Increased Endothelial Progenitor Cell Number in Early Stage of Endometrial Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: It is generally believed that circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) reflect the state of the endothelium, its injury and/or repair possibilities. In different types of cancers, increased numbers of CECs and EPCs were found, suggesting their participation in cancer angiogenesis. The objective of this study was to determine whether, in the blood circulation of women with early endometrial cancer, CEC and EPC levels differ from those of healthy women of similar age. METHODS: For CEC number evaluation, samples of peripheral blood cells of women with endometrial carcinoma and control subjects were labeled with anti-CD31 and anti-CD45 antibodies; for EPCs, with anti-VEGFR2 (vascular-endothelium growth factor receptor 2)/KDR and anti-CD34 antibodies. The CEC and EPC cells were then quantified by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Endothelial progenitor cell numbers (CD34, VEGFR2/KDR) in the peripheral blood of women with endometrial carcinoma were significantly augmented as compared with those of control healthy women and CEC numbers (CD31, CD45) were similar in both groups. Cancer patients were divided according to the grading into G1 and G2 groups and according to the stage into International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IA and FIGO IB groups. Statistically significant augmented EPC numbers were demonstrated only in G1 and FIGO IA patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results strongly suggest new vessel formation from recruited endothelial precursors as being involved mainly at the early stages of tumor progression.

A Comparative Analysis of Selected Demographic Parameters for Evaluating Parity of Women in Poland, Spain, England and Wales for the Period 1996-2011.

BACKGROUND: The Central Statistical Offices in Europe indicate an increase of women's parity age and extramarital births. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the chosen demographics of parity in European countries of Poland, Spain, England and Wales in 1996-2011. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Statistical packet: women's average age at the time of their first and subsequent births, newborns' average body weight in relation to the age of mother; live marital and extramarital births. The age of mothers giving birth to their first and subsequent children in 1998-2011 in all of the researched countries is presented, and next compared in 1999, 2005 and 2011. An analysis of the births of children in marital and extramarital relationships as well as the body weight of live newborns is presented in detail in 1996-2006, and next in 6 year periods: 1999, 2005 and 2011. RESULTS: The average age of the mother giving birth to her first baby in 1996-2011 oscillates around: 26-27 years in England and Wales, 28-30 years in Spain and 23-26 years in Poland. In Poland, the highest average children's body weight, 3394 g, was achieved by children born by mothers at the age of 25-29. In Spain, however, at the mothers' age of 20-24, it was 3317 g. In England and Wales, at 30-34 years, it was 3262 g. The number of extramarital births in comparison to marital births is increasing. England and Wales has the lowest percentage of marital births, whereas Poland, the highest. In Spain, England and Wales we can observe an increase of extramarital births, while in Poland this number is stable at around 21.3%. CONCLUSIONS: The age of women having their first baby, the parity of later children, and extramarital births are increasing. In Poland, infant body weight is significantly bigger than in Spain, England and Wales.

Assessment of bioelectrical activity of synergistic muscles during pelvic floor muscles activation in postmenopausal women with and without stress urinary incontinence: a preliminary observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Muscles such as adductor magnus (AM), gluteus maximus (GM), rectus abdominis (RA), and abdominal external and internal oblique muscles are considered to play an important role in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and the relationship between contraction of these muscles and pelvic floor muscles (PFM) has been established in previous studies. Synergistic muscle activation intensifies a woman's ability to contract the PFM. In some cases, even for continent women, it is not possible to fully contract their PFM without involving the synergistic muscles. The primary aim of this study was to assess the surface electromyographic activity of synergistic muscles to PFM (SPFM) during resting and functional PFM activation in postmenopausal women with and without SUI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a preliminary, prospective, cross-sectional observational study and included volunteers and patients who visited the Department and Clinic of Urology, University Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland. Forty-two patients participated in the study and were screened for eligibility criteria. Thirty participants satisfied the criteria and were categorized into two groups: women with SUI (n=16) and continent women (n=14). The bioelectrical activity of PFM and SPFM (AM, RA, GM) was recorded with a surface electromyographic instrument in a standing position during resting and functional PFM activity. RESULTS: Bioelectrical activity of RA was significantly higher in the incontinent group than in the continent group. These results concern the RA activity during resting and functional PFM activity. The results for other muscles showed no significant difference in bioelectrical activity between groups. CONCLUSION: In women with SUI, during the isolated activation of PFM, an increased synergistic activity of RA muscle was observed; however, this activity was not observed in asymptomatic women. This may indicate the important accessory contribution of these muscles in the mechanism of continence.

Pregnancy-induced hypertension is accompanied by decreased number of circulating endothelial cells and circulating endothelial progenitor cells.

Maternal endothelial dysfunction is one of the main features of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). It is generally accepted that circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) reflect the state of the endothelium, its injury and/or repair possibilities. The objective of this study was to determine whether the CECs and EPCs numbers in the circulation of women with PIH reflect the presence of this pathology. Peripheral blood cells of PIH and normotensive pregnant women were labeled with specific monoclonal antibodies. For CECs evaluation, samples were labeled with anti-CD31 and anti-CD45 antibodies; for EPCs with anti-VEGFR2/KDR and anti-CD34 antibodies. Cells were quantified by flow cytometry. The levels of both CECs (CD31(+), CD45(-)) and EPCs (CD34(+), VEGFR2/KDR(+)) in the peripheral blood of women with PIH were significantly lower compared with those of control pregnant women with normal blood pressure level. Lowered accessibility of maternal CECs and EPCs may diminish general regenerative potential of the patient endothelia, contributing to PIH symptoms and to the risk of subsequent coronary and arterial disease.

The application of human papilloma virus genotyping for the identification of neoplasm lesions in the cervix of women with abnormal cytology smears.

