Immune modulation treatments-where is the evidence?

While advances in assisted reproductive techniques have been substantial, failure of the apparently viable embryo to implant remains a source of distress and frustration to patients and specialists alike. The unique maternal immunological response to the embryo and the notion that defects in early placentation underlie the great complications of pregnancy have focused attention on the therapeutic potential of peri-implantation immunomodulation. On the face of it, the rationale for this approach is very attractive. However, as will be argued in this review, the clinical evidence base supporting the use of immunosuppressive treatments is weak and difficult to apply in practice and fails the needs of both doctors and their patients. This evidence gap is filled by justifications that are based largely on meeting patient expectations and commercial imperatives. However, this does not mean that immunomodulation treatments should be written off as ineffective. The literature in this field, while suffering the same challenges of heterogeneity, small studies, and publication bias as other areas of medicine, does hint at the way forward. Recurrent implantation failure and pregnancy loss are not diagnoses but clinical presentations that require appropriate phenotyping and etiological investigation. We are increasingly gaining the tools to make an "endometrial diagnosis," and these will allow us to design clinical studies of interventions that treat the underlying cause rather than the symptoms of implantation failure. The current evidence base does not support the clinical use of immunomodulation therapies in patients undergoing IVF. However, more discerning phenotyping may identify groups who could benefit.

Maternal age and child morbidity: A Danish national cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: The mean age at delivery has increased over the latest half of a century. Women of advanced maternal age have increased obstetrical risks and increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities and some other specified diagnoses in the offspring. The aim of this study was to assess the association between maternal age and overall child morbidity according to main diagnosis groups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a national cohort study including 352 027 live firstborn singleton children. The children were born between Jan 1994 and Dec 2009 and followed to Dec 2012. Children were divided into groups according to maternal age: 15-24, 25-29, 30-34, and 35+ years. Poisson regression analyses calculated adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRR) of child morbidities according to main diagnoses groups A-Q of the International Classification of Disease 10 with adjustment for year of birth, body mass index, smoking, and mother's level of education. RESULTS: Average follow-up time was 11 years. Compared to children born to women 25-29 years, firstborn children to mothers aged 35+ had higher child morbidity in 8 of 19 main diagnosis groups and firstborn children to mothers 15-24 years had higher child morbidity in 12 of 19 main diagnosis groups. Thus, for a majority of diseases a U-shaped correlation was found, with lowest rates in women 25-29 years. CONCLUSION: Firstborn children to both older and younger mothers have higher overall morbidity as compared to children born by mothers 25-29 years.

[Atypical debut of symptoms of fallopian tube cancer]. / Atypisk symptomdebut af cancer i tuba ovarii.

Fallopian tube cancer is rare and accounts for 0.3-1% of all gynaecological cancers. We describe a case of undiagnosed fallopian tube cancer presenting as a swollen inguinal lymph node and later diagnosed with PET-CT. Final histology revealed a serous adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube with metastases to both ovaries and one inguinal lymph node. Recent studies suggest that serous borderline tumour of the ovaries originate from the fallopian tubes. The present case confirms this hypothesis. PET-CT is an important tool in diagnosing ovarian and fallopian tube cancers.