Fetoscopic laser coagulation for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome: a comparison of flexible 1.0/1.2 mm fetoscopes with curved sheaths of 2.7/3.3 mm vs. 2 mm fetoscopic lens technique with sheaths of 6.6/11.3 mm.

Objectives: Fetoscopic laser coagulation of placental anastomoses is usually performed for a treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). A common complication of fetoscopic laser coagulation for TTTS is preterm preliminary rupture of fetal membranes (PPROM) aggravating the neonatal outcome significantly. However, use of an flexible 1 mm fetoscope with an curved sheath could reduce iatrogenic damage of the amniotic membrane and improve neonatal outcomes after laser treatment.

Real‑world study of Cerviron vaginal ovules in the treatment of cervical lesions of various etiologies.

Cervical lesions can be caused by pathogens, hormonal changes or by cervical injury. The recommended treatment in all cases is excision. Local re-epithelialization therapy should be initiated preoperatively and postoperatively.

A systematic review of the impact of 7-keto-DHEA on body weight.

7-Keto-DHEA has been commercially advertised as a dietary supplement to support weight loss. The objective of the present systematic review it to summarize the evidence supporting the use of 7-keto-DHEA in overweight and obese population. The systematic search was conducted in Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, ICTRP, and ClinicalTrials.

In Vitro Fertilization Technology and Child Health.

Background: Just under 3% of children in Germany, and approximately 6% of children in some other countries, such as Denmark, are now being conceived with the aid of in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology. Alongside the increased risk of organ malformation, there is now evidence for functional abnormalities due to epigenetic modifications.

Methods: This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a literature search on currently known associations of IVF therapy with malformations and functional abnormalities.

Measuring chronic stress exposure incorporating the active and healthy ageing (AHA) concept within the cross-sectional Bern cohort study 2014 (BeCS-14).

The aim of the study was to represent chronic stress exposure by a complex generic Active and Healthy (AHA) diagnostic assessment tool incorporating ICF. This is a single-centre, cross-sectional, observational, non-interventional, non-randomized trial in University based women's hospital, division of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine. All participants followed a standardized, holistic battery of biopsychosocial assessments consisting of bio-functional status (BFS), bio-functional age (BFA) and the questionnaire for chronic stress exposure (TICS).

Prediction of spontaneous preterm delivery in women presenting with premature labor: a comparison of placenta alpha microglobulin-1, phosphorylated insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1, and cervical length.

Background: Placental alpha microglobulin-1 and phosphorylated insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 have been studied in patients at risk for preterm birth with signs and symptoms of preterm labor. However, a direct comparison between these 2 biomarkers, alone or in combination with cervical length measurement with an adequate sample size, has been lacking to date.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the placental alpha microglobulin-1 test and the phosphorylated insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 test alone and in combination with cervical length measurement for the prediction of imminent spontaneous preterm birth of testing in pregnant women with symptoms of preterm labor in a tertiary care setting.

Illness perception in overweight and obesity and impact on bio-functional age.

Purpose: Obesity is pandemic. Yet, the success of most weight loss programmes is poor. The aim of the study was to assess illness perception in overweight/obese people and its impact on bio-functional age (BFA) reflecting physical, mental, emotional and social functioning.

Testosterone induced downregulation of migration and proliferation in human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells by Androgen Receptor dependent and independent mechanisms.

Recent research has emphasized the potential unfavorable effects of declining testosterone (T) levels in men and the putative beneficial effect of androgen therapy in select women. Some controversy surrounding the mechanism of action and the effects of T on endothelium remains. In this study, we evaluated the mechanism of T action on pooled primary Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) of mixed gender by focusing on two important processes, proliferation and migration.

Report From the 20th Meeting of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO 2017).

This is a report from the 20th Meeting of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) held in Vienna, Austria on November 4 to 7, 2017. The conference offered state-of-the-art educational sessions and oral and poster abstract presentations. The general sessions throughout the meeting focused not only on prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and translational research but also emerging trends, and current innovations in gynecological cancers were discussed.

The correlation between the quality of oral hygiene and oral HPV infection in adults: a prospective cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Various risk factors for oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infections have been described, including tobacco smoking and sexual behavior. However, less is known about the influence of oral health on such infections. The present study aimed to determine a possible association between the quality of oral hygiene and the presence of oral HPV.

Clinical aspects and antenatal diagnosis of invasive placenta: a review of ten-years' experience of a multi-profile hospital in Lithuania.

Background: Invasive placenta is a rare obstetrical pathology that is life-threatening to mother and child. It is important to diagnose this pathology as early as possible and to plan further optimal care of patients in order to minimize life-threatening complications. The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency of cases of invasive placenta, the peculiarities of their clinical manifestation in women who gave birth from 2006 to 2015, to evaluate diagnostic and treatment options of this pathology, and to review their changes when the level of services provided by the institution changes.

Measuring Active and Healthy Ageing: Applying a GENERIC Interdisciplinary Assessment Model Incorporating ICF.

Objectives: In this study we compared the chronological and bio-functional age between two German speaking cohorts 30 years apart applying a comprehensive and generic Active and Healthy Aging (AHA) assessment model incorporating ICF.

Methods: Single-centre, cross-sectional, observational, non-interventional, non-randomized trial at an University based women's hospital, division of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine. All participants followed a standardized, holistic battery of biopsychosocial assessments consisting of bio-functional status (BFS), bio-functional age (BFA) and additional validated psychometric questionnaires.

