Evaluation of female athlete triad and gynecological complaints in young Turkish female athletes.

PURPOSE: Female athlete triad (FAT) is a serious healthcare concern in the young female population. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of FAT and its relationship with gynecologic complaints of young Turkish female athletes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey and included 87 female athletes involved in a variety of sports as a case group and 85 sedentary female university students from Ege and Celal Bayar Universities. All subjects completed a questionnaire consisting of 32 separate questions assessing eating behavior, menstrual status, gynecologic and systemic complaints, psychological problems, and sexual history. SPSS 21.0 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: This survey involved 172 females in between to 30 years of age. The age of menarche was found to be significantly lower in the sedentary group (p = 0.00). Late menstruation and oligoamenorrhea were notable complaints among the athletes, and body mass index (BMI) was found to be statistically lower in the athletic group (p = 0.00). Cold hands and hair loss were seen more often in the sedentary group compared to the athletic group (p < 0.05). According to a logistic regression analysis, independent variables (BMI, menstrual status, and bone fractures) were found to be statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Excessive sports activity can be hazardous in young female population. Lower BMI might be related to menstrual irregularity. Young female population should be informed about this relationship, especially athletes who are particularly at risk. Certain precautions should be taken into consideration in this population in order to get benefits of sports activity.

The immunohistochemical evaluation of VEGF in placenta biopsies of pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to determine the protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the placenta biopsies of patients with preeclampsia and compare with normal controls. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: The placental biopsies were obtained from ten patients with preeclampsia and ten patients of control group at the time of delivery. Avidin-biotin-peroxidase immunohistochemistry was then performed to identify levels of VEGF protein within the tissue and a semi-quantitative method was devised to score the amount of staining present in the sample. Two histopathologists who were blinded to the groups were asked to score each sample for the intensity of staining and the number of cells stained in a randomly selected per high-power fields of each sample. The resulting "H-score" was computed as a product of intensity and percent of cells stained. RESULTS: The VEGF expression was significantly higher in placenta biopsies of preeclamptic patients compared to that of controls (271.2 +/- 22.65 vs. 201.9 +/- 12.33, P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Immunostaining of VEGF is significantly higher in placenta biopsies of patients with preeclampsia.

Hormone receptor expressions and proliferation markers in postmenopausal endometrial polyps.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endometrial polyps are quite common in the general population, they have a significant role in postmenopausal bleeding, and the pathogenesis is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate proliferation markers and expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors in endometrial polyps in postmenopausal women. METHODS: Endometrial polyps were removed by hysteroscopy from 36 women who presented with postmenopausal bleeding. None were using hormonal therapy. The control group consisted of 16 inactive-atrophic postmenopausal endometrial specimens removed at hysterectomy. Immunohistochemistry was used to demonstrate expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors and the cell growth and apoptosis markers, Ki67, bcl-2, c-erbB-2. RESULTS: In both the glandular epithelium and stroma of endometrial polyps, estrogen and progesterone receptors, Ki67 and bcl-2 showed significantly more positive staining than the inactive endometrium from the control group. There was no difference in expression of c-erbB-2 between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Estrogen may have a role in the development of postmenopausal endometrial polyps, either by direct stimulation of localized proliferation or by stimulation of proliferation via other pathways, such as activation of Ki67 or through inhibition of apoptosis via bcl-2. c- erbB-2 is unlikely to play any role in development of these lesions.