as periodontal attachment loss > or = to 3 mm on 3 or more teeth.

Proteomic analysis of serum yields six candidate proteins that are differentially regulated in a subset of women with endometriosis.

Objective: To identify potential novel biomarkers that differ between subjects with and without endometriosis and that might aid in developing a noninvasive, serum-based diagnostic test.

Design: Case-control evaluation of a diagnostic test.

Setting: University medical center.

Temporal associations of hot flashes and depression in the transition to menopause.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between hot flashes and depressed mood in the menopausal transition and associations of these symptoms with reproductive hormone changes.

Methods: A 10-year follow-up in a population-based cohort of women who had no experience of hot flashes or depressed mood at baseline was conducted.

Results: The incidence of hot flashes significantly increased compared with the incidence of depressed mood in the 10-year follow-up (P < 0.

A single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter of the LOXL1 gene and its relationship to pelvic organ prolapse and preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Pelvic organ prolapse and preterm premature rupture of membranes, the 2 conditions which have in common weakening of the tensile strength of tissues, are thought to be caused, in part, by abnormal extracellular matrix synthesis and/or catabolism. We identified a new single nucleotide polymorphism (NT_010194(LOXL1):g.45008784A>C) in the promoter of the LOXL1 gene, which is essential for elastin synthesis.

A little bit pregnant: modeling how the accurate detection of pregnancy can improve HIV prevention trials.

The prevalence of unplanned pregnancies contributes to the methodological challenges of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention trials. In this paper, the authors discuss the incidence of pregnancy, including chemical pregnancy, and how the different methods of pregnancy diagnosis could affect the statistical power and calculated outcomes of HIV prevention trials. Study sample size inflation factors are estimated to aid in the design of clinical trials.

Prediction of location of a symptomatic early gestation based solely on clinical presentation.

Objective: To evaluate three strategies for diagnosis of women at risk for ectopic pregnancy based on information collected at initial presentation.

Methods: Strength of association for risk factors, signs, and symptoms obtained at initial presentation of women with pain, bleeding, or both in a first-trimester pregnancy and a nondiagnostic ultrasound examination were calculated using a cohort of 2,026 women. Three models (logistic regression, a numeric scoring system, and a Classification and Regression Tree) were created to predict final outcome and tested on a second cohort of 1,634 women.

Prediction of outcome in women with symptomatic first-trimester pregnancy: focus on intrauterine rather than ectopic gestation.

Objective: Symptoms of vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain are common in cases of ectopic pregnancy (EP), spontaneous abortions (SAB), and complications of an intrauterine pregnancy (IUP). It is important to determine if efforts should focus on differentiating EP from an IUP (IUP + SAB) or a viable IUP from a nonviable gestation (EP + SAB) in women at risk for EP.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of women who presented with bleeding or pain or both during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Association of change in estradiol to lower urinary tract symptoms during the menopausal transition.

Objective: To estimate the relationship between changes in estradiol (E2) levels over time and lower urinary tract symptoms in premenopausal women as they transition to menopause.

Methods: A self-administered validated questionnaire to measure lower urinary tract symptoms was administered to 300 women at the 11th assessment period on an ongoing longitudinal Penn Ovarian Aging cohort study. The association between the change in E2 over time through the menopausal transition and lower urinary tract symptoms (urinary incontinence, filling symptoms, voiding dysfunction) was determined.

Sexual function in first-time contraceptive ring and contraceptive patch users.

Objective: To assess sexual function of first-time users of the contraceptive ring and contraceptive patch.

Design: Open-label randomized trial.

Setting: Multicenter study.

Adverse neonatal outcomes: examining the risks between preterm, late preterm, and term infants.

Objective: There is a relative paucity of data regarding neonatal outcomes in the late preterm cohort (34 to 36 6/7 weeks). This study sought to assess differences in adverse outcomes between infants delivering 32 to 33 6/7, 34 to 36 6/7 weeks, and 37 weeks or later.

Study Design: Data were collected as part of a retrospective cohort study of preterm labor patients (2002-2005).

Investigating the associations between nocturia and sleep disorders in perimenopausal women.

Purpose: We determined the associations between nocturia and sleep disorders in perimenopausal women.

