A clinical study of depressive symptoms during pregnancy / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: To examine the incidence of the depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the socio-demographic and obstetric factors associated with depression. METHODS: Two hundred five women who had received antenatal care at Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital from March 2008 to May 2008 completed the questionnaire related to socio-demographic characteristics and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Statistics were performed using chi-square test and Fisher's extract test (SPSS 12.0). Results were considered statistically significant for P-values<0.05. RESULTS: Of 205 pregnant women, the mean score of EPDS was 7.3+/-4.2.54 of 205 women (26.5%) scored more than 10 point which is the cutoff value to define depressive symptoms. The incidences of depressive symptoms were not significantly different by the trimester (25.7% vs. 29.0% vs. 25.0%, P<0.844). There were no significant socio-geographic factors associated with depressive symptoms. In cases of unexpected pregnancies, the incidence of depressive symptoms was significantly high (34.6% vs. 21.0%, P=0.036), and the women who have problems of previous pregnancies scored significantly higher EPDS (56.3% vs. 23.8%, P=0.014). CONCLUSION: This study was the first report about the depression symptoms during pregnancy. Based on this study, we have to focus on and manage depression symptoms related to pregnancy.

A case report: Metroplasty of a noncommunicated uterine body and cervix due to unknown etiology / 대한산부인과학회지

Congenital anomalies of the female reproductive tract may involve the uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, or vagian. Depending on the specific defect, a women's obstetric and gynecologic health may be adversely affected. We have experienced a case of rudimentary uterine horn with noncommunicated uterus complicated by pelvic endometriosis in a 25 years old woman with primary amenorrhea and monthly periodic pelvic pain. We observed noncommunicating uterus with blind pouch, cervix disconnected to uterus with normal appearance, and left ovarian endometrial cyst. For treatment, the metroplastic surgery with end-to end anastomosis connecting cervix and noncommunicated uterus and removal of endometrial cyst were done. Many cases of uterine anomalies have been documented but, there have been few reported cases of noncommunicated uterus with disconnected cervix and successful performance of the metroplasty. Thus hereby we report this case with a review of literatures.

Perinatal outcome of term pregnancies with meconium-stained amniotic fluid / 대한주산의학회잡지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the obstetric and perinatal outcome between two groups with or without meconium staining of amniotic fluid (MSAF) at term birth in one-year consecutive population at our delivery unit. METHODS: Pregnancy complication including nonreassuring fetal heart rate pattern, intrauterine growth retardation, oligohydramnios, hydramnios and preeclampsia between the two groups were retrospectively documented by review of medical record. To evaluate the perinatal outcome, apgar score at 1min and 5min, and umbilical artery blood gas analysis were also analyzed. Student T test and chi square test were used for statistic analysis. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 687 full-term neonates with presence (n=89) and absence (n=598) of MSAF. Gestational age at delivery was significantly higher in the MSAF group (p12.0 mEq/L) was not increased. The incidence of non reassuring fetal heart rate pattern was also increased in the MSAF group (4.5% vs 1.0%, p=0.03). However there was no significant difference in 1 min and 5 min Apgar score. CONCLUSION: Although MSAF is associated with the risk of non reassuring fetal heart rate pattern and fetal acidemia, the metabolic acidemia and low apgar score at 5minutes was not significantly increased compared with clear amniotic fluid group. Delivery of pregnancy with MSAF should be managed under the careful fetal heart rate monitoring.

Cyto-protective Effects of Aqueous Extract from the Gall of Rhus chinensis on Pancreatic Beta-cell / 대한해부학회지

We have previously reported that aqueous extract of gall from Rhus chinensis, known as "Obaeja", inhibited rat intestinal alpha-glucosidase and suppressed postprandial hyperglycemia by delaying digestion and absorption of intestinal carbohydrate (Shim et al., 2003). This led us to speculate that obaeja could be involved in ameliorating beta-cell injury by lowering glucotoxicity. In the present study, we thus examined the protective effect of obaeja on pancreatic beta-cell damage along with its anti-diabetic effect in streptozotocin-induced animal models. Streptozotocin was administered to rat pups (neonate/STZ model), or to adult rats with a lower dose using osmotic pump (osmotic pump/STZ model) for inducing beta cell death and diabetes. Obaeja was given to those rat pups after weaning in neonate/STZ model, or 2 weeks before subcutaneous implantation of osmotic pump to rats of the other latter model. In the diabetic control rats of the neonate/STZ model, which were not fed with obaeja, some pancreatic islets demonstrated a destruction of beta cell mass with insulitis 2 weeks after weaning, while some larger and irregular islets were formed by proliferation of alpha cells. In particular, we found some pancreatic lobules showing a severe inflammation and degeneration of islet and acinar tissues in this model. Islets in these inflammatory lobules were smaller in size with only few cells. In contrast, any inflammatory responses and insulitis were not observed in pancreas of the rats fed obaeja in this model. The islets in those rats maintained their normal profiles and islet cell population. Such anti-cytotoxic effect was also monitored in the diabetic rats of osmotic pump/STZ model. Especially, occurrence of hyperglycemia in the obaeja fed rats was delayed by 25~30 days than that of diabetic control rats in this model. Taken together, these results imply that regulation of postprandial blood glucose level by obaeja feeding may ameliorate a secondary injury caused by glucotoxicity.