The role of neopterin and anti-Mullerian hormone in unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss - a case-control study.

This case-control study was conducted to assess whether neopterin (NP) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) can be used as markers in the condition of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work which has studied the association between AMH, NP and RPL. A total of 110 patients were included; 53 women who had at least two consecutive unexplained miscarriages (<12 weeks) made up the study group. The control group was established from 57 women who never had a miscarriage and had at least one healthy birth history. Peripheral blood samples were collected from each patient to analyse the AMH and NP concentrations. The results suggested that mean level of AMH (1.38 ± 0.683 ng/ml) in the patient's group was significantly lower than the control group (1.84 ± 0.718 ng/ml). The mean levels of NP were significantly higher in the patient group (1.69 ± 0.486 vs. 1.38 ± 0.431 ng/ml). IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known about this subject? To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies about the association among AMH, NP and RPL were found in the literature. What do the results of this study add? This pioneer study demonstrates the significant relationship between the unexplained RPL with the increased levels of NP and decreased AMH. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? NP and AMH may play an effective role in illuminating the condition of unexplained RPL. High levels of NP and low values of AMH in patients with RPL can be used as predictive markers for this clinical situation. If the causes of high levels of NP and low levels of AMH can be better illuminated, new treatments towards these causes can be developed to help such patients become childbearing.

Temperament and character differences of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

AIM: There is an unclear relationship between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression. We aimed to evaluate temperamental and personal characteristics of patients with PCOS. METHODS: Fifty patients with PCOS and 41 healthy controls were included in the study. Hormonal and demographic characteristics were recorded after gynecologic and psychiatric evaluation. Socio-demographical Data Form, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory were performed for all participants. RESULTS: Patients with Policystic Ovary Syndrome had significantly higher depression and anxiety scores when compared to the controls (p < 0.05). There were no significant difference in any of the subdimensions neither for temperament nor for character between patient and control groups (p > 0.05). Testosteron levels and the degree of hirsutism, LH/FSH ratio and body mass index of the patients did not have significant correlations with depression or anxiety scores or any of the Cloninger subdimentions (p > 0.05). However, there was a negative correlation between age and novelty seeking and age and reward dependence (r:-0.33, p:0.018; r:-0.295, p:0.037, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study showed no significant difference between patients and healthy controls regarding temperament and character. Patients had higher anxiety and depression scores. Further research is needed to enlighten this subject.

Alterations in nasal mucociliary activity in polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. It can affect various organ systems, and respiratory mucosa has been reported as being hormone responsive. STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study consisting of 50 women with PCOS and 30 control subjects matched for age and body mass index was conducted, in order to investigate nasal mucociliary clearance time (NMCT) in patients with PCOS. Serum basal hormonal-biochemical parameters and NMCT were evaluated on menstrual cycle days 2-5 for all participants. RESULTS: The mean NMCT in PCOS and control groups was 10.45±2.88 and 6.92±1.78, respectively (p=0.0001). A significant positive correlation was found between NMCT and duration of disease (r=0.52; p=0.001), serum total testosterone level (r=0.28; p=0.04), and luteinizing hormone/follicle stimulating hormone (r=0.29; p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that PCOS is associated with altered NMCT. Prolonged NMCT predisposes patients to respiratory tract and middle ear infections, and clinicians should be aware of this.

Mean Platelet Volume, a Novel Biomarker in Adolescents with Severe Primary Dysmenorrhea.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether mean platelet volume (MPV) would be a profitable marker in predicting disease severity in adolescents with severe primary dysmenorrhea (PD). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A total of 67 patients diagnosed with PD and 37 healthy adolescents with regular menstrual cycles were included in the study. Hemoglobin, MPV, and white blood cell, platelet, lymphocyte, and neutrophil counts were measured as part of the automated complete blood examination. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio were obtained from the absolute neutrophil or platelet count, respectively, divided by the absolute lymphocyte count. The visual analog scale was used to assess the level of pain, as mild (<40 mm), moderate (40-60 mm) and severe (>60 mm) PD. RESULTS: The MPV level of the combined severity of PD and control groups were similar. However, the MPV was significantly lower in the severe PD group compared with the control group (P = .04). There were no significant differences in the other hematological parameters between the groups. The mean visual analog scale score of the PD and control subjects were 7.35 ± 2.25 and 1.07 ± 1.96, respectively (P < .01). There was a poor negative correlation, which was statistically insignificant, between MPV and white blood cell count. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that MPV is decreased in adolescents with severe PD. Further studies with larger numbers of subjects are necessary to clarify the roles of platelets in the pathogenesis of severe PD and evaluate the changes in MPV value in response to treatment.