Knowledge, attitudes and practices about vaccine-preventable diseases and vaccinations of children among pregnant women in Greece.

Vaccine hesitancy has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of ten threats to public health globally in 2019. Pregnant women constitute an extremely important group for the study of knowledge and attitudes towards pediatric vaccinations. This is a cross-sectional survey conducted in two maternity hospitals in Athens.

Obesity and COVID-19: A jigsaw puzzle with still missing pieces.

Apart from posing various mechanical and medical issues compromising general health, obesity is a major factor for respiratory tract infections, due to specific inflammation and immunological compromise. The burden of obesity on morbidity and mortality of SARS-CoV-2 infection/COVID-19 is considerable. Herein, we aimed to search the literature and present to the readers pathophysiologic pathways that may associate obesity and COVID-19.

Detection of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4A() gene variant as the cause for congenital hyperinsulinism leads to revision of the diagnosis of the mother.

Objectives: Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI) is the most common cause of persistent hypoketotic hypoglycaemia in neonates and infants. It is a genetic disorder with both familial and sporadic forms.

Case Presentation: In this study, we examined two unrelated infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs) presented with HH.

The Conundrum of Poor Ovarian Response: From Diagnosis to Treatment.

Despite recent striking advances in assisted reproductive technology (ART), poor ovarian response (POR) diagnosis and treatment is still considered challenging. Poor responders constitute a heterogeneous cohort with the common denominator of under-responding to controlled ovarian stimulation. Inevitably, respective success rates are significantly compromised.

A brief analysis and hypotheses about the risk of COVID-19 for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

COVID-19 is an infectious respiratory disease which firstly occurred in Wuhan, China and evolved rapidly around the globe. The causative pathogen is a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 with genomic similarities with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. The disease is transmitted among humans either through direct contact or via droplets from sneeze or cough.

Postpartum Follow-Up of Women Who Developed Subclinical Hypothyroidism during Pregnancy.

There is inconsistency in the literature regarding the management of women diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) during pregnancy in the postpartum period. The purpose of our study was to assess the need for continuation of levothyroxine (LT4) treatment after delivery. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 114 women with new-onset SCH during pregnancy and at 1-year follow-up postpartum.

Cystic Fibrosis-Related Diabetes and Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Pregnancy.

Pregnancy in women with cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) is rare and requires intensive monitoring and individualized treatment due to the pathophysiologic parameters of the disease in relation to insulin therapy and special nutritional needs. We present the case of a 33-year-old primigravida woman with CFRD (ΔF508 homozygote, with mild pulmonary involvement) on insulin therapy and treatment for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, who developed subclinical hypothyroidism during gestation. Due to the complexity of the disease, major clinical challenges were glycemic variance, hypoglycemic episodes, and difficulty in weight gaining.

Expression of anti-apoptotic protein survivin in human endometrial carcinoma: Clinical and pathological associations as a separate factor and in combination with concomitant PTEN and p53 expression.

Endometrial carcinoma is one of the most common types of gynecological cancer. A total of 99 cases of primary endometrial carcinoma were investigated for survivin expression by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the association between concomitant survivin, PTEN and p53 expression, and clinicopathological parameters was examined.

Prostatosymphyseal Fistula After Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate: A Very Rare Complication of a Transurethral Surgery.

Prostatosymphyseal fistula (PSF) is a very rare complication described after transurethral surgery of the prostate including photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) with GreenLight laser (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA). Sporadic cases have also been reported in the literature as side effects of pelvic radiation therapy. We present a 65-year-old male patient who underwent PVP as an elective procedure for the treatment of severe lower urinary tract symptoms.

SARS-CoV-2 infection and glucose homeostasis in pregnancy. What about antenatal corticosteroids?

Background And Aims: Administration of corticosteroids is common in obstetric practice. In this concise review we queried on the effects of corticosteroids in pregnancies complicated by SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: We performed a literature search on PubMed, regarding the use of corticosteroids in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, in pregnancies complicated by SARS-CoV-2, as well as their impact on glycemia in pregnant women with or without diabetes.

Glycemia after Betamethasone in Pregnant Women without Diabetes-Impact of Marginal Values in the 75-g OGTT.

Betamethasone (BM) administration in pregnancy has been shown to reduce the incidence and severity of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Its known diabetogenic impact, combined with placental insulin resistance, leads to a transient increase in glycemia. However, its effect on glucose homeostasis in pregnancy has not been adequately investigated.

The Role of E3, E4 Ubiquitin Ligase (UBE4B) in Human Pathologies.

The genome is exposed daily to many deleterious factors. Ubiquitination is a mechanism that regulates several crucial cellular functions, allowing cells to react upon various stimuli in order to preserve their homeostasis. Ubiquitin ligases act as specific regulators and actively participate among others in the DNA damage response (DDR) network.

