Medical pregnancy termination in the presence of a massive uterine fibroid.

Surgical termination of pregnancy in the presence of uterine fibroids may be technically difficult resulting in reduced efficacy of the termination procedure. We describe the first documented use of RU486 and gemeprost in the successful medical termination of a pregnancy in a uterus grossly enlarged by fibroids.

Maternal levels of serum-soluble CD8 and IL-2R are not significantly elevated in idiopathic preterm labour.

OBJECTIVE: To search for evidence of immune activation in idiopathic preterm term labour by measuring the soluble markers of T cell activation, CD8 (sCD8) and interleukin-2 receptor (sIL2R). DESIGN: Serum sCD8 and sIL-2R were measured by commercial ELISA in subjects undergoing idiopathic preterm labour (PTL; n = 15) and normal term labour (TL; n = 17). Two gestationally equivalent non-labouring groups were also included representing preterm (PTC; n = 10) and term (TC; n = 10) controls. Possible delayed responses in soluble activation markers were monitored in blood samples taken 48 h after delivery in both labouring groups (PTLp; n = 9: TLp; n = 9). RESULTS: (1) Excluding the 48 h postpartum samples, no statistically significant differences were revealed following a Kruskall-Wallis analysis of variance (ANOVA) for levels of sIL-2R (P = 0.093) and sCD8 (P = 0.098). Including the postpartum samples, however, gave statistically significant differences for each (sIL-2R: P = 0.033; sCD8: P = 0.006). (2) No statistically significant difference was revealed by direct comparison of the two labouring groups alone (Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test: P > 0.05). (3) Significantly lower levels of sCD8 were found in the PTL subgroup which had histological evidence of inflammation (Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney: P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Statistical analysis of our data suggests that idiopathic preterm labour is not commonly associated with significant elevations in circulating sCD8 or sIL-2R levels compared with normal term labour. Where significant changes in the levels of these markers do arise, our evidence points to a delayed effect of labour per se rather than infection as the most probable cause.

Beta 1 integrins in third trimester human placentae: no differential expression in pathological pregnancy.

Integrins are a group of cell surface receptors that play important roles in cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. The expression of trophoblast cell surface integrin subunits changes during placental development in normal pregnancy but the functional significance is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of beta 1 integrins and their extracellular matrix ligands in human placenta and membranes in normal and pathological pregnancy using an avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. Expression of the beta 1 integrins was similar in all study groups. Whilst there was some heterogeneity of expression of specific integrin alpha chains this was not characteristic of defined subject groups, variations occurring within all groups. Two distinct trophoblast subpopulations were demonstrated in the chorion laeve according to differential expression of beta 1 integrins. Trophoblast immediately adjacent to maternal decidua, which expressed alpha 1 rather than alpha 2, also comprised the majority of trophoblast in the basal plate; possession of the alpha 1, alpha 3, alpha 5, alpha 6 rather than alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 5, alpha 6 phenotype may be important in the invasive potential of trophoblast populations. The results obtained in the present study indicate that the integrin phenotypes of third trimester uteroplacental tissues are similar in normal and pathological pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, before and after labour.

Cyclo-oxygenase distribution in human placenta and decidua does not change with labour after term or preterm delivery.

Our objective was to determine, in an immunohistochemical study, the distribution of cyclo-oxygenase in placental and decidual tissues before and after labour at varying gestations. Subjects were pregnant women undergoing singleton delivery after idiopathic preterm labour at less than 34 weeks' gestation (n = 13); spontaneous term labour at 37-42 weeks' gestation (n = 11); preterm caesarean section at less than 34 weeks' gestation for pre-eclampsia or intrauterine growth retardation (n = 8); elective term caesarean section at 37-42 weeks' gestation for cephalopelvic disproportion (n = 7). Within the placental basal plate cyclo-oxygenase was localised in decidual stromal cells, extravillous trophoblast, and the apical border of villous syncytiotrophoblast, both before and after labour, regardless of gestational age. Within the placental membranes, decidual stromal cells showed intense cytoplasmic cyclo-oxygenase labelling and the chorion laeve strong membrane-associated cyclo-oxygenase reactivity before and after labour, regardless of gestational age. The amnion showed a heterogeneous staining pattern. After labour at term there was either positive cytoplasmic (5/10) or apical staining (5/10). Cyclo-oxygenase was demonstrated in an apical distribution in only 50% of the other subject groups. Cyclo-oxygenase is present in both decidua and placental tissues prior to the onset of labour at term. Demonstration of decidual and trophoblastic cyclo-oxygenase in both preterm and term subjects suggests that differential availability of cyclo-oxygenase is unlikely to be important in preterm delivery. Research into the withdrawal of inhibition or increased substrate availability is most likely to shed light on the signal pathways involved in the onset of labour, regardless of gestation.

Placental heat shock proteins: no immunohistochemical evidence for a differential stress response in preterm labour.

The aetiology of idiopathic preterm labour remains obscure. The hypothesis that a stress response induced by low-grade bacterial infection in utero-placental tissues was investigated. Distribution of cognate and inducible isoforms of heat shock proteins (HSP) 70 kD, HSP 60 kD and HSP 90 kD were investigated in an immunohistochemical study of placental and decidual tissues before and after labour at varying gestations. Subjects were pregnant women undergoing singleton delivery after idiopathic preterm labour at less than 34 weeks' gestation (n = 23); spontaneous term labour at 37-42 weeks' gestation (n =24); preterm caesarean sections at less than 34 weeks' gestation for preeclampsia or intrauterine growth retardation (n=14); elective caesarean section at 37-42 weeks' gestation for cephalopelvic disproportion (n = 6). HSP expression was constant throughout the third trimester of pregnancy and did not change following the onset of labour, regardless of gestational age. A stress response in decidual tissues as determined by immunohistochemical analysis is apparently not associated with preterm labour.

Intra-uterine foetal death: an avoidable diagnostic pitfall.

A case is presented where maternal tachycardia was misinterpreted as foetal heart activity on cardiography in a case of IUFD. Diagnostic implications and the use of real line ultrasound scanning are discussed.