Zeynep Gedik Özköse

Comparison of Placental Histopathology in Early-Onset and Late-Onset Preeclampsia: A Prospective Cohort Study - Anatolian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research

Aims: We aimed to investigate the level and predictive value of soluble nectin-4 in early onset preeclampsia (EOPE). Methods: Forty-three patients with EOPE and 41 healthy normotensive pregnant women participated in this prospective case-control study. The groups were matched for gestational age and gravidity. Serum nectin-4 levels were compared between groups. The ROC curve was drawn to show the predictive value of nectin-4 for EOPE. Patients were followed up until the end of labor, and perinatal outcomes were recorded. Results: The demographic characteristics of the two groups were similar. Serum nectin-4 level was significantly increased in EOPE cases compared to controls (226.46±119.6 ng/ml vs. 156.54±44.8 ng/ml, p=0.001). The ROC showed that at > 160.938, the sensitivity and specificity were 67.44% and 82.93%, respectively [AUC:0.822, (CI:0.724 - 0.897), and (p< 0.001)]. Significant inverse correlations were found between nectin-4 levels and poor obstetric outcomes. Conclusion: Maternal serum nectin-4 levels were significantly higher in patients with EOPE compared with controls. Increased nectin-4 levels may contribute to the development of EOPE through possible oxidative, immunological, and inflammatory mechanisms adversely affecting trophoblastic cells.

Amaç: Gebelik sırasında yapılan non-obstetrik cerrahilerde gebeliğin devamı ve neonatal sürecin nasıl etkileyeceği hem gebe hem cerrah tarafından önem arz etmektedir. Non-obstetrik cerrahiler ile ilgili çalışmalar sınırlı sayıdadır. Bu çalışmamızın amacı non-obstetrik cerrahi sonrası maternal ve fetal sonuçların değerlendirilmesidir. Yöntem: Çalışmamız tersiyer bir merkez olan hastanemizin obstetri kliniğimizde Ocak 2015-Ağustos 2020 tarihleri arasındaki non-obstetrik cerrahi yapılan 60 gebe hastanın retrospektif değerlendirilmesini içermektedir. Hasta bilgilerine elektronik sistem ve arşiv dosyalarından ulaşıldı. Hastaların demografik özellikleri, cerrahi yapılan hafta, takipleri, gebelik ve neonatal sonuçları değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Hastaların ortalama yaşı 27,9±4,42 cerrahi yapılan gebelik haftası ortalama 17,7±11,3 idi. Cerrahi endikasyonlar arasında en sık neden 45 hasta ile (%75) apandisittir. Gebelerin %88,3’üne acil cerrahi yapıldı. Ortalama hastanede kalış süresi 3,3±3,2 gün, doğuma kadar geçen ortalama hafta 21,1±8,6 idi. Gebelerin ortalama doğum haftası 37,8±2,8 idi. Acil cerrahi yapılan hastalarda laparotomi tercihi laparoskopiye göre anlamlı olarak yüksek bulundu (P=0.007). Laparotomi(LT) ve laparoskopi(LSK) grubunda gebelik sonuçları ve neonatal sonuçlar açısından fark saptanmadı. Sonuç: Gebelikte geçirilen non-obstetrik cerrahi olumsuz gebelik ve neonatal sonuçlarda artışa yol açtığına dair bir sonuca ulaşılamamıştır. Ayrıca cerrahi şeklini değerlendirdiğimizde; laparotomi ve laparoskopi yapılan gruplar arasında gebelik ve neonatal sonuçlar açısından anlamlı bir fark bulunmadı. Bu konuda daha geniş çaplı çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.

To evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency and its clinical outcomes by performing immunohistochemistry (IHC) for MMR genes in the serous ovarian cancer (SOC) tumour sections. A retrospective case-control study. Place and Duration of the Study: Gynecology Department of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital, and Department of Medical Oncology of Medipol University, between March 2001 and January 2020. IHC was carried out for MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 on full-section slides from 127 SOCs to evaluate the MMR status. MMR-negative and MMR-low groups together were defined as MMR deficient and called microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). The MSI status and expression of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) were compared in SOCs with different MMR statuses. A significantly higher frequency of MMR-deficient SOCs was diagnosed at early stages compared with the patients in the MSS group (38.6% and 20.6%, respectively, p=0.022). The frequency of cases with PD-1 expression was significantly higher in the MSI-H group (76.2%) than in the MSS counterparts (58.8%, p=0.028). Patients in the MSI-H group had significantly longer DFS (25.6 months) and OS (not reached) than those in the MSS group (16 months and 48.9 months, p=0.039 and p=0.026, respectively). MSI-H SOCs were diagnosed at an earlier stage as compared to MMR proficient cases. The presence of PD-1 expression was significantly higher in cases presenting MMR deficiency compared with MMR-proficient cases. MSI status was significantly associated with DFS and OS. Serous ovarian cancer, Microsatellite instability, Mismatch repair deficiency.

Objective: This study aims to detect a relationship between inflammatory markers, ductus venosus (DV) pulsatility index (PI), middle cerebral artery (MCA) PI, and umbilical artery (UA) systole to diastole ratio (S/D) and PI between pregnancies with intrahepatic cholestasis and control cases. Methods: This prospective study included 82 cases having intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and 80 gestational age-matched healthy control cases. The Doppler measurements (DV PI, MCA PI, and UA S/D and PI), inflammatory markers (neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio [NLR], platelet to lymphocyte ratio [PLR], mean platelet volume [MPV], and red blood cell distribution width [RDW]), and fetal and maternal outcomes were compared. Results: Patients with ICP had increased PLR value (p=0.019) and decreased lymphocyte count (p=0.004) compared to control cases. Also, there was a positive correlation between PLR value and the presence of ICP (χ2=5.774, p=0.016). There were no significant differences between ICP and control groups concerning NLR, RDW, MPV, and UA PI values. We found higher UA S/D, and DV PI values and lower MCA PI values in pregnancies with ICP compared to controls (p<0.001, p=0.026, and p=0.003, respectively). Conclusion: In ICP cases, the PLR value was significantly increased than the controls, but the NLR, RDW, MPV, and UA PI values were found to be similar to control cases. The UA S/D, and DV PI values were increased, and MCA PI was significantly decreased in the ICP group compared to healthy pregnancies. However, we could not demonstrate the benefit of Doppler measurements in predicting neonatal outcomes in ICP cases.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of infection with the Delta variant of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on the clinical course, laboratory parameters, and neonatal outcome in pregnant women.Material and Methods: A total of 96 pregnant women who tested positive for the Delta variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19 were retrospectively examined. The pregnant women were divided into three groups: Asymptomatic; non -severe; and severe. Age, obstetric history, symptoms and findings, blood tests, medication and vaccination history, clinical course, and perinatal outcome of pregnant women were analyzed.Results: Pregnant women who tested positive for the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 had an intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate of 9.4% and a mortality rate of 5.2%. Pregnant women in the severe disease group had significantly higher rates of preterm birth and cesarean section compared with the non-severe and asymptomatic group. Pregnant women in the severe group had high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at the time of admission. White blood cell count (WBC) and procalcitonin levels were increased in clinical follow-up in women in the severe group.Conclusion: The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 was found to increase mortality rates in pregnant women compared to pre-Delta variants of COVID-19. In pregnant women infected with the Delta variant, advanced gestational age at diagnosis, high CRP, WBC, and procalcitonin levels were significantly correlated with poor prognosis. Pregnant women infected with the Delta variant and with severe COVID-19 had an increased risk for preterm delivery and cesarean section. Although newborns of women with severe disease were found to have significantly higher rates of ICU admission, there was no significant difference in neonatal mortality rates. We recommend close monitoring of CRP, WBC, and procalcitonin levels, in addition to symptoms, in pregnant women infected with the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 and diagnosed in the third trimester.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an increase in nuchal translucency (NT) thickness on the myocardial performance index (MPI) in fetuses without cardiac anomaly in the first trimester and to determine whether a difference in MPI between those with and without trisomy 21 in these fetuses could be determined.Methods: The study group consisted of 53 pregnancies complicated with increased NT thickness without any associated structural anomalies. Forty‐six gestational age‐matched pregnant women whose fetuses had normal NT thickness were enrolled as the control group.Results: In the increased NT thickness group, the mean isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT) value (0.050 ± 0.011 s) was significantly higher and the mean ejection time (ET) value (0.149 ± 0.010 s) was significantly lower than those values in the normal NT thickness group (0.045 ± 0.005 and 0.155 ± 0.009 s, p = 0.023 and p = 0.009, respectively). We found a significantly higher mean left MPI value in the increased NT thickness group (0.574 ± 0.153) versus the normal NT thickness group (0.487 ± 0.107, p < 0.001). Within the increased NT thickness group, the mean left MPI value was similar in the fetuses with normal karyotype and those with trisomy 21 (p = 0.419).Conclusion: We demonstrated a significantly greater mean MPI value in the increased NT thickness group than in the normal NT thickness group. Within the increased NT thickness group, no differences in the left MPI value in the fetuses with normal karyotype and the fetuses with trisomy 21 were found.

