Ceruloplasmin and Alkaline Phosphatase Levels in Preterm Delivery

Introduction:Preterm birth (PTB) is a major determinant of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Preterm babies are prone to serious illness or death during the neonatal period.PTB is one of the unresolved problems in clinical obstetrics and one of the greatest threats to the developing fetus, there is need to determine predictive biomarker for preterm delivery. Therefore present study aimed to assess serum levels of ceruloplasmin and Alkaline phosphatase inpreterm and full-term delivery.Materials andMethods:The present study includes total 80 subjects that comprise forty women presenting with preterm onset of labor followed by delivery and forty women who delivered at term served as controls.Blood Samples from the subjects were obtained for ceruloplasmin and Alkaline phosphatase estimation, when patient was in labor.Serum ceruloplasmin and alkaline phosphatase measured spectrophotometrically. Serum ceruloplasmin was estimated by Herbert A Ravinand Henry et al.method. Serum alkaline phosphatase was estimated by Kinetic p-NPP method.Results:Serum ceruloplasmin levels were significantly increased (P<0.001) in preterm delivery as compared to full term delivery. Alkaline phosphatase levels are significantly increased in preterm delivery (p<0.001) as compared to full term delivery. Conclusion: Our study showed that elevated levels of ceruloplasmin and alkaline phosphatase may be associated with preterm delivery in asymptomaticpregnant women. The elevated ALP may be due to mild chronic subclinical infection which may be responsible for preterm delivery. Ceruloplasmin is acute phase reactant,increaseddue toanantioxidant defence mechanism against oxidative stress.

Differences in Maternal Hair Heavy Metal and Mineral Levels between Preterm Delivery and Full-term Delivery / 대한주산의학회잡지

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies on the effects of heavy metal exposure on adverse birth outcomes are still inconsistent. Heavy metal exposure would be related to decreased birth weight and a shortened gestational age. The aim of this work was to investigate maternal hair heavy metal concentrations in relation to gestational age at delivery. METHODS: A total of 52 maternal hair samples were collected at the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gil hospital, Korea. Delivery before 37 weeks of gestation was defined as preterm and delivery after 37 weeks of gestation was defined as full-term delivery. We gathered the specimens from maternal hair approaching delivery. 23 samples were taken from preterm delivered mothers and 29 samples from full term delivered mothers. We evaluated maternal specimen by hair tissue mineral analysis to measure heavy metal concentrations accumulated for more than several months. All statistical analyses were performed with Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon W test. RESULTS: Heavy metal was revealed in pregnant women's hair but there was not a significant correlation between levels of heavy metal and gestational age at delivery. Compared numbers of preterm delivery and full-term delivery by stratified by heavy metal concentrations did not have significant correlation. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not show any strong relationship between delivery outcome and heavy metal measured by hair tissue mineral analysis. Further prospective studies with serial measures of cord blood heavy metal level and hair its levels may be required.

Successful full-term delivery after abdominal radical trachelectomy and concurrent cervicoisthmic cerclage for early stage cervical cancer: Two cases / 대한산부인과학회지

Since the screening tool was introduced, the incidence and mortality of cervical carcinoma has decreased. However, the incidence of early stage cervical cancer is increasing in young women who want to preserve their fertility. The risk of preterm delivery after trachelectomy is high and remains problematic. Herein we report two patients who had successful full-term delivery after abdominal radical trachelectomy and concurrent cervicoisthmic cerclage for early stage cervical cancer.

A Case of Heterotopic Pregnancy Diagnosed by Ultrasonogram / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Heterotopic pregnancy is a condition in which ectopic and intrauterine pregnancies coexist. The reported incidence varies widely from 1 in 1000 to 1 in 30000 pregnancies. Assisted reproductive technologies have led to an increase in the number of heterotopic pregnancies. Because heterotopic pregnancy is difficult to diagnose early and it has high morbidity and mortality rate, careful pelvic examination combined with transvaginal sonogram and serial beta-HCG determinations are important. We experienced a case of heterotopic pregnancy in a natural cycle diagnosed by ultrasonogram who continued intrauterine pregnancy successfully.

A case of Full Term Delivery of a Edward Syndrome Associated with Dandy-Walker Syndrome subsequent to Prenatal Diagnosis / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Dandy-Walker syndrome indicates the association of cystic dilatation of fourth ventricle, dysgenesis of the cerebellar vermis and a high position of the tentorium. Dandy-Walker syndrome has an estimated prevalence of about 1 in 30,000 births and is found in 4% to 12% of all cases of infantile hydrocephalus. And trisomy 18 was present in 4.8% of the Dandy-Walker syndrome. Trisomy 18 is a chromosomal aneuploid, which results in multiple severe structural abnormalities that mostly involve the heart, extremities, face, and brain. We experienced a case of Edward syndrome associated with Dandy-Walker syndrome. She did not want to terminate her pregnancy. So, we reviewed a Edward syndrome with Dandy-Walker syndrome and presented the final result in full term delivery.