Apoptotic Change in Placenta of Pregnancy-induced Hypertension / 대한산부인과학회잡지

The mechanism of apoptosis was first discovered at the end of the 19th century, but it was only recently that its importance was recognized. Not only in a pathologic environment but also in a normal environment, apoptosis has an important role in homeostasis. The number of cells is restricted by apoptosis which is controlled by several SlgBS lll VlVO. In pregnancy, the placenta regulates the maternal-fetal exchange of molecules and functions as a barrier for the protection of the fetus. As the pregnancy proceeds, changes occur in the number and components of placental cells. Observing the placental tissues, apoptosis was found in the syncytiotrophoblasts of early and late pregnancy. In particular, the fact that apoptosis observed in the placenta of late pregnancy supports the hypothesis that pmgrammed cell death is a normal sequence. Pregnancy-induced hypertension is usually accompanied by abnormal placenta and intrauterine growth restriction. In this study, using the TdT-FragEL DNA fragmentation detection kit, the changes in the nucleus by apoptosis in the placental tissues of 23 to 40 gestational weeks in preeclampsia and eclampsia were compared with normal placenta. Apoptosis was observed in the normal term placenta and in pregnancy-induced hypertension patients, regardless of whether vasculopathy was observed in Doppler ultrasound or confirmed by pathology, more apoptoses were observed aside from the number of gestational weeks.

A Case of Extralobar Pulmonary Sequestration Diagnosed by Antenatal Ultrasonography / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Pulmonary sequestration is a congenital anomaly of lung in which a portion of lung par-enchyma has no communication with the tracheobronchial tree and receives its blood supply via systemic artery. Sequestration represents a developmental anomaly of tracheobronchial branching with persistence and localized development of a separated branch fragment and retention of its embryonic systemic vascular supply. In the review of the literature, this disease is so rare that only 540 cases were reported worldwide. The anomaly is divided into 2 types; intralobar and extralobar. The ratio of intralobar type and extralobar type is about 3.5 : 1 and intralobar type is more common than the latter in all age groups. The intralobar type is contiguous with normal lung parenchyma and within the same visceral pleural envelope ; in contrast, the extralobar type is enclosed within its own pleural membrane, usually close to a normal lung but separated and discovered most commonly in the left hemithorax with rare cases in the abdominal cavity. Traditionally, this disease has been presented as an incidental lung mass in routine chest X-ray in the postnatal period and with confirmation by aortic angiography, but recently, pulmonary sequestration is diagnosed in the antenatal period along with the development of antenatal ultrasonography. Ultrasonography shows the pulmonary sequestration as a hyperechogenic mass near the diaphragm with posterior echo-free shadow. We have experienced one case of pulmonary sequestration which was found by antenatal ultrasonography and confirmed by operation and histopathologic report in the neonatal period, and we present the case with a brief review of the literatures.

Amniotic Fluid Index According to Fetal Presentation / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of fetal presentation to the measurement of amniotic fluid index(AFI) in singleton pregnancy after 20 weeks of gestation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review of the medical and ultrasonographic records from 1992 to 1996 including AFI value and pregnancy outcomes was performed retrospectively. The inclusion criteria were (1) singleton pregnancy delivered after 37 weeks of gestation, (2) birth weight between 10th and 90th percentile, (3) no fetal anomaly, (4) 5 minute Apgar score>or=7, (5) no maternal medical disease such as hypetensive disorders or diabetes, (6) and intact amniotic membranes at the time of ultrasonography. The results of 7,362 tests from 5,607 pregnancies were reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: In normal pregnancies after 20 weeks of gestation, the AFI value showed the peak during 25~30 week and decreased thereafter. The range of AFI during preterm pregnancy(30~36 weeks, N=2,836) were between 9.4 and 21.8 cm(5th to 95th percentile, mean value of 15.2+/-4.1cm). The range of AFI at term(37~40 weeks, N=1,245) were 7.7 and 21.9 cm(5th to 95th percentile, mean value of 14.2+/-4.5cm), which showed significant difference (p=0.000) from that of preterm. The range of AFI after 41 weeks(N=75) were within 4.3 and 26.7cm(5th to 95th percentile, mean value of 13.8+/-6.3cm), which showed gradual decrease. The AFI among the gravidas with breech presentation showed similar values between 20~36 weeks. At term pregnancies(after 37 weeks, N=84) with breech presentation, the AFI(range 5.2cm~22.3cm, mean value 13.5+/-4.8cm) was smaller than those with cephalic presentation, but statistically insignificant(p=0.103). The commonly used criteria for oligohydramnios, AFI 5.0cm, equated to 1st percentile in cephalic presentation and 5th percentile in breech pregnancies, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this study AFI throughout pregnancies after 20 week of gestation showed difference of distribution of AFI according to gestational age and fetal presentation in term pregnancy. Further studies would be required to establish the cutoff value of oligohydramnios in cephalic and breech presentation at term pregnancy to establish different criteria according to fetal presentation.

Clinical Significance of p53 Gene Expression with Immunohistochemical Staining in Ovarian Cancer / 대한부인종양콜포스코피학회잡지

Mutation of p53 gene is one of t.he commonest genetic changes in the development of human cancer including ovary. We intvestigated the diagnostic usefulness of the demonstration of p53 gene immunoreactivity in ovarian cancers, because immunochemical demonstration of p53 immunoreactivity is inexpensive, easily controlled and can be applied in routine pathology laboratories. p53 immunoreactivity was not identified in any patients in whom there was no morphological evidence of neoplasia. ln contrast, in contrast, in 46% of patients of ovarian cancer, p53 immunoreactivity was identified. Overexpression of gene correlated with advanced stage but did not corre1ate with grade, cell type and tumor size.