Determining the relationship between serum acute phase reactants and cervical premalignant lesions: a cohort study

Abstract BACKGROUND: Acute phase reactants play a role in the progression and prognosis of many malignant and premalignant tumors. This study investigated the diagnostic value of certain reactants as markers for cervical premalignant lesions. OBJECTIVES: Despite advanced screening and vaccination programs, cervical cancer remains a serious health problem worldwide. We aimed to determine the possible relationship between premalignant cervical disease and serum acute phase reactant levels. DESIGN AND SETTING: This study included 124 volunteers who underwent cervical cancer screening. We divided the patients into three groups according to cervical cytology and histopathological findings as follows: no cervical lesion, low-grade neoplasia, or high-grade neoplasia. METHODS: We included women aged 25-65 years with benign smear or colposcopy results, low- and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. The benign group was based only on cytology findings, whereas the other groups were based on histopathology findings. Demographic data and serum albumin, fibrinogen, ferritin, and procalcitonin levels were evaluated in the three groups. RESULTS: We found significant differences among the three groups in terms of age, albumin level, albumin/fibrinogen ratio, and procalcitonin level. The regression analysis revealed lower serum albumin levels in the low- and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion groups compared with the benign group. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to evaluate the importance of serum inflammatory markers in cervical intraepithelial lesions. Our results indicate that serum albumin level, albumin/fibrinogen ratio, procalcitonin level, and neutrophil values differ among cervical intraepithelial lesions.

The role of ischemia-modified albumin as a biomarker in preeclampsia

Abstract Objective Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA)is a modified type of albumin protein that is formed under oxidative stress. This study aims to compare the levels of serum IMA between normotensive and preeclamptic pregnancies and to evaluate the relationship between the severity of the disease. Methods A total of 90 pregnant women aged between 18 and 45 years participated in this cross-sectional study. The levels of serum IMA were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 30 preeclamptic pregnant women with the severe signs of the disease, 30 preeclamptic pregnant women, and 30 normotensive pregnant women.. The study was designed as a cross-sectional clinical study. Results When the demographic characteristics were examined, statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of age, gestational week at birth and blood pressure. Age was higher in the preeclampsia with signs of severity group than in the normotensive group (p = 0.033). Pregnancy week was significantly the lowest in the preeclampsia with the severity signs group (p = 0.004). In normotensive patients, IMA levels were lower than in the preeclampsia groups (p = 0.001) but there was no significant difference in terms of severity of disease (p = 0.191). According to laboratory data; only the creatinine level was significantly different between the groups. Conclusion The levels of serum IMA were higher in patients with preeclampsia than in healthy pregnancies. However, there was no significant correlation in terms of preeclampsia severity; more extensive, prospective and long-term studies are needed.

Spontaneous Twin Ectopic Pregnancy with Live Embryos: A Case Report.

Ectopic pregnancy is a challenging medical emergency that can be easily misdiagnosed. Early diagnosis is essential in ectopic pregnancy since it may be a life-threatening clinical entity if it is misdiagnosed and ruptures, resulting in intra-abdominal bleeding. Twin ectopic pregnancy is a rare clinical entity. We present a case of unilateral live spontaneous tubal twin ectopic pregnancy in a woman with a history of counter-lateral salpingectomy.

Case Report: Surgical Scar Endometriosis Following Caesarean Section.

Endometriosis is the presence of functioning endometrium outside the uterus. Endometriosis rarely occurs in the surgical scar of abdominal wall and is difficult to diagnose without pathological assessment. The symptoms are non-specific, typically involving cyclic abdominal wall pain around the incision site at the time for menstruation. It commonly occurs following obstetrical or gynaecological surgical procedures. We report a case of scar endometriosis following caesarean section.