Elif Aylin Taşkın

The role of low-molecular-weight heparin in recurrent implantation failure: a prospective, quasi-randomized, controlled study.

Low-molecular-weight heparin did not provide any beneficial effect on pregnancy outcomes in patients with two or more implantation failures. Further trials are needed to confirm a trend in favor of low-molecular-weight heparin in the subgroup with women with three or more implantation failures.

The effect of total abdominal hysterectomy on serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels: a pilot study.

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the effect of hysterectomy on levels of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), an indicator of ovarian reserve. Method Twenty-two premenopausal women between 40 and 50 years of age who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy for uterine leiomyoma were enrolled to the patient group and unaffected women in a similar age range constituted the control group. Samples were collected preoperatively and at the 4th month postoperatively from the patients and two times at 4 months apart from the controls. Serum AMH levels were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared within each group and between groups. Results Baseline serum AMH values were similar (1.46 ± 2.02 ng/ml for the hysterectomy group and 1.53 ± 1.82 ng/ml for the control group, p = 0.73). Serum AMH levels at month 4 decreased to 0.62 ± 0.9 ng/ml and 1.26 ± 1.78 ng/ml for hysterectomy patients and controls, respectively (p = 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively). Although the percentage median decrease was higher in hysterectomized women (58.9% vs. 28.5%), this was statistically insignificant (p = 0.26). Conclusion Although not statistically significant, our study demonstrated that total abdominal hysterectomy causes 30% more loss of ovarian reserve in addition to the effects of aging. Further research on larger populations is needed to confirm our results and to apply them in clinical practice.

Comparison of hysterosalpingography and hysteroscopy in the evaluation of the uterine cavity in patients undergoing assisted reproductive techniques

OBJECTIVE To investigate the diagnostic value of hysterosalpingography (HSG) for intracavitary and structural uterine pathologies in comparison with hysteroscopy (HS) in patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer and also to specify the patients who should be subjected to HS in the early stages of an infertility work-up. DESIGN Retrospective analysis. SETTING IVF unit of a university hospital. PATIENT(S) Three hundred fifty-nine consecutive women who underwent both HSG and HS for infertility investigation. INTERVENTION(S) HS and HSG. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) HS findings. RESULT(S) HSG shows a sensitivity of 21.56%, specificity of 83.76%, positive predictive value of 55.26%, and negative predictive value of 70.75%. Its false-negative rate is 78.43%, and its false-positive rate is 16.23%. Overall agreement between the two procedures is 68.9%. The risk of abnormal HS increases with advancing patient age and duration of infertility. Risk increments associated with patient age over 35 years and increasing number of previous assisted reproductive techniques (ART) persist even in the presence of a normal HSG. As expected, we encounter significantly less abnormal HS in the male factor infertility group. CONCLUSION(S) HS should be performed especially in patients older than 35 years of age and/or with a history of two or more previous ART trials even in the presence of a normal HSG. HSG shows unconvincing diagnostic value for intracavitary and structural uterine pathologies in infertility evaluation.

Primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma: a review of the clinical and immunohistochemical features of the rare tumor.

Primary pure ovarian leiomyosarcomas constitute a malignant subgroup of ovarian smooth muscle tumors which comprise only 1% of ovarian tumors. Their origin, etiology, histologic features, clinical behavior, and optimal treatment are still obscure. Malignant behavior is almost always associated with any 2 of coagulative necrosis, cellular atypia, and mitotic index greater than 10. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic evaluations may improve diagnostic accuracy. Traditionally, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging and treatment of ovarian sarcomas have been the same as for epithelial ovarian carcinomas. Although surgery was performed for all cases, the extent of surgery is debatable. Benefit and modality of adjuvant therapy is controversial. The prognosis of primary pure ovarian leiomyosarcomas is extremely poor depending on tumor stage, tumor size, grade, and mitotic index and mostly recurs in abdomen and pelvis. Target Audience: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians Learning Objectives: After completion of this article, the reader should be able to state how rare primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma (POLMS) is, explain that because of its rarity the best diagnostic and treatment modalities are not conclusive, and recall that the authors reviewed the literature to bring the readership current on POLMS.