Materials And Methods: A total of 100 women with nocturia were compared to 200 without nocturia. Obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, anxiety and menopausal stage were assessed using validated questionnaires.

The effect of OPC Factor on energy levels in healthy adults ages 45-65: a phase IIb randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of the food supplement OPC Factor to increase energy levels in healthy adults aged 45 to 65.

Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blind crossover study.

Subjects: Twenty-five (25) healthy adults recruited from the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Predictors of sleep quality in women in the menopausal transition.

Study Objectives: To determine associations between menopausal status, reproductive hormone levels, menopausal symptoms, and poor sleep quality.

Design: The present study examines subjective sleep quality over an 8-year period in participants in an ongoing longitudinal study of ovarian aging in a randomly identified cohort of African American and Caucasian women.

Participants: The Penn Ovarian Aging Study, a population-based cohort of 436 women from Philadelphia County who were 35 to 47 years of age and had regular menstrual cycles at enrollment.

Body size affects measures of ovarian reserve in late reproductive age women.

Objective: To examine the association between obesity and serum and ultrasound measures of ovarian reserve in late reproductive age women.

Design: Cross-sectional study of 36 healthy women, ages 40 to 52 years. Women were recruited in a 1:1 ratio of normal weight (body mass index <25) to obese women (body mass index >or=30).

Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate alters motility and improves the fertilizing capability of mouse sperm.

Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATPe) treatment of human sperm has been implicated in improving in vitro fertilization (IVF) results. We used the mouse model to investigate mechanisms of action of ATPe on sperm. ATPe treatment significantly enhanced IVF success as indicated by both rate of pronuclear formation and percentage cleavage to the 2-cell stage.

Is routine infectious and toxicologic screening in preterm labor effective in predicting preterm birth?

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate whether a significant association exists between cocaine use, cervical, urine, and/or Group B streptococcus (GBS) infections and preterm birth (PTB) in patients admitted with active preterm labor (PTL).

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study of PTL patients < 34 weeks (n = 400) admitted to a large, urban tertiary care hospital (2002-2005) was performed. Pertinent history and screening test results were collected.

A 12-bp deletion in the 5'-flanking region of the SERPINH1 gene affects promoter activity and protects against preterm premature rupture of membranes in African Americans.

We identified a novel 12-bp deletion NT_033927.7: g.5495364_5495375del in the 5'-flanking region of the SERPINH1 gene that increases promoter activity.

Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms combine to control MMP1 expression and its association with preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Degradation of fibrillar collagens is believed to be involved in the rupture of the fetal membranes during normal parturition and when the membranes rupture prematurely. Matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) is a key enzyme involved in extracellular matrix turnover, and genetic variation in the MMP1 promoter is associated with the risk of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). We determined whether epigenetic factors contribute to the control of MMP1 expression in the human amnion.

Symptoms in the menopausal transition: hormone and behavioral correlates.

Objective: To estimate the association of headache, irritability, mood swings, anxiety, and concentration difficulties with menopausal stage and with reproductive hormones in the menopausal transition.

Methods: Women in the Penn Ovarian Aging Study were assessed longitudinally for 9 years. Data were obtained from structured interviews, a validated symptom questionnaire, menstrual bleeding dates, and early follicular hormone measures of estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone.

Effect of physical activity on menopausal symptoms among urban women.

Purpose: To determine whether physical activity, measured by expended kilocalories per week (kcal.wk), decreases the risk of menopausal symptoms among African American and Caucasian women.

Methods: Level of physical activity and menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, depression, anxiety, stress, and vasomotor, physiological, and somatic symptom summaries were measured in 401 women during an 8-yr period.

Predictors of prognosis in patients with olfactory disturbance.

Objective: Although olfaction is often compromised by such factors as head trauma, viruses, and toxic agents, the olfactory epithelium and sectors of the olfactory bulb have the potential for regeneration. This study assessed the degree to which olfactory function changes over time in patients presenting to a university-based smell and taste center with complaints of olfactory dysfunction and the influences of etiology (eg, head trauma, upper respiratory infection), sex, age, smoking behavior, degree of initial dysfunction, and other factors on such change.

Methods: Well-validated odor identification tests were administered to 542 patients on 2 occasions separated from one another by 3 months to 24 years.