Niyazi Askar

Role of perineal sonography in the evaluation of patients with stress urinary incontinence.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the role of perineal sonography in diagnosis of stress urinary incontinence.

Does pelvic floor muscle training abolish symptoms of urinary incontinence? A randomized controlled trial

Objective: To determine whether symptoms of urinary incontinence is reduced by pelvic floor muscle training, to determine whether urinary incontinence can be totally eliminated by strengthening the pelvic floor muscle to grade 5 on the Oxford scale. Design: Prospective randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: Outpatient urogynecology department. Subjects: One hundred thirty cases with stress and mixed urinary incontinence. Intervention: All participants were randomly allocated to the pelvic floor muscle training group or control group. A 12-week home based exercise program, prescribed individually, was performed by the pelvic floor muscle training group. Main measures: Urinary incontinence symptoms (Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7, Urogenital Distress Inventory-6, bladder diary, stop test and pad test) were assessed, and the pelvic floor muscle strength was measured for (PERFECT testing, perineometric and ultrasound) all participants before and after 12 weeks of treatment. Results: The pelvic floor muscle training group had significant improvement in their symptoms of urinary incontinence (P=0.001) and an increase in pelvic floor muscle strength (P=0.001, by the dependent t test) compared with the control group. All the symptoms of urinary incontinence were significantly decreased in the patients that had reached pelvic floor muscle strength of grade 5 and continued the pelvic floor muscle training (P<0.05). Conclusion: The study demonstrated that pelvic floor muscle training is effective in reducing the symptoms of stress and mixed urinary incontinence and in increasing pelvic floor muscle strength.

How do delivery mode and parity affect pelvic organ prolapse

To determine the association between mode of delivery, parity, and pelvic organ prolapse, as assessed by the pelvic organ prolapse quantification system.

Overactive bladder and its effects on sexual dysfunction among women

To evaluate the relation between overactive bladder (OAB) and sexual dysfunction in sexually active nurses without stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

Polymorphisms in the activin A receptor type 2A gene affect the onset time and severity of preeclampsia in the Turkish population

Abstract Aim: To investigate the possible roles of selected single nucleotide gene polymorphisms (SNPs) of the activin A receptor type 2A (ACVR2A) gene in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Methods: Ninety-four patients with preeclampsia and 166 healthy pregnant women were included in this study. Genomic DNA was extracted from venous blood and were stored at −80°C before the analysis. Selected ACVR2A SNPs (rs10497025, rs1128919, rs13430086) were determined in an ABI 7900 HT Real-Time PCR instrument. Results: For all three SNPs, no statistically significant difference was found between preeclampsia and control groups in terms of genotype and allele frequencies. In the late preeclampsia group, with regard to the rs1128919 SNP, the frequency of GG genotype was found to be significantly lower (P=0.02). Although the frequency of “A” allele was found to be higher (P=0.05; OR=1.54), and the “G” allele was found to be lower (P=0.05; OR=0.65), the results did not reach statistical significance in late preeclamptic patients. For the rs1128919 SNP, the frequency of the AA genotype was found to be significantly higher in both mild (P=0.004) and severe (P=0.0001) preeclampsia groups, whereas the frequency of GG genotype was found to be significantly lower (P=0.008, and P=0.0001, respectively). For the rs13430086 SNP, while the frequency of the AA genotype was found to be significantly lower in both mild (P=0.02) and severe (P=0.0001) preeclamptic patients, the frequency of TT genotype was found to be significantly higher in only severe preeclampsia group (P=0.0001). Conclusion: ACVR2A gene polymorphisms may play a role in the development of preeclampsia.

Quality of life scores improve in women undergoing colpocleisis: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the quality of life and surgical outcomes in women who had undergone colpocleisis. STUDY DESIGN This was a prospective small cohort study conducted between August 2010 and September 2011. Twelve women with pelvic organ prolapse were offered obliterative vaginal surgery and were informed about the surgical procedure. Ten women accepted this operation and were included in the study. Before and after colpocleisis, cases were evaluated by urogynecological examination, and quality of life was assessed by the Turkish language validated prolapse quality of life questionnaire (P-QOL), in which a low total score indicates a good quality of life. RESULTS The mean age was 74.9±4.5 (range 68-85). The general score of the P-QOL was reduced during the follow-up period, reflecting a significant effect on quality of life and clinical improvement in women with the colpocleisis operation. There was no morbidity due to colpocleisis or recurrent pelvic organ prolapse in follow-up period. CONCLUSION In our small cohort including elderly women, colpocleisis provided high levels of surgical outcomes as well as a significant improvement in quality of life without significant morbidity.