Serum levels of adenosine deaminase and pregnancy-related hormones in hyperemesis gravidarum.

Abstract Objectives: We investigated the correlation between pregnancy-related hormones and serum adenosine deaminase (indicator of cellular immunity) level in women with hyperemesis gravidarum. Materials and methods: Twenty patients with hyperemesis gravidarum and 20 normal pregnancies were included in this prospective, case-control study. Serum adenosine deaminase levels, hematological parameters (white blood cells, neutrophil, monocyte and lymphocyte counts) and hormone levels (prolactin, progesterone, thyroid stimulating hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin β subunit, estradiol (E2)) were measured in all women. Interrelations of blood cell counts and hormone levels with serum adenosine deaminase levels were also investigated. Results: Serum adenosine deaminase, human chorionic gonadotropin β subunit, thyroid stimulating hormone, E2, progesterone and prolactin levels, and lymphocyte and monocyte counts in women with hyperemesis gravidarum were significantly higher than in controls but white blood cells, neutrophil, T3 and T4 levels were not different. Serum adenosine deaminase level correlated with E2, progesterone, lymphocyte, and monocyte levels for all patients. Conclusion: Elevated serum adenosine deaminase in patients with hyperemesis gravidarum may relate to high levels of E2 and progesterone.

Roles of E-cadherin and cyclooxygenase enzymes in predicting different survival patterns of optimally cytoreduced serous ovarian cancer patients.

The relation between cyclooxygenase enzymes and E-cadherin, along with the roles of these markers in the prediction of survival in optimally cytoreduced serous ovarian cancer patients was investigated. Individuals who underwent primary staging surgery and achieved optimal cytoreduction (largest residual tumor volume<1 cm) constituted the study population. Specimens of 32 cases were immunohistochemically examined for cyclooxygenase-1, cyclooxygenase-2, and E-cadherin. Two could not be evaluated for E-cadherin and cyclooxygenase-1. Overall, 14/30, 19/30, and 15/32 cases were positive for E-cadherin, cyclooxygenase-1, and cyclooxygenase-2, respectively. The expressions of E-cadherin and cyclooxygenase-2 were inversely correlated (p:0.02). E-cadherin expression was related with favorable survival (p<0.001). The relation between the expression of cyclooxygenase enzymes and poor survival did not reach statistical significance. On multivariate analysis, E-cadherin appeared as an independent prognostic factor for survival. In conclusion, E-cadherin expression is strongly linked with favorable survival. E-cadherin and cyclooxygenase 2 may interact with each other during the carcinogenesis-invasion process. Further studies clarifying the relation between E-cadherin and cyclooxygenase enzymes may lead to new preventive and therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer.

Cervical intramural ectopic pregnancy

OBJECTIVE To describe a cervical intramural ectopic pregnancy. DESIGN Case report. SETTING Maternity hospital. PATIENT(S) A 28-year-old multiparous woman was seen with vaginal bleeding and a positive urinary pregnancy test after delayed menstruation. Ultrasonography and pelvic examination revealed an empty uterine cavity and a hyperechoic focus within an enlarged cyanotic anterior cervical lip. Vaginal bleeding was controlled with aspiration curettage; however, macroscopic and ultrasonographic views of the cervix remained the same. One week later the anterior cervical lip was found to be ruptured. INTERVENTION(S) Decidual tissue was removed from the ruptured area. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Histopathologic confirmation of chorionic villi and presence of a connection between the endocervix and the ruptured area. RESULT(S) No connection was found with the endocervical channel when controlled with a 1-mm Hegar uterine dilator, and histopathologic examination of removed materials revealed chorionic villi. CONCLUSION(S) The cervical intramural ectopic pregnancy is an extraordinary clinical situation and might lead to diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Detection of IL-1β in culture media supernatants of pre-implantation human embryos; its relation with embryo grades and development.