Diagnostic performance of human epididymis protein 4 compared to a combination of biophysical and biochemical markers to differentiate ovarian endometriosis from epithelial ovarian cancer in premenopausal women.

Aim: This study is a comparison of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) with cancer antigen 125 (CA125), using the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA), Copenhagen Index (CPH-I), Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI) and Morphology Index (MI) to differentiate ovarian endometriosis from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in premenopausal women.

Methods: The study was performed at the University Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Skopje. One hundred and sixty-four premenopausal patients were divided into three study groups, including ovarian endometriosis (37), other benign pelvic masses (57) and EOCs (11), and a control group (59).

Gene promoter methylation and protein expression of BRMS1 in uterine cervix in relation to high-risk human papilloma virus infection and cancer.

Cervical cancer is strongly related to certain high-risk types of human papilloma virus infection. Breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) is a tumor suppressor gene, its expression being regulated by DNA promoter methylation in several types of cancers. This study aims to evaluate the methylation status of BRMS1 promoter in relation to high-risk types of human papilloma virus infection and the development of pre-cancerous lesions and describe the pattern of BRMS1 protein expression in normal, high-risk types of human papilloma virus-infected pre-cancerous and malignant cervical epithelium.

Is there a role for single-port laparoscopy in the treatment of endometriosis?

Endometriosis is among the most common benign gynecological conditions, and it affects 6-15% of women of reproductive. During recent decades, minimally invasive surgical techniques, and especially laparoscopy, have gained significant ground concerning the treatment of gynecological disorders. To date, laparoscopy is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.

Epigenetic Alterations Affecting Transcription Factors and Signaling Pathways in Stromal Cells of Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is characterized by growth of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity. Since its pathogenesis may involve epigenetic changes, we used Illumina 450K Methylation Beadchips to profile CpG methylation in endometriosis stromal cells compared to stromal cells from normal endometrium. We validated and extended the Beadchip data using bisulfite sequencing (bis-seq), and analyzed differential methylation (DM) at the CpG-level and by an element-level classification for groups of CpGs in chromatin domains.

Genetic polymorphisms of FAS and EVER genes in a Greek population and their susceptibility to cervical cancer: a case control study.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of two SNPs of EVER1/2 genes' region (rs2290907, rs16970849) and the FAS-670 polymorphism with the susceptibility to precancerous lesions and cervical cancer in a Greek population.

Methods: Among the 515 women who were included in the statistical analysis, 113 belong to the case group and present with precancerous lesions or cervical cancer (27 with persistent CIN1, 66 with CIN2/3 and 20 with cervical cancer) and 402 belong to the control group. The chi-squared test was used to compare the case and the control groups with an allelic and a genotype-based analysis.

B-flow imaging estimation of carotid and femoral atherosclerotic plaques: vessel walls rheological damage or strong predictor of cardiovascular mortality in chronic dialysis patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the cardiovascular mortality in chronic hemodialysis patients (CHPs) and to discover the importance of carotid and femoral artery plaques as cardiovascular (CV) mortality predictor.

Methods: In this study with 4 years of follow-up period, we studied a cohort of 101 CHPs. Mean age at entry was 58.

Indicators of Moderate and Severe Preeclampsia in Correlation with Maternal IL10.

Aim: The purpose of the actual study was to evaluate the relationship between the formation of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 and several indicators of moderate and severe preeclampsia in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Material And Methods: Examination of the indicators of preeclampsia and maternal IL10 levels was conducted in 50 women with pregnancies complicated by varying degrees of preeclampsia in the third trimester of gestation as well as in 50 normotensive patients, hospitalized at the University Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. The levels of IL10 were determined with a commercial test developed by Orgenium Laboratories (Finland), using reagents from AviBion ELISA research kits.

Bone Strength and Arterial Stiffness Impact on Cardiovascular Mortality in a General Population.

Osteoporosis and increased arterial stiffness independently have been found to be associated with higher cardiovascular events rates in the general population (GP). We examined 558 patients from GP by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurements at baseline, with 36-month follow-up period. DXA assessed bone mineral density of femoral neck (BMD FN) and lumbar spine (BMD LS).

Cytokines of Cervical Mucosa and Human Papilloma Virus Infection of the Cervix: A Descriptive Study.

Objective: The production of cytokines by various cervical cells can be triggered by antigenic stimuli, including human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. The aim of the present study was to evaluate differences in cytokine levels between various intraepithelial cervical lesions.

Study Design: A total of 97 women participated in this descriptive study.

Antenatal diagnostic aspects of placenta percreta and its influence on the perinatal outcome: a clinical case and literature review.

Background: Placenta percreta is a very rare, but extremely life-threatening obstetrical pathology for the mother and the child, especially in the cases when it is not diagnosed before the birth and when it results in massive bleeding and a dramatic deterioration of condition. It is extremely important to diagnose this pathology as early as possible and plan further optimal care of patients in order to minimize life-threatening complications.

Case Report: The paper presents an illustrated clinical case of placenta percreta determined before the birth.

The impact of GnRH agonists in patients with endometriosis on prolactin and sex hormone levels: a pilot study.

Objective: Gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) decrease the expression of growth factors involved in the development of human endometriotic tissue. As endometriosis has been found to be associated with a mild increase in prolactin (PRL) serum levels, we aimed to evaluate changes in PRL serum levels as well as other hormones relevant to endometriosis and infertility during long-term administration of GnRHas in women with endometriosis.

Study Design: In this prospective pilot study we obtained blood samples on the first day of leuporeline administration and then subsequently after 4, 8 and 12 weeks in 22 patients.