Prenatal Ultrasound Screening and Women's Expectations: an Original Study.

Background: Prenatal screening offers crucial information about the pregnancy, although sometimes brings forth ethical issues and potentially difficult decisions for pregnant women. Ultrasound screening during pregnancy is both of particular importance and a great challenge.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess women's knowledge and expectations regarding prenatal ultrasound screening in Greece.

The Cognitive Approach to Bioethical Issues in Perinatal Care in Greece.

Background And Aim: Current practice in prenatal diagnosis becomes challenging with new bioethics issues emerging constantly during daily clinical routine. Although fetal interventions are driven by a motivation to improve the health of the fetus, progress in fetal therapies raises issues of maternal autonomy. The objective of this article is to assess bioethics in prenatal diagnosis in Greece as well as bioethics education.

Links between HPA axis and adipokines: clinical implications in paradigms of stress-related disorders.

Introduction: In the human organism, a constant interplay exists between the stress system [which includes the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis] and the adipose tissue. This interplay is mediated by hormones of the HPA axis such as corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and glucocorticoids (GCs) and adipokines secreted by the adipose tissue.

Areas Covered: In this critical review, the bi-directional interactions between HPA axis and the most studied adipokines such as leptin and adiponectin, as well as the pro-inflammatory adipocytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin (IL) 6 are presented.

Endometrial CRH and implantation: from bench to bedside.

Endometrial corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) has been described as a mediator of decidualisation and as a contributor of maternal-fetal immunotolerance. Deregulation of the CRH expression pattern has been associated with unfavourable reproductive outcomes as well as chronic endometrium-derived inflammatory disorders, such as endometriosis and adenomyosis. The current review summarises the evidence produced regarding the role of CRH in endometrial physiology and pathophysiology and highlights recent clinical data regarding the role of CRH in improving clinical pregnancy rates in women with repeated implantation failures following in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer.

Intrauterine HPV transmission: a systematic review of the literature.

Purpose: To evaluate the percentage of intrauterine vertical human papillomavirus (HPV) transmission among HPV-positive mothers and the relative risk of intrauterine vertical HPV transmission between cesarean and vaginal delivery among HPV-positive women.

Methods: This systematic review was made according to the PRISMA statement. We searched PubMed and Scopus and the final articles were selected by two reviewers.

Assessment of bone metabolism and biomechanical properties of the femur, following treatment with anastrozole and letrozole in an experimental model of menopause.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of anastrozole and letrozole supplementation following surgically induced menopause on bone metabolism and biomechanical properties. A total of 45 Wistar rats underwent ovariectomy and were then randomly allocated to receive no treatment, anastrozole or letrozole. At 2 and 4 months following the initiation of the present study, the serum levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) were determined, and the animals were sacrificed at the end of the 4-month period to assess the biomechanical properties of the femoral bones.

Interrelations among the adipocytokines leptin and adiponectin, oxidative stress and aseptic inflammation markers in pre- and early-pubertal normal-weight and obese boys.

Purpose: Presumed interrelationships among deleterious aspects of adipose tissue metabolism, inflammation, and cellular oxidative stress could be influenced by pubertal hormonal changes. They were investigated in pre- and early pubertal normal-weight and obese boys before and after an exercise bout employed as an energy demanding stimulator.

Methods: Cross-sectional study.

The impact of Anastrazole and Letrozole on the metabolic profile in an experimental animal model.

Anastrazole and Letrozole are used as endocrine therapy for breast cancer patients. Previous studies suggested a possible association with metabolic and liver adverse effects. Their results are conflicting.