In this study, we aimed to determine whether human embryos secrete interleukin-1β (IL-1β) into culture media and its correlation with embryo grade and development. Culture media supernatants of 100 embryos obtained from 39 cycles of 38 patients and cultivated individually were collected 2 and 3 days after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). IL-1β concentrations of samples were determined with ELISA and compared with embryo grades and blastomere numbers. Embryo grades and the amount of IL-1β they secreted were found not to be correlated (p:0.559). Numbers of blastomeres each embryo had at 2nd and 3rd days were found to be correlated with IL-1β secreted (p:0.00 and p:0.00, respectively). Mean amount of IL-1β secreted by the embryos from ejaculated sperm cycles were found to be significantly higher than that of embryos from TESE cycles (p:0.016). Patient age and etiology of infertility were not correlated with the amount of IL-1β secreted and embryo grade. In conclusion, preimplantation human embryos secrete IL-1β in their media in amounts correlated with their blastomere numbers.

Lymph Node Dissection in Atypical Endometrial Hyperplasia

Objective: The rate of concomitant endometrial carcinoma in patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia is high. We aimed to investigate the role of lymphadenectomy in deciding adjuvant treatment in patients with concomitant atypical endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma. Material and Methods: Women with atypical endometrial hyperplasia were enrolled in this retrospective study. Lymph node dissection was performed in only some patients who gave informed consent if their surgeon elected to do so, or if the intraoperative findings necessitated. The final histopathologic evaluations of surgical specimens were compared with endometrial biopsy results. Results: Eighty eligible patients were evaluated. Seventy-two (90%) patients had complex hyperplasia with atypia, and 8 (10%) patients had simple hyperplasia with atypia. Hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed to all patients; 37 also underwent lymph node dissection. Lymph node dissection was extended to the paraaortic region in 9 of 37 patients. The concomitant endometrial carcinoma rate was 50%. Two patients had lymph node metastasis. Among 40 cases of carcinoma, 17 had deep myometrial invasion and/or cervical or ovarian involvement or grade 2 tumors with superficial myometrial invasion on hysterectomy specimens; 27.5% of all carcinomas were stage Ib or higher. Conclusion: The concomitant endometrial carcinoma rate was high in patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia. Nearly half of these patients had risk factors for extrauterine spread. Lymph node dissection might be helpful to decide adjuvant treatment.

Surgical second-look in epithelial ovarian cancer: high recurrence rate after negative results and lack of survival benefit limits its role in standard management.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of surgical second look (SSL) in epithelial ovarian cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS One hundred and seventy-one patients clinically free of disease were assessed retrospectively. Ninety-eight (57.3%) patients underwent SSL and 73 (42.7%) were observed. Fifty-one (52.0%) of the SSL operations were negative, 31 (31.6%) microscopically positive, and 16 (16.3%) macroscopically positive. Cytoreduction and/or chemotherapy were administered after positive SSL. Negative SSL and observation group patients were observed without treatment until recurrence was detected. Disease free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and clinical characteristics of groups were compared. RESULTS While DFS and OS of negative SSL group were better than the observation, microscopic and macroscopic positive SSL groups (p<.01), no significant difference was found between positive SSL and observation groups (p>.05). However, DFS and OS of the microscopic positive SSL group were significantly longer than the macroscopic positive SSL group (p<.01). Thirty-two patients have had recurrences (62.8%) after negative SSL. Only the use of paclitaxel as first-line chemotherapy was seen to prevent recurrence after negative SSL (p<.05). Recurrence after negative SSL was not affected by stage, grade, age, CA-125 level, ascites volume, histologic type or optimal cytoreduction. CONCLUSION Rate of recurrence after negative SSL remains high, and secondary efforts following positive SSL could not lead to an obvious survival benefit. Therefore, routine use of SSL seems ineffective and unnecessary.