A prospective randomized controlled trial comparing two different treatments of intrauterine adhesions.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Intrauterine adhesions (IUA) are primarily caused by trauma to the endometrium, and hysteroscopy is presently the main treatment for IUA. However, high rates of post-operative adhesion re-formation remain a problem. In this study, the combination of an intrauterine device (IUD) with a Foley catheter and the balloon uterine stent were investigated to evaluate their efficacy in preventing adhesion re-formation and the subsequent reproductive outcomes in patients with moderate to severe adhesions. DESIGN: A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted in a university-affiliated hospital. A total of 171 women with Asherman's syndrome were initially recruited between August 2016 and December 2017 and were randomized to undergo either balloon uterine stent insertion or placement of a contraceptive IUD plus a Foley catheter after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. Reduction of adhesion scores, incidence of adhesion re-formation, changes in menstrual flow and reproductive outcomes were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 118 participants were eligible for analysis. The American Fertility Society (AFS) scores were not significantly different between groups before hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. At the second-look hysteroscopy, the AFS scores and adhesion recurrence rates were significantly higher in the balloon uterine stent group compared with the combination group (P < 0.01 and P = 0.024, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in pregnancy and live birth rates between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of an IUD and a Foley balloon catheter had better efficacy in preventing adhesion re-formation than the balloon uterine stent alone; however, it did not produce better reproductive outcomes.

Use of cancer antigen 125, cancer antigen 19-9, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio to diagnose mature cystic teratoma with torsion.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of serum levels of cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for diagnosis of mature cystic teratoma (MCT) with torsion. METHODS: A retrospective medical record review was conducted of data for women who had undergone surgery for ovarian MCT at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, China, between January 1, 2008, and January 1, 2015. Patients with torsion and a control group who underwent surgery on the same days were identified. Clinical characteristics and the serum levels of CA125, CA19-9, and the NLR were assessed. RESULTS: The serum levels of CA125, CA19-9, and the NLR were higher in the torsion group (n=68) than in the control group (n=120; P≤0.001 for all). Receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that the area under the curve for the combined use of CA125, CA19-9, and NLR was 0.978 (95% confidence interval 0.954-1.000; P<0.001). This combination had a diagnostic sensitivity of 93.9% and a specificity of 98.3%. Moreover, levels of these inflammatory markers were significantly increased among patients with large tumor diameters (P<0.01 for all). CONCLUSION: The combined measurement of CA125, CA19-9, and the NLR provided an efficient method for the diagnosis of MCT with torsion.

Three-dimensional structure micelles of heparin-poloxamer improve the therapeutic effect of 17ß-estradiol on endometrial regeneration for intrauterine adhesions in a rat model.

Intrauterine adhesions (IUA) frequently occur after infectious or mechanical injury to the endometrium, which may lead to infertility and/or pregnancy complications. There are few effective treatments due to the complex function of endometrium and shortage of native materials. 17ß-estradiol (E2) is commonly used as an ancillary treatment in IUA patients, but it is limited by its poor solubility in aqueous solutions and low concentrations at the injured sites. In this research, a mini-endometrial curette was used to injure the rat's endometrium to form an IUA model. 17ß-estradiol was encapsulated into the micelles of heparin-poloxamer and a thermosensitive hydrogel (E2-HP hydrogel) was formed. This sustained releasing system was applied to restore the structure and function of the injured uterus. E2-HP hydrogel was constructed and relevant characteristics including gelation temperature and micromorphology were evaluated. Sustained release of 17ß-estradiol from HP hydrogel was performed both in vitro and in vivo. Ultrasonography measurement and pathologic characteristics on the IUA rats were performed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of E2-HP hydrogel. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related apoptosis was analyzed to explore the possible mechanisms in IUA recovery. E2-HP hydrogel showed a prolonged release of E2 at the targeting region and more effective endometrium regeneration in IUA rats. Significant improvements in both gland numbers and fibrosis area were observed in the E2-HP hydrogel group. We also demonstrated that E2-HP hydrogel in the recovery of IUA was closely related to the suppression of ER stress signals via the activation of downstream signals, PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2. HP hydrogel might be an effective approach to deliver E2 into the injured endometrium. Therapeutic strategies targeting ER stress using E2-HP hydrogel might be a promising solution for the treatment of women with intrauterine adhesions.

The effects of small litter rearing on ovarian function at puberty and adulthood in the rat.

Rearing rats in small litters lead to obesity and reproductive dysfunction. We investigated the effects of rearing female rats in small litters on various reproductive parameters during puberty and into adulthood, and examined the possible involvement of local ovarian sympathetic nerve activity. The litter size was adjusted on postnatal day one to four pups per dam for the small litters and 12 pups per dam for the normal litters. Vaginal opening was recorded, and estrous cyclicity was monitored daily immediately post puberty for 14 days and again at 8-9 weeks of age. At the time of puberty and 10 weeks of age, the ovaries were collected. The number of different types of follicles was counted and the thickness of the theca interna of the largest antral follicles was measured. Ovarian sympathetic nerve activity was assessed immunohistochemically by measuring levels of ovarian nerve growth factor receptor (p75NGFR) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). In rats reared in small litters, there was a significant advancement of puberty and disruption of estrous cyclicity immediately post puberty. The number of antral follicles increased in the small litter reared rats at puberty compared with their controls. The thickness of the theca interna increased and the expression profiles of ovarian p75NGFR and TH increased in small litter reared rats at puberty, but this did not persist into adulthood. These data suggest that rearing rats in small litters lead to irregular reproductive cycles, which might involve increased local ovarian sympathetic nerve activity.