Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in newborn infants.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of increasing postnatal age on soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), a very early and sensitive marker of immune activation and response in the serum of newborn infants. Serum sICAM-1 was measured by EIA (T Cell Diagnostics) in 20 healthy adults (controls) and in 43 (24 females/19 males) healthy neonates, of whom 28 were full term, and 15 were born at a gestational age between 35 and 38 weeks of pregnancy, on the 1st, 5th and 30th day of life. Neonatal serum sICAM-1 values showed a very significant increase (P < 0.

A comparative study of an estradiol-releasing vaginal ring versus tibolone in postmenopausal women: a transvaginal color Doppler study.

Objective: To evaluate endometrial blood flow characteristics in response to estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) and tibolone in postmenopausal women and to correlate the resistance index (RI) with plasma estradiol levels.

Materials And Methods: Transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound examinations were performed in 72 asymptomatic, postmenopausal women who demonstrated endometrial thickness < or = 5 mm. Thirty-six women receiving tibolone and 36 patients receiving ERT by a vaginal ring comprised the study groups.

The effect of early second stage bradycardia on newborn status.

In the present study 45 patients with intrapartum cardiotocograms showing prolonged fetal bradycardia during the early second stage of labor were included. Bradycardia persisted for 180 s or more with either rapid or prolonged return to baseline, without loss of variability and rise of baseline fetal heart rate (FHR). The mean duration of bradycardia was 5.

Smoking and preterm labor.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of maternal smoking during pregnancy in the occurrence of the premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) and premature labor . Our study consisted of 1,133 women of which 283 (group A) had premature labor (gestation < or = 37 weeks), while 850 (group B) had term labor (gestation > 37 weeks). The two groups did not differ in their socioeconomic status and did not include women with serious complications during pregnancy.

Rupture of an heterotopic pregnancy in the 15th week and normal continuation of the intrauterine gestation. Case report.

A rare case report of heterotopic pregnancy, ruptured in the 15th week of gestation is presented. The intrauterine pregnancy continued after the laparotomy and removal of the extrauterine fetus and ended with a normal delivery in the 39th week.

Hematological parameters of the mother and neonatal status during normal labor.

This study reviews the relationship between hematological parameters of the mother and the newborns status. Our material consisted of 180 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies who had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. A negative relationship was noted between the pH and the maternal hemoglobin values both in the umbilical artery and vein (r = -0.

A comparative study of serum alpha-beta A immunoreactive inhibin and tumor-associated antigens CA125 and CEA in ovarian cancer.

alpha-i.r Inhibin, has been recently proposed as a useful tumor marker for mucinous ovarian carcinomas (Ca), as the widely used tumor marker for ovarian malignancies, CA125 is efficient only in nonmucinous ovarian Ca, and, together with CEA, fails to detect minimal disease and show long half-life in serum after successful surgery. Moreover, conflicting evidence has been reported as to whether inhibin in ovarian malignancies is the biologically active dimer alpha-beta A inhibin or the inactive free alpha-subunits and inhibin precursors.

Serum markers of immune activation in women undergoing in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.

We evaluated serum concentrations of two early and sensitive markers of immune activation, interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in two age-matched groups of in-vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer women, group I (n = 26) without and group II (n = 40) with methylprednisolone (MPD) supplementation of the luteal phase, on the days of oocyte retrieval (sample A) and embryo transfer (B), and second (C) and 13th (D) days post-transfer and in 20 normally cycling women (controls) on the day of luteinizing hormone (LH) peak. No difference in the outcome of the IVF-embryo transfer was observed between groups I and II. In sample A, both immunomarker concentrations showed no significant difference between the two groups of IVF women, while they were significantly higher (P < 0.

Evaluation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis in uremic males using dynamic tests. The possible role of testicular inhibin: a preliminary report.

Two dynamic tests (Gn-RH i.v. and clomiphene citrate-CC p.

Correlation of serum and follicular fluid concentrations of placental protein 14 and CA-125 in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer patients.

Objective: To study serum and follicular fluid (FF) concentrations of placental protein 14 (PP14) and CA-125 in patients participating in an IVF-ET program.

Design: Determination in serum and FF on the day of hCG administration, day of oocyte retrieval, and on ET day of PP14 and CA-125.

Setting: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Athens; Euromedica IVF Unit; and Hellenic Pasteur Institute.

Prophylactic oophorectomy in ovarian cancer prevention.

Objective: To evaluate prophylactic oophorectomy in the prevention of ovarian cancer.

Method: Between 1970 and 1990, 5262 hysterectomies were performed at Areteion Hospital, Athens.

Results: Ovarian cancer was subsequently diagnosed in 520 women (9.

The diagnostic value of laparoscopy in 2365 patients with acute and chronic pelvic pain.

Objective: To discriminate the etiology in 2365 patients with acute and chronic pelvic pain (APP, CPP).

Methods: Diagnostic laparoscopy was carried out in 736 patients (31.1%) with APP and in 1629 (68.

Transvaginal sonography in postmenopausal women treated with low-dose estrogens locally administered.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of low-dose estrogens, administered locally, in postmenopausal women with symptoms and signs of atrophic vaginitis. Transvaginal ultrasonography was performed for the evaluation of endometrial or ovarian abnormalities.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-six healthy postmenopausal women with symptoms of atrophic vaginitis due to estrogen deficiency were examined with transvaginal ultrasound.