Do stages of menopause affect the outcomes of pelvic floor muscle training

ObjectiveThe purpose of our study is to determine whether there is a difference in pelvic floor muscle strength attributable to pelvic floor muscle training conducted during different stages of menopause. MethodsOne hundred twenty-two women with stress urinary incontinence and mixed urinary incontinence were included in this prospective controlled study. The participants included in this study were separated into three groups according to the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop staging system as follows: group 1 (n = 41): stages −3 and −2; group 2 (n = 32): stages +1 and −1; and group 3 (n = 30): stage +2. All three groups were provided an individual home exercise program throughout the 12-week study. Pelvic floor muscle strength before and after the 12-week treatment was measured in all participants (using the PERFECT [power, endurance, number of repetitions, and number of fast (1-s) contractions; every contraction is timed] scheme, perineometry, transabdominal ultrasound, Brink scale, pad test, and stop test). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance. ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences in pre-exercise training pelvic floor muscle strength parameters among the three groups. After 12 weeks, there were statistically significant increases in PERFECT scheme, Brink scale, perineometry, and ultrasound values. In contrast, there were significant decreases in stop test and 1-hour pad test values observed in the three groups (P = 0.001, dependent t test). In comparison with the other groups, group 1 demonstrated statistically significant improvements in the following postexercise training parameters: power, repetition, speed, Brink vertical displacement, and stop test. The lowest increase was observed in group 2 (P < 0.05). ConclusionsStrength increase can be achieved at all stages of menopause with pelvic floor muscle training, but the rates of increase vary according to the menopausal stage of the participants. Women in the late menopausal transition and early menopause are least responsive to pelvic floor muscle strength training. Further studies in this field are needed.

Effect of BCG vaccine on peritoneal endometriotic implants in a rat model of endometriosis

Objective:  To investigate the effect of Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccine on peritoneal implantation of endometrial tissue in rats.

Assessment of the effect of pelvic floor exercises on pelvic floor muscle strength using ultrasonography in patients with urinary incontinence: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the effect of pelvic floor exercises on pelvic floor muscle strength could be detected via ultrasonography in patients with urinary incontinence. [Subjects and Methods] Of 282 incontinent patients, 116 participated in the study and were randomly divided into a pelvic floor muscle training (n=65) group or control group (n=51). The pelvic floor muscle training group was given pelvic floor exercise training for 12 weeks. Both groups were evaluated at the beginning of the study and after 12 weeks. Abdominal ultrasonography measurements in transverse and longitudinal planes, the PERFECT scheme, perineometric evaluation, the stop test, the stress test, and the pad test were used to assess pelvic floor muscle strength in all cases. [Results] After training, the PERFECT, perineometry and transabdominal ultrasonography measurements were found to be significantly improved, and the stop test and pad test results were significantly decreased in the pelvic floor muscle training group, whereas no difference was observed in the control group. There was a positive correlation between the PERFECT force measurement scale and ultrasonography force measurement scale before and after the intervention in the control and pelvic floor muscle training groups (r=0.632 and r=0.642, respectively). [Conclusion] Ultrasonography can be used as a noninvasive method to identify the change in pelvic floor muscle strength with exercise training.

Microarray gene expression analysis of uterosacral ligaments in uterine prolapse.

OBJECTIVES Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a major health problem that impairs the quality of life with a wide clinical spectrum. Since the uterosacral ligaments provide primary support for the uterus and the upper vagina, we hypothesize that the disruption of these ligaments may lead to a loss of support and eventually contribute to POP. DESIGN AND METHODS In this study, we therefore investigated whether there are any differences in the transcription profile of uterosacral ligaments in patients with POP when compared to those of the control samples. Seventeen women with POP and 8 non-POP controls undergoing hysterectomy for benign conditions were included in the study. Affymetrix® Gene Chip microarrays (Human Hu 133 plus 2.0) were used for whole genome gene expression profiling analysis. RESULTS There was 1 significantly down-regulated gene, NKX2-3 in patients with POP compared to the controls (p=4.28464e-013). KIF11 gene was found to be significantly down-regulated in patients with ≥3 deliveries compared to patients with <3 deliveries (p=0.0156237). UGT1A1 (p=2.43388e-005), SCARB1 (p=1.19001e-006) and NKX2-3 (p=2.17966e-013) genes were found to be significantly down-regulated in the premenopausal patients compared to the premenopausal controls. UGT1A1 gene was also found to be significantly down-regulated in the post menopausal patients compared to the postmenopausal controls (p=0.0005). CONCLUSION This study provides evidence for a significant down-regulation of the genes that take role in cell cycle, proliferation and embryonic development along with cell adhesion process on the development of POP for the first time.