Is maternal Vitamin D associated with gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women in Cyprus?

BACKGROUND: There are conflicting results about the relationship between Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the association between 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels and GDM in Turkish Cypriot pregnant women. STUDY DESIGN: The authors conducted a prospective case-control study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors analysed serum 250HD concentrations in 230 pregnant women between 2013-2014 in the winter period (November-April). Twenty- five hydroxy vitamin D was measured at the time of glucose tolerance testing at mid-gestation (24-26 weeks of pregnancy), in a popu- lation at increased risk for GDM. Patients were than divided in to two groups: pregnant women with GDM and pregnant women without GDM. RESULTS: The mean level of 25 hydroxy vitamin D in the study group was 21.9 +10.4 ng/ml. Pregnant women were diagnosed as having vitamin D insufficiency. The level of 25 hydroxy vitamin D in women with and without GDM were 22.3 ± 10.7 ng/dl and 20.3 ± 9.3 ng/dl, respectively (p = 0.262). CONCLUSION: The present study showed 250HD insufficiency in pregnant women at midgestation which was not associated with GDM.

Asymptomatic bacteriuria screened by catheterized samples at pregnancy term in women undergoing cesarean delivery.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of urinary tract infection (UTI) with urine samples obtained via catheterization among women undergoing cesarean delivery at term pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 159 women in whom cesarean delivery was conducted at term pregnancy after a regular follow-up from first to third trimester. For screening and diagnosis of UTI during antenatal period, the authors used dipstick test and microscopic urinalysis, and urine culture was used in the presence of symptomatic UTI unresponsive to initial antibiotic therapy. A urine sample was obtained immediately after insertion of Foley catheter for urine dipstick test, microscopic urinalysis, and culture during cesarean delivery. Obstetric and UTI data were recorded. RESULTS: Of 159 pregnant women, 95 (59.8%) did not develop UTI during antenatal care. There was no patient with symptomatic UTI at the admission for cesarean delivery. The authors found UTI with urine dipstick and microscopic urinalysis in 12 patients and of them, four patients had no history of UTI, and all the remaining eight patients had asymptomatic UTI during antenatal follow-up. UTI according to urine culture was encountered in three patients, two of them had one episode of UTI, and one had two episodes of UTI during antenatal follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: After regular antenatal follow-up screening with urine dipstick, microscopic urinalysis, and counseling of pregnant women regarding UTIs, the frequency of bacteriuria decreases considerably during cesarean delivery.

An analysis of Turkey's scientific contribution in ovarian cancer research.

AIM: Bibliometric studies can be used to evaluate the performance of a country in contributing to the accumulation of medical evidences on a specific topic. The authors aimed to evaluate the contribution of Turkey to the scientific repertory in the field of ovarian cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The authors retrospectively searched papers published in the field of ovarian cancer between 1980 and 2012 by using the Web of Science software. RESULTS: Turkish authors published 400 papers in Science Citation Index (SCI) Expanded indexed journals ranking Turkey 25th globally. Turkey's first publications in this field appeared at the beginning of the 1990s and showed a distinctive acceleration after 2000. Overall, publications from Turkey were cited 2,987 times and the trend of citations increased in 2000. Most of the papers from Turkey in this field were published in the European Journal of Gynaecological Oncology. CONCLUSION: The authors observed a significant improvement in the scientific activity of Turkey in the field of ovarian cancer during last decade.

Diagnostic value of thrombocytosis and high CA 125 level in women with adnexal masses.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of thrombocytosis and high CA 125 levels in women with benign and malign adnexal masses. Thrombocytosis (platelet counts > 400 x 10(9)/l) has been identified as a poor prognostic factor in many cancers including certain gynecologic malignant tumors such as endometrial, cervical, and ovarian cancers. METHODS: Medical charts of 180 patients with adnexal masses were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed for the association of preoperative thrombocytosis and high CA 125 level with other clinical prognostic factors. RESULTS: Of the 180 participants, 68 (68% of malignant adnexal masses) had thrombocytosis and 74 patients (74% of malignant adnexal masses) had elevated CA 125 levels. The patients with preoperative thrombocytosis were found to have greater elevations of CA 125 levels, more advanced stage disease, and higher grade tumors. CONCLUSION: Presence of thrombocytosis and high CA 125 alone and in combination may be used as a prognostic factor in the management of women with adnexal masses since they are already used as clinical tests for several purposes.