The SPRi determination of cathepsin L and S in plasma and peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis.

Purpose: Endometriosis is a common disease with a complex pathomechanism and atypical symptoms, often leading to delayed diagnosis. Currently, the sole method for confirming the presence of the disease is through laparoscopy and histopathological examination of collected tissue. However, this invasive procedure carries potential risk and complications, necessitating the exploration of non-surgical diagnostic methods for endometriosis.

Plasma and Peritoneal Fluid Annexin A2 Levels in Patients with Endometriosis.

Introduction: Endometriosis is an inflammatory-related reproductive age disease characterized by the presence of endometrial cells outside the uterine cavity. Current laboratory practice does not provide specific markers for detecting and assessing the advancement of endometriosis in either plasma or peritoneal fluid. The severity of disease is assessed in stages from I to IV based on the results of laparoscopic inspection.

Evaluation of Proteasome and Immunoproteasome Levels in Plasma and Peritoneal Fluid in Patients with Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a chronic disease in which the endometrium cells are located outside the uterine cavity. The aim of this study was to evaluate circulating 20S proteasome and 20S immunoproteasome levels in plasma and peritoneal fluid in women with and without endometriosis in order to assess their usefulness as biomarkers of disease. Concentrations were measured using surface plasmon resonance imaging biosensors.

The Association between Bisphenol A, Steroid Hormones, and Selected MicroRNAs Levels in Seminal Plasma of Men with Infertility.

Bisphenol A (BPA), the most common endocrine-disrupting chemical, has been associated with male reproductive dysfunctions. Recently, it has been shown that BPA may also affect miRNAs expression. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the association of BPA levels with steroid hormone concentration and circulating miRNAs levels to investigate the potential direct effect of BPA on homeostasis in the testis environment.

Role of sphingolipids in the pathogenesis of intrahepatic cholestasis.

Background & Aims: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is the most common pregnancy-related liver disorder that affects from 0.2% to 15.6% pregnant women.

Oxytocin antagonism reverses the effects of high oestrogen levels and oxytocin on decidualization and cyclooxygenase activity in endometrial tissues.

Research Question: What is the in-vitro effect of oxytocin receptor (OTR) antagonism on parameters of receptivity in human endometrial explants and endometrial stromal cell lines cultured in oestradiol-rich conditions mimicking ovarian stimulation?

Design: Experimental in-vitro study on endometrial tissue explants collected by aspiration biopsy from 30 women undergoing fertility treatment and cultured endometrial tHESC cell line. The study examined the effects of high oestradiol, oxytocin and OTR antagonist on parameters of decidualization (cell viability and prolactin secretion) as well as cyclooxygenase-1/2 (COX-1/2) activity and prostaglandin F (PGF) secretion. Changes in expression of OXTR and COX-2 genes were examined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

Simultaneous analysis of bisphenol A fractions in maternal and fetal compartments in early second trimester of pregnancy.

Background Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogenic, endocrine-disrupting compound widely used in the industry. It is also a ubiquitous environmental pollutant. Its presence was confirmed in human fetuses, which results from maternal exposure during pregnancy.

Differences in permeability of preterm and term fetal membranes to calcium ions - Preliminary report.

The metabolic activity of amniochorion contributes to the control of activation of labor-type uterine contractions. The study presents an experimental model of transport of calcium ions across the human amniochorion sampled directly after cesarean section in patients delivering both at term and prematurely. Transmembrane transport of calcium ions was lower in preterm vs.

[Uterine contractile activity at embryo transfer--as a new pharmacotherapeutic target in assisted reproduction].

Uterine contractile activity plays an important role in the reproduction of mammals, influencing sperm transport in the genital tract and positioning of the implanting embryo within the uterine cavity In humans, apart from the time of menses, the activity of a non-pregnant uterus is usually not perceived, and it is also not a subject of any routine clinical testing. Major contractile factors in non-gravid uteri are oxytocin and prostaglandins, locally produced within the endometrium. Oxytocin synthesis and expression of its receptors is gradually increasing in the follicular phase, following an increase in estrogen levels, and reaches its peak in the periovulatory period.

Potential first trimester metabolomic biomarkers of abnormal birth weight in healthy pregnancies.

Objective: Macrosomia and low birth weight (LBW) can be associated with pregnancy complications and may affect the long-term health of the child. The aim of this study was to evaluate the metabolomic serum profiles of healthy pregnant women to identify early biomarkers of macrosomia and LBW and to understand mechanisms leading to abnormal fetal growth not related to mother's body mass index or presence of gestational diabetes.

Method: Serum samples from 770 women were collected between the 12th and 14th gestational week.