Intrafetal prostaglandin F2alpha administration for uterine evacuation in a case of intrauterine death.

An original route of prostaglandin F2alpha administration for uterine evacuation in a case of a midtrimester intrauterine death is presented. The ultrasonographic study revealed a hydropic fetus with a massive nuchal cystic hygroma and oligohydramnios. Given our previous experience with intrafetal prostaglandin administration in a similar case but with a living fetus, we injected prostaglandin F2alpha into the nuchal cysts under continuous ultrasonographic guidance in order to induce uterine evacuation.

Heterotopic pregnancies in an in-vitro fertilization program.

During a four-year period in vitro fertilization (IVF) was carried out in 2,356 cycles. The pregnancy rate per transfer was 24% while the incidence of ectopic pregnancies was 7.5% per pregnancy.

Effect of smoking on ceruloplasmin and its ferroxidase activity in pregnant women.

This study deals with the effects of smoking on serum ceruloplasmin and its ferroxidase activity in pregnant women. The mean value (+/- SD) of serum ceruloplasmin in women smokers during pregnancy is significantly higher (p < 0.01) in comparison to that of nonsmokers, whereas the ferroxidase activity of ceruloplasmin in smokers is not significantly different from that of nonsmokers.

Genuine stress incontinence: prospective randomized comparison of two operative methods.

Eighty-one women with clinical and urodynamic findings of genuine stress incontinence and genital prolapse were randomly selected to be surgically treated with either anterior colporrhaphy or Burch colposuspension. Each patient had a complete clinical and urodynamic evaluation before surgery and at 2 months and 3 years after surgery. Differences in cure rates between the two procedures at the 2-month post-operative evaluation were insignificant; however, at the 3-year post-surgical evaluation, the cure rate of women who had undergone Burch colposuspension was significantly higher than that of women who had undergone anterior colporrhaphy (cure rates were 88% and 57%, respectively; P < 0.

Ovarian surface serous papillary carcinomas: a clinicopathologic study.

Between 1982 and 1992, 129 patients with malignant epithelial ovarian tumors were reviewed with identification of 10 patients having surface papillary serous carcinoma of the ovary and one having peritoneal papillary carcinoma. The gross operative specimens, histopathologic condition, and treatment records were reviewed. All patients had disease involving the omentum, and the abdominal and pelvic peritoneum, and they all corresponded to stage III, according to FIGO.

Prostaglandin F1a and prostaglandin E2 plasma levels after transvaginal cervical cerclage.

Plasma prostaglandin metabolites, prostaglandin F1a (PGF1a) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were measured in a serial set of maternal serum samples by radioimmunoassay after elective transvaginal cervical cerclage (Shirodkar) in 18 patients early in the 2nd trimester (14-15 weeks of gestation) for a history of cervical incompetence. Eight patients received progesterone preoperatively as a myometrial suppressant. The basal PGF1a and PGE2 were 134.

Sonographic incidence of polycystic ovaries in a gynecological population.

The prevalence of polycystic ovaries in a large population of 1078 women of reproductive age was determined by pelvic ultrasonography. The ovarian ultrasonic appearance of 183 (17%) women met the morphological criteria of polycystic ovaries. Of these women, 147 (80.

Serum and follicular fluid sex hormone-binding globulin in stimulated and unstimulated cycles.

Background: It is well-known that sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations in the follicle are relatively low in comparison with the corresponding estradiol (E2) levels, which are extremely high. A direct comparison of these data in stimulated and unstimulated cycles, as well as the relationship of SHBG with testosterone (T) and E2 in serum and follicular fluid (FF), is assessed.

Methods: SHBG was measured in serum and FF in 42 cycles stimulated by GnRH agonists and gonadotropins and in 15 unstimulated cycles.

Fallopian tube sperm perfusion has no advantage over intra-uterine insemination when used in combination with ovarian stimulation for the treatment of unexplained infertility.

In this prospective randomized study we treated 60 couples with unexplained infertility with a combination of ovarian stimulation and either intrauterine insemination (IUI) or fallopian sperm perfusion (FSP). In the IUI we used a volume of 0.5 ml of inseminate and in the FSP a volume of 4 ml.

Five years' follow-up in two patients with borderline tumours of the ovary hyperstimulated by gonadotrophin therapy for in-vitro fertilization.

In two women (36 and 30 years old) during infertility evaluation by ultrasound, an ovarian cyst was found on the left side (5 x 7 and 6 x 9 cm respectively). In both cases, it was decided to perform a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, keeping the other ovary (after a negative biopsy) for a future in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure with their own oocytes. The histology report for each patient showed the cyst was an epithelial borderline tumour.

The predictive value of a nonstress test taken 24 h before delivery in high-risk pregnancies.

Objectives: A series of 180 cases of high risk pregnancies were studied in order to assess if a nonstress test taken 24 h before delivery is of any prognostic significance.

Methods: To assess the predictability of the NST (reactive or nonreactive) in terms of fetal outcome, the following variables were taken into consideration: fetal distress during labor, low Apgar score (< 7) and perinatal mortality rate.

Results: A reactive test was found to be a good predictor of the healthy fetus (negative predictive value = 91.