The aim of this study was to improve knowledge of prenatally diagnosed fetal intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), defining the ultrasound (US) examination results, the contribution of fetal magnetic resonance imagination (MRI) to the diagnosis, and the pregnancy outcomes, from a series of fetal ICH cases. This retrospective, observational study included eleven fetuses diagnosed with ICH from April 2016 to August 2020. The data regarding the medical records, prenatal US and MRI findings, treatment, and prognosis of fetal ICH cases were collected from the hospital database and analyzed. Fetal ICHs were grade 3 in six cases, and grade 4 in the remaining five cases. The mean gestational age at diagnosis was 30.2 weeks. Nine (81.8%) of the cases were diagnosed in the third trimester and two (18.2%) in the second trimester. Fetal cranial MRI was performed in 7/11 (63.6%) following ultrasonographic diagnosis. MRI confirmed fetal ICH diagnosis and previous US findings regarding location and grade in all cases. Five patients (45.5%) diagnosed with grade 3 (n=1) and grade 4 (n=4) ICH underwent pregnancy termination. Of the remaining six cases, one (9.1%) diagnosed with grade 3 fetal ICH resulted in an intrauterine fetal demise. Four cases classified as grade 3 fetal ICH and one case with grade 4 fetal ICH were born alive at term. The clinical manifestations of fetal ICH are diverse and have a wide spectrum of severity and prognostic implications. Fetal ICH cases were mainly detected in the third trimester, with a minority detected in the second trimester. These cases can be safely diagnosed and graded by US examination, but the underlying etiology frequently cannot be determined. Fetal cranial MRI may aid in diagnosis confirmation if this is unclear from US in order to provide appropriate counseling to the parents.

Objective This study sought to compare the efficacy and outcomes of fetal intracardiac intraventricular and interventricular septal potassium chloride (KCl) injections during the induced fetal demise process in a cohort of pregnant women with severe fetal abnormality who opted for late termination of pregnancy (TOP). Materials and methods This study consisted of 158 pregnant women who requested late TOP for severe fetal abnormality between 22 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Participants were randomly assigned with the simple randomization procedure to one of two feticide procedure groups: the intraventricular KCl injection group and the interventricular septal KCl administration group. We studied the clinical outcomes of both the feticide procedures. Results The median total dose of strong KCl was significantly lower in the interventricular septal KCl administration group (3 mL) than in the intraventricular KCl injection group (5 mL, p < 0.001). The median time to reach asystole and the median total duration of the procedure was significantly shorter in the interventricular septal KCl administration group (42 s and 85 s, respectively) than in the intraventricular KCl injection group (115 s and 150 s, respectively, p < 0.001). We detected a statistically significant correlation between the gestational week at feticide and the total dose of KCl (r = 0.705, p < 0.001), time to reach asystole (r = 0.653, p < 0.001), and total duration of the procedure (r = 0.683, p < 0.001). Conclusion KCl administered directly into the interventricular septum induces immediate and permanent fetal cardiac asystole with a 100% of success rate without comprising maternal safety. We did not observe any maternal complications related to the procedure in our cases. Since the consequences of failed feticide procedure are challenging for both parents and healthcare providers, and providers are also concerned about potential legal implications regarding an unintended live birth, it is crucial to guide a strict protocol to confirm permanent fetal cardiac asystole.