clinical utility of serum lipids in early pregnancy and risk of pre-eclampsia

This study was carried out on 393 women to evaluate the clinical utility of the measurements of serum lipids in the first and late second trimester of pregnancy and the risk of development of preeclampsia in a prospectively followed group of healthy pregnant women aged 36 years and older. Criteria for eligibility were diastolic blood pressure at recruitment below 85 mmHg, no history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, a viable singleton pregnancy not beyond 11 weeks and maternal age 36 years or older at 20 weeks of gestation. Serum total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured by an automated enzymatic method. Uterine artery flow velocity waveforms were recorded using continuous Doppler ultrasound. Pregnancy outcome was also assessed. In conclusion, the data suggested a relation between serum lipids in early pregnancy and the development of preeclampsia

Different gynecological and endometrial pathologies in post menopausal breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen

In the present study, the histopathological conditions diagnosed in endometrium, myometrium and ovaries of 28 postmenopausal breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen [study group] were assessed and their findings were compared with those obtained from 14 similar patients without tamoxifen treatment [control group I] and 28 age-matched healthy postmenopausal controls [control group II]. The results obtained suggested that there might be an association between the postmenopausal tamoxifen exposure and the development of different coexisting or specific single gynecological pathologies originating from the endometrium

Elevated amniotic fluid angiogenin levels are associated with fetoplacental ischemia in pregnancies with high midtrimester maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein

In this study, angiogenin [a potent inducer of neovascularization] was tested in mid trimester amniotic fluid of patients with elevated maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein values to determine whether alpha- fetoprotein elevation is due to ischemia with subsequent stimulation of angiogenesis. Nine patients with elevated maternal serum alpha- fetoprotein levels at triple screen were matched with two controls regarding the year of amniocentesis and maternal age, race and parity. It was concluded that mid trimester amniotic fluid angiogenin levels were significantly elevated in patients with elevated mid trimester maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein levels. The elevation of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein levels at triple screen was due to placental ischemia

Ovulation induction in a woman with premature ovarian failure resulting from a partial deletion of the X chromosome long arm, 46, X, DEL [X] [Q22]

In this study, a 27-year old woman was presented with secondary amenorrhea, her secondary sexual characteristics were well developed. The physical examination revealed no Turner somatic stigmata. Endocrine studies showed hypergonadotropic hypogonadism and the serum FSH was 55 mIU/ml, serum LH level was 17 mIU/ml, serum prolactin 4 ng/ml, serum E2 and testosterone [T] levels were undetectable, thyroid and adrenal hormone levels were normal. Cytogenetic studies showed a46,X,del[X] [q22] karyotype in all the 100 lymphocytes analyzed. On the seventh day after discontinuation of hMG treatment, transvaginal US indicated luteinizing appearance of the follicle and thickening of the endometrium [14 mm] and the serum P level was 8.9 ng/mL. On the 14th day after stopping of hMG, menstruation occurred. On the 28th day after the menstruation, the next menstruation took place four days later. In addition, another spontaneous menses occurred on the 30th day after the second menstruation. In conclusion, ovulation induction was possible in patients with premature ovarian failure [POF] caused by X chromosome aberrations