Spontaneous rupture of unscarred uterus in the early second trimester: a case report of placenta percreta.

Background: Prevalence of uterine rupture at delivery has been recently estimated at less than 1 in 2500 deliveries. Spontaneous uterine rupture in the early mid-trimester (16 weeks gestation or less), is far less frequent. We report a case of uterine rupture due to placenta percreta in otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy

Case: A 35-year-old, gravida 5, para 5, at 15wk 2d gestation (menstrual age) with negative history of uterine scarring suddenly developed symptoms of incipient hypovolemic shock while being hospitalized for imminent miscarriage.

Oxytocin and vasopressin V(1A) receptors as new therapeutic targets in assisted reproduction.

Embryo transfer, the final stage of IVF/embryo transfer (IVF/ET) treatment, independently influences treatment outcome.Successful embryo implantation following embryo transfer, among other factors, is also dependant on uterine receptivity.Uterine contractile activity may adversely affect the implantation.

Reductionist and system approaches to study the role of infection in preterm labor and delivery.

A substantial number of patients with preterm labor and delivery do not show clinical signs of infection, however, it is the subclinical form which is the main causative factor and often results in premature delivery. The hitherto commonly applied methods of inflammation detection are based either on potentially hazardous amniocentesis or still insufficient inflammation-related protein measurement in the serum or other biological fluids. The advent of new "omics" technologies has led to a paradigm-shift in experimental approach which tends to primarily generate rather than form hypotheses.

New research models and novel signal analysis in studies on preterm labor: a key to progress?

Preterm labor affects up to 20% of pregnancies, is considered a main cause of associated neonatal morbidity and mortality and is responsible for neonatal care costs of multimillion euros. In spite of that, the commercial market for this clinical indication is rather limited, which may be also related to high liability. Consequently, with only a few exceptions, preterm labor is not in the orbit of great interest of the pharmaceutical industry.

Oxytocin antagonists may improve infertility treatment.

Objective: To confirm the improvement of uterine receptivity following administration of oxytocin and vasopressin V1A antagonist atosiban.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Private reproductive medicine center.

Effect of atosiban on rabbit embryo development and human sperm motility.

Objective: To investigate embryotoxic potential and effects on human sperm motility of the mixed vasopressin V(1a)/oxytocin receptor antagonist atosiban considered for novel indication of improvement of uterine receptivity in embryo-transfer recipients.

Design: One-cell rabbit embryo bioassay and human sperm motility bioassay were performed in control media or in media containing atosiban.

Setting: Private center of reproductive medicine and academic research institute of reproduction biotechnology.

Effect of short-term, low-dose treatment with tamoxifen in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.

Current treatment of painful periods and other symptoms related to primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is usually commenced with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or oral contraceptives, which fails in about 10% of affected patients. Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen-receptor modulator (SERM), has been demonstrated to directly inhibit uterine contractions, causing improvement in uterine blood flow. It could be considered for application in selected groups of dysmenorrheic patients, for instance carriers of breast cancer-associated antigen (BRCA) genes, breast cancer survivors or women with advanced endometriosis.

Decreased serum level of macrophage inflammatory chemokine-3beta/CCL19 in preterm labor and delivery.

Objective: Chemokines are small soluble molecules which mediate leukocyte migration and may be involved in the pathophysiology of preterm labor. We aimed to determine if serum concentrations of selected chemokines are changed in preterm labor and delivery.

Study Design: A novel array-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantitate serum levels of nine chemokines from a single sample: MDC/CCL22, TARC/CCL17, ITAC/CXCL11, I-309/CCL1, IP-10/CXCL10, MIP-1alpha/CCL3, -1beta/CCL4, -3alpha/CCL20 and -3beta/CCL19.

Visualization of synchronization of the uterine contraction signals: running cross-correlation and wavelet running cross-correlation methods.

In physiological research, we often study multivariate data sets, containing two or more simultaneously recorded time series. The aim of this paper is to present the cross-correlation and the wavelet cross-correlation methods to assess synchronization between contractions in different topographic regions of the uterus. From a medical point of view, it is important to identify time delays between contractions, which may be of potential diagnostic significance in various pathologies.

Inhibitory effect of barusiban and atosiban on oxytocin-induced contractions of myometrium from preterm and term pregnant women.

Background: A synthetic oxytocin analogue, barusiban, was shown to potently inhibit oxytocin-induced activity of myometrium from term pregnant women. The responsiveness to vasopressin was not influenced by the compound.

Objective: To test the effect of barusiban and a reference compound, atosiban, on oxytocin-induced activity of myometrium from women at preterm pregnancy in comparison to myometrium from women at term.