Could soluble L1 cell adhesion molecule (sL1CAM) in serum be a new biomarker for endometrial cancer?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the place of serum soluble L1 cell adhesion molecule (sL1CAM) level in the diagnosis of endometrial cancer and its relationship with clinicopathological features. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed with 146 patients who underwent endometrial biopsy and whose pathology results were reported as benign endometrial changes (n = 30), endometrial hyperplasia (n = 32) or endometrial cancer (n = 84). The sL1CAM level between the groups was compared. The relationship between clinicopathological features and serum sL1CAM was evaluated in patients with endometrial cancer. RESULTS: The mean serum sL1CAM level in patients with endometrial cancer was significantly higher than in patients without cancer. The sL1CAM value was statistically significantly higher in the group with endometrial cancer, than the group with endometrial hyperplasia (p < 0.001) and the group with benign endometrial changes (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of sL1CAM between the group of patients with endometrial hyperplasia and the group of patients with benign endometrial changes (p = 0.954). sL1CAM value in type 2 endometrial cancer was statistically significantly higher than Type1 (p = 0.019). High sL1CAM level in patients with type 1 cancer was associated with poor clinicopathological features. However, no correlation was observed between clinicopathological features and serum sL1CAM level in type 2 endometrial cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Serum sL1CAM may be an important marker for evaluating the diagnosis and prognosis of endometrial cancer in the future. There may be a relationship between increased serum sL1CAM level in type 1 endometrial cancers and poor clinicopathological features.

Evaluation of the effects of COVID-19 disease and the trimester in which the disease is diagnosed on obstetric and neonatal outcomes: A retrospective cohort study.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of COVID-19 disease and the trimester in which the disease is diagnosed on obstetric and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted with 358 patients who had or had not been diagnosed with COVID-19 during their pregnancy, had a miscarriage or had given birth. RESULTS: COVID-19 disease during pregnancy was associated with higher maternal hypertensive disease, preterm birth, low birth weight, low first- and fifth-minute Apgar scores, and need for neonatal intensive care unit. The incidence of preterm birth, low birth weight, low first- and fifth-minute Apgar scores, and need for neonatal intensive care unit in those diagnosed with COVID-19 in the second trimester was significantly higher than those diagnosed with COVID-19 in other trimesters. The frequency of cesarean section was observed most in those diagnosed with COVID-19 in the 3rd trimester, while it was observed in those diagnosed with COVID-19 at least in the first trimester. CONCLUSION: The presence of COVID-19 during pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of iatrogenic preterm birth. The frequency of preterm birth in pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 in the second trimester is higher than in pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 in other trimesters. As the pregnancy trimester at the time of diagnosis progresses, the frequency of cesarean section increases. While the risk of maternal hypertensive disease increases more in pregnant women with COVID-19, the effect of the trimester in which COVID-19 was passed on the risk of maternal hypertensive disease is not observed.

Twin pregnancy in which both fetuses have Cantrell's pentalogy: A case report and literature review.

Cantrell's pentalogy is a congenital multiple malformation consisting of midline supraumbilical thoraco-abdominal wall defects, anterior and pericardial diaphragm defects, lower sternum defects, ectopia cordis and various intracardiac anomalies. Complete pentalogy is very rare. Some additional anomalies may accompany pentalogy and there are cases in the literature where chromosomal anomalies and pentalogy are seen. Cases of Cantrell's pentalogy in twin pregnancies are rare. Twin pregnancies with Cantrell's pentalogy in both fetuses are one of the rarest cases in the literature. In this study, we presented a twin pregnancy case with Cantrell's pentalogy in both fetuses and we reviewed twin pregnancy cases in which Cantrell's pentalogy was seen in the literature. In our case, anomalies were found in both fetuses in the evaluation performed on a 32-year-old, gravida 2, para 1 woman with 10 weeks + 5 days monochorionic-monoamniotic twin pregnancy. The first fetus had ectopia cordis, cystic hygroma and increased nuchal thickness (4.6 mm), and the anterior abdominal wall was in contact with the amniotic band. The second fetus had ectopia cordis omphalocele, cystic hygroma, holoprosencephaly and a single lower extremity deficiency. Both fetuses were pre-diagnosed with Cantrell's pentalogy and the parents were informed about the adverse course of the fetuses. After the completion of the legal procedures, with the approval and decision of the parents, termination was made in the 11th week of pregnancy. External images of the fetuses confirmed the diagnosis. The family denied the autopsy procedure. When we review the literature, twin pregnancies complicated by Cantrell's pentalogy are divided into 3 groups: Group1- cases where one of the twins has completely normal phenotype and the other twin has Cantrell's pentalogy; Group2- cases where one of the twins has Cantrell's pentalogy and the other twin does not have the Cantrell's pentalogy but has several anomalies; Group3- cases where both fetuses have Cantrell's pentalogy. In conclusion, early diagnosis of twin pregnancy cases complicated by Cantrell's pentalogy and determination of all anomalies in both fetuses are very important in terms of obstetric management.

The effect of growth hormone adjuvant therapy on assisted reproductive technologies outcomes in patients with diminished ovarian reserve or poor ovarian response.

Low response of patients with diminished ovarian reserve to exogenous gonadotropins in controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) protocols is one of the important problems of reproductive endocrinology. Various treatment protocols have been developed in patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) or poor ovarian response (POR). Recently, the addition of growth hormone (GH) to treatment protocols has been brought to the agenda in these patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of GH adjuvant treatment on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle results in patients with DOR or POR. This retrospective cohort study was carried out with patients who diagnosed as DOR or POR and underwent ICSI. The patients were divided into the groups according to whether GH was used. In this study, ongoing pregnancy rates and live birth rates were observed to be significantly higher in the group receiving GH compared to the control group. In addition, there was a significant increase in embryo quality in the group receiving GH. As a result, the addition of GH to COS protocols in DOR and POR patients may increase the ongoing pregnancy rate, live birth rate, embryo quality.