Ebru Öztürk

Homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in maternal and umbilical cord plasma and homocysteine levels in placenta in pregnant women with pre‐eclampsia

Aim:  The aim of this study was to evaluate maternal and fetal serum levels of homocysteine, folic acid, vitamin B12 and placental tissue levels of homocysteine and their association with severity of pre‐eclampsia.

Effect of Ramadan fasting on maternal oxidative stress during the second trimester: A preliminary study

Aim:  To evaluate whether fasting during Ramadan has any significant effects on maternal oxidative stress or fetal health in healthy, pregnant women with an uncomplicated, second‐trimester, singleton pregnancy.

Measurement of the placental total antioxidant status in preeclamptic women using a novel automated method

Aim:  We aimed to measure the levels of total antioxidant status (TAS) in placental samples from preeclamptic pregnant women and evaluate the relation of placental TAS, total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) with fetomaternal compartments using the more recently designated Erel method.

Pitfalls in diagnosis and management of distal vaginal agenesis: 10-year experience at a single centre.

OBJECTIVE To discuss common pitfalls in diagnosis and management of distal vaginal agenesis, and summarize 10 years of experience among 11 patients using an interposition full-thickness graft and fibrin glue. STUDY DESIGN Eleven patients with distal vaginal agenesis were evaluated and managed with an interposition full-thickness graft to bridge the gap between the upper vagina and the introitus. Associated renal abnormalities and complications including infection, total lack of skin graft take, stress urinary incontinence, partial graft loss, vaginal stricture and graft uptake were all investigated. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 12.91 (standard deviation 1.22) years. All patients had primary amenorrhoea, cryptomenorrhea, and cyclical or constant pelvic pain. None of the patients had associated urological abnormalities, and there were no cases of infection, total lack of skin graft take, stress urinary incontinence, partial graft loss or vaginal stricture. Graft uptake was 100% in 10 of the 11 patients. Four patients have subsequently married and report a satisfactory sex life. CONCLUSION Accurate diagnosis of distal vaginal agenesis and careful pre-operative set-up, including evaluation of associated anomalies, bowel preparation, available vaginal stents and a multidisciplinary approach for the potential need for grafts, may be key to success.

Association of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms with endometrial carcinoma: a preliminary study

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between specific endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene polymorphisms and endometrial cancer (ECa). MATERIAL AND METHODS The study group consisted of 89 patients histologically diagnosed with the endometrioid type of endometrial carcinoma. The control group consisted of 60 randomly selected individuals who had undergone total hysterectomy. Genomic DNA was isolated from paraffin-embedded endometrial tissues. We investigated the G894T polymorphisms (G894T) and variable number tandem repeats polymorphisms in intron 4 (VNTR intron 4) in the eNOS gene by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the two groups were compared. RESULTS Analysis of the VNTR intron 4 polymorphisms in eNOS gene revealed that the frequency of the AA genotype was significantly higher in the control group, whereas the frequency of the BB genotype was significantly higher in the ECa group. Analysis of the G894T polymorphisms in eNOS gene revealed a significantly higher frequency of the GG genotype in the control group but a significantly higher frequency of the TT genotype in the endometrial cancer group. CONCLUSION The G894T and VNTR intron 4 polymorphisms in eNOS gene could be an intriguing susceptibility factor that modulates an individuals risk of ECa in the Turkish population.

Intraoperative frozen section is essential for assessment of myometrial invasion but not for histologic grade confirmation in endometrial cancer: a ten-year experience

PurposeTo evaluate the accuracy of endometrial biopsy (EB), transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) and intraoperative frozen section (FS) for assessment of myometrial invasion and histologic grade to predict more conservative surgery in endometrial carcinoma.MethodsDemographic and clinical data of 220 patients with endometrial carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperatively, the subjects were evaluated by EB and TVS. Intraoperatively, FS was also performed to evaluate histological grading and myometrial invasion. All patients underwent surgical–pathological staging after removal of the uterus, adnexa and pelvic lymph nodes. Sensitivity and specificity values were calculated for EB, TVS and FS with regard to detection of histological grading and neoplastic invasion of the myometrium according to the final histopathologic examination.ResultsBilateral pelvic and common iliac lymphadenectomy was performed in 80 patients without performing intraoperative biopsy because of preoperative high risk. Evaluation of the tumor grade by preoperative EB showed a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 73, 97 and 91%, respectively. Evaluation of the tumor grade by intraoperative biopsy showed a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 73, 96 and 90%, respectively. Evaluation of the depth of myometrial invasion with TVS showed a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 52, 91 and 79%, respectively. Evaluation of the depth of myometrial invasion with intraoperative biopsy showed a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 86, 94 and 92%, respectively.ConclusionsEvaluation of the histologic grade by EB and of the depth of myometrial invasion by intraoperative biopsy is a good option for deciding the necessity of lymphadenectomy.

Prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus in non-neoplastic cervical tissue lesion: cervical erosion.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the commonest sexually transmitted infection, which is associated with various clinical conditions, ranging from asymptomatic infection to malignant disease of the cervix. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and genotypic distribution of HPV in women with cervical erosion and to compare the results with those in women with a clinically normal cervix. A further aim was to establish the association between HPV infection and cervical cytology results in women with and without cervical erosion. Cervical samples were collected by liquid‐based method and consecutively evaluated for the presence of HPV DNA and for cervical cytology. HPV DNA was tested by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and typed by reverse dot blot genotyping. Cytological classification was made according to Bethesda 2001 criteria. The overall HPV prevalence was 16.9%; HPV DNA was positive in 20.2% of women with cervical erosion and 12.8% in women with normal cervix (P < 0.05). Multiple infections were found in 34.1% of the HPV‐positive women. Commonest types were HPV 18 (32.9%), HPV 16 (29.5%), HPV 54 (20.5%), and HPV 6 (17%). Cervical cytology results were abnormal for 5.2% of women with cervical erosion and for 1.3% with clinically normal cervix (P < 0.05). This study detected a high prevalence of HPV infection in women with cervical erosion compared to women with a normal cervix. This data may contribute to the HPV epidemiology in the southeastern Turkey. It is recommended that women with cervical erosion should be given priority in HPV screening programs. J. Med. Virol. 83:1997–2003, 2011.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms in preeclampsia with or without eclampsia in a Turkish population.

Aim:  To evaluate endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene polymorphisms in preeclampsia with or without eclampsia in a Turkish population.

No association between serum paraoxonase, arylesterase activities, and hydatidiform mole.

Background: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between hydatidiform mole (HM) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity and phenotyping in comparison with healthy subjects (both pregnant and nonpregnant women). Methods: Eighty women were enrolled in this study. Of these, 26 had HM (group 1). Twenty-seven healthy women in the first trimester of pregnancy with a single viable fetus were included in the study as control subjects (group 2). The remaining 27 subjects were healthy nonpregnant women who also participated as control subjects (group 3). Paraoxonase and arylesterase activities were measured using commercially available kits (Relassay, Gaziantep, Turkey). Paraoxonase activity measurements were performed both in the absence (basal activity) and presence of NaCl (salt-stimulated activity). The phenotype distribution of PON1 activity was determined by the double-substrate method. Results: Basal and salt-stimulated paraoxonase and arylesterase activities were not significantly different between the HM, healthy pregnant control, and healthy nonpregnant control groups. Hence, PON1 phenotype distribution of the subjects was not significantly different between these 3 groups. Conclusions: We determined no association between HM (complete or partial) and PON1 activity and phenotyping in comparison with pregnant and nonpregnant healthy subjects. Further studies including metastatic or invasive HM are needed.

Genetic Variation of Myeloperoxidase Gene Contributes to Preeclampsia: A Preliminary Association Study in Turkish Population

Objective. To examine MPO gene polymorphisms of women with preeclampsia in Turkish population. Methods. Sixty-one preeclamptic and 61 normotensive women without history of preeclampsia in earlier pregnancies were enrolled in this prospective controlled study. MPO mutations were characterized by PCR-RFLP method. Results. We demonstrated a significant difference in patients with preeclampsia in terms of genotype frequency. Heterozygous carriers of −463A among preeclamptic pregnancies were significantly frequent, whereas rare A/A homozygotes failed to differ from controls. Conclusion. The −463G/A polymorphism of leukocyte MPO could be an intriguing susceptibility factor that modulates an individuals risk of preeclampsia in Turkish population.