Kayoko Ueda

Effects of Serum from Pregnant Versus Nonpregnant Women on Natural Killer Cell Activity

PROBLEM: To test the effect of serum obtained from in vitro fertilization‐embryo transfer (IVF‐ET) patients on the healthy volunteers natural killer (NK) cell activity.

Involvement of Phenotypes and Serum Levels of Haptoglobin in the Outcome of in vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer

Haptoglobin (Hp) possesses many functions in the immune system and angiogenesis as well as scavenging released hemoglobin, and thus it is speculated that Hp may also play a critical role in the reproductive process. To investigate the possible involvement of Hp in the outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET), the serum Hp of 50 patients who underwent IVF-ET was analyzed by the Western blot method. The results showed a higher pregnancy rate in the patients with the Hp2-2 phenotype (38%) than in those with the Hp2-1 phenotype (16%) (p = 0.08), and the serum α2 subunit levels in the patients who achieved pregnancy within four attempts at IVF-ET were higher than in the others (p < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that Hp is involved in the outcome of IVF-ET.

Clinical Application of a New Stain to Detect Acrosome-Reacted Sperm for Predicting Polyspermic Fertilization in IVF-ET

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Blutstan staining of human spermatozoa for predicting the spermatozoa capacity of fertilization in human IVF. Blutstan, a prestained glass slide coated with dyes, is able to identify activated sperm quickly and easily. Acrosomal reactivity of spermatozoa was evaluated with this slide glass at the insemination of IVF of 30 couples. There was significant correlation between the Blutstan reactivity and the fertilization rate (r = .52, p < .01). Furthermore, spermatozoa with high Blutstan reactivity were fertilized oocytes polyspermy. This method was rapid, simple, and useful for detecting activated sperm and predicting for the polyspermic fertilization in clinical setting.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Diagnosis of a Deep Soft Tissue Leiomyoma under the Rectus Muscle

Leiomyomas of the deep soft tissue are extremely rare. We report a case of a deep soft tissue leiomyoma that was difficult to differentiate from a uterine leiomyoma. A 48-year-old woman was diagnosed with a uterine leiomyoma, but surgical and pathological findings revealed a deep soft tissue leiomyoma and normal uterus.

A perforated sigmoid diverticulum abscess difficult to differentiate from an ovarian tumor.

We report a case of a perforated sigmoid diverticulum abscess that was difficult to differentiate from an ovarian tumor. A 53-year-old woman was diagnosed with an ovarian tumor, but laparotomy revealed a perforated sigmoid diverticulum abscess and appendicitis, with normal ovaries.