Methods for Reducing Contrast Use and Avoiding Acute Kidney Injury During Endovascular Procedures.

Iodinated Contrast Media (CM) has a plethora of applications in routine non-invasive or percutaneous invasive imaging examinations and therapeutic interventions. Unfortunately, the use of CM is not without complications, with contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) being among the most severe. CI-AKI is a syndrome defined as a rapid development of renal impairment after a few days of CM endovascular injection, without the presence of any other underlying related pathologies.

Evaluation, risk stratification and management of hypertensive patients in the perioperative period.

Uncontrolled hypertension represents an important cause for postponing a non-cardiac surgery. Perioperative management of hypertensive patients should focus on cardiovascular risk stratification, evaluation of blood pressure levels and hypertension control, registration of the ongoing antihypertensive regimen and counseling about clinical decisions related to the expected perioperative blood pressure fluctuations. To date, there is a lack of evidence on how hypertensive patients should be perioperatively treated, while an empirical clinical approach is usually pursued in the usual practice.

Investigating Stress Response during Vaginal Delivery and Elective Cesarean Section through Assessment of Levels of Cortisol, Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Growth Hormone (GH) and Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1).

Background: How do stress related phenomena during labor differ between vaginal delivery (VD) and elective cesarean section (CS), remains of heightened interest. The purpose of this study is to investigate discrepancies regarding the stress response during VD and CS.

Methods: Cortisol, interleukin 6 (IL-6), growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels from parturients' peripheral blood were evaluated on three time-points, namely during the first stage of labor (TP1), two hours post labor (TP2) and 48 h post labor (TP3).

What will the future hold for artificial organs in the service of assisted reproduction: prospects and considerations.

Assisted reproduction provides a wide spectrum of treatments and strategies addressing infertility. However, distinct groups of infertile patients with unexplained infertility, congenital disorders, and other complex cases pose a challenge in in vitro fertilization (IVF) practices. This special cohort of patients is associated with futile attempts, IVF overuse, and dead ends in management.

Prognostic Significance of , , , and Transcript Quantification in EpCAM-Positive Circulating Tumor Cells from Early Stage Breast Cancer Patients.

(1) Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of EMT-associated ( and stem-cell (SC) transcript (, , ) quantification in EpCAM+ circulating tumor cells (CTCs) of early breast cancer patients. (2) Methods: 100 early stage breast cancer patients and 19 healthy donors were enrolled in the study. , , and transcripts of EpCAM cells were quantified using a novel highly sensitive and specific quadraplex RT-qPCR, while transcripts were quantified by single RT-qPCR.

Perioperative SBP changes during orthopedic surgery in the elderly: clinical implications.

Objectives: We aimed to determine SBP changes during the perioperative period of a scheduled knee surgery under regional anesthesia and the extent of perioperative (in-hospital) white-coat effect.

Methods: All patients (aged ≥60 years) underwent clinic SBP measurements during both cardiological and anesthesiological visits, while home SBP the week before admission was obtained. Clinic SBP was registered just before surgery, during surgery and reanimation.

Expression of p53 and PTEN in human primary endometrial carcinomas: Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical analysis and study of their concomitant expression.

Endometrial carcinoma is a common malignancy of the female genital tract. Alterations in the expression levels of various oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes serve important roles in the carcinogenesis and biological behavior of endometrial carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the combination and individual expression of p53 and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) protein in human endometrial carcinoma.

Glycemic profile assessment during betamethasone administration in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Aim: Betamethasone's effect on glucose homeostasis in the presence of gestational diabetes has not been adequately investigated.

Materials-methods: We assessed the glycemic profile of 99 women with gestational diabetes (52 on insulin, 47 on medical nutrition therapy) who were given betamethasone during hospitalization for at risk pregnancies.

Results: In insulin-treated women the increase in total daily insulin dose significantly linked to betamethasone dose (p = 0.

Microdialysis-Assessed Adipose Tissue Metabolism, Circulating Cytokines and Outcome in Critical Illness.

Microdialysis (MD) can provide continuous information about tissue composition. To assess in critically ill patients adipose tissue metabolic patterns, the relationships between metabolic patterns and blood cytokine concentration associations of adipose tissue energy metabolism and clinical outcome we studied 203 mechanically ventilated general intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Upon ICU admission an MD catheter was inserted into the subcutaneous adipose tissue of the upper thigh to measure lactate (L), glucose, pyruvate (P), and glycerol.

Risks in Surrogacy Considering the Embryo: From the Preimplantation to the Gestational and Neonatal Period.

Surrogacy is an assisted reproduction-based approach in which the intended parents assign the gestation and birth to another woman called the surrogate mother. The drivers of surrogacy refer largely to infertility, medical conditions, same-sex couples' parenting, and cases of diversity regarding sexual identity and orientation. Surrogacy consists of a valid option for a variety of conditions or circumstances ranging from medical to social reasons.