BACKGROUND: A connection between infections with a highly oncogenic type of human papilloma virus and the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and preinvasive cervical cancer has been proven both experimentally and clinically. The period after which persistent virus infection will lead to the development of precancerous and invasive lesions is dependent on, among others, the HPV genotype. The oncogenic types of human papilloma virus destabilize the genome of an infected cell and thus initiate the carcinogenesis process. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was to analyze the frequency of occurrence of different oncogenic HPV genotypes among women with abnormal cytological smears and the correlation of this data with the degree of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia exacerbation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 75 women of child-bearing age (16-43 years old) with an abnormal cytological smear and positive test identifying an infection with an oncogenic type of human papilloma virus. In every case histopathological verification, aimed at excluding pathologies in the endocervix, was conducted using a colposcopy with guided biopsy and cervix abrasion. RESULTS: The authors found that the frequency of occurrence of different HPV genotypes of the groups of cytological diagnoses ASC-US, LSIL and HSIL do not differ statistically (p = 0.57). However, what is noteworthy is the more common occurrence of HPV 16 in type LSIL lesions (45.45%) and HPV 18 of a more advanced type HSIL (37.50%) pathology. Through the verification of the cytology results with histopathological diagnosis of the above groups the authors obtained statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) of individual pathological states. When regarding cytological HSIL diagnosis, CIN 1 was never diagnosed, while in other cytological groups cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of a low degree constituted over 40%. Analogically about 40% of HSIL diagnoses after histopathological verification turned out to be cancer of a pre-invasive state (CIS/AIS), the presence of which was not revealed by ASC-US and LSIL. What is more, CIN2/3 diagnosis was less frequent in the ASC-US cytological group than in the other two groups. While analyzing a share of other than HPV 16 and HPV 18 oncogenic types of human papilloma virus, the authors found that the most common were HPV 31, 45 and 33. In CIN 1 and CIN 2 their share was over 60%. In CIS/AIS type pathologies, no other types of human papilloma virus than HPV 16 and HPV 18 were shown. CONCLUSIONS: Positive results of DNA HR HPV testing of women with abnormal cytology results identified a risk group for the development of cervical cancer. No statistically significant differences of the frequency of HPV 16 and HPV 18 type occurrences were found in analyzed groups with cytological and histopathological diagnoses.

[The role of endothelium in the pathogenesis of pregnancy-induced hypertension]. / Rola sródblonków w patogenezie nadcisnienia indukowanego ciaza.

Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is the major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity. However, the mechanisms responsible for PIH pathogenesis have not yet been fully elucidated. The known risk factors of PIH development are: multiple pregnancy, masculine sex of fetus, very young age of women (below 18 years), advanced age (above 40 years), and obesity of the pregnant woman. In this article an attempt is made to summarize recent knowledge of the pathogenesis of PIH and, particularly, the postulated link between placental ischemia and microvascular dysfunction. The initiating event in PIH has been implicated to be reduced uteroplacental perfusion as a result of abnormal extravillous cytotrophoblast invasion. Focal ischemia and hypoxia, deportation of hypoxemic trophoblast cells, and abnormal expression of various placental biological molecules, particularly the cytokines, are thought to lead to widespread activation/dysfunction of the maternal vascular endothelium. The increased expression of adhesion molecules on activated endothelium intensifies the inflammation process and causes further endothelial injury. The quantitative importance of the various endothelial and humoral factors in mediating PIH symptoms is still unclear. Some of the factors that activate and damage endothelial cells may be of prognostic significance; however, more intensive research should be performed for a precise description of their predictive value.

Optimization of a retroviral vector for transduction of human CD34 positive cells.

Human stem and progenitor cells have recently become objects of intensive studies as an important target for gene therapy and regenerative medicine. Retroviral vectors are among the most effective tools for genetic modification of these cells. However, their transduction efficiency strongly depends on the choice of the ex vivo transduction system. The aim of this study was to elaborate a system for retroviral vector transduction of human CD34 positive cells isolated from cord blood. The retroviral vector pMINV EGFP was chosen for transduction of two human erythroblastoid cell lines: KG-1a (CD34 positive) and K562 (CD34 negative). For vector construction, three promoters and two retroviral vector packaging cell lines were used. To optimize the physicochemical conditions of the transduction process, different temperatures of supernatant harvesting, the influence of centrifugation and the presence of transduction enhancing agents were tested. The conditions elaborated with KG-1a cells were further applied for transduction of CD34 positive cells isolated from cord blood. The optimal efficiency of transduction of CD34 positive cells with pMINV EGFP retroviral vector (26% of EGFP positive cells), was obtained using infective vector with LTR retroviral promoter, produced by TE FLY GA MINV EGFP packaging cell line. The transduction was performed in the presence of serum, at 37 degrees C, with co-centrifugation of cells with viral supernatants and the use of transduction enhancing agents. This study confirmed that for gene transfer into CD34 positive cells, the detailed optimization of each element of the transduction process is of great importance.

[Prenatal diagnosis of triploidy]. / Diagnostyka prenatalna triploidii.

Triploidy is one of the most common chromosomal numerical aberrations, resulting usually from one out off two main mechanisms: aberrant segregation of chromosomes during meiosis or from the fertilization of one egg by two sperms. Triploidy usually causes prenatal death. In present paper the methods of non-invasive and invasive prenatal diagnosis of triploidy are described. We also report the case of triploid fetus, diagnosed by ultrasound visualisation followed by amniocenthesis and cytogenetic analysis.

[Prenatal diagnosis of triploidy]. / Diagnostyka prenatalna triploidii.

Triploidy is one of the most common chromosomal numerical aberrations, resulting usually from one out off two main mechanisms: aberrant segregation of chromosomes during meiosis or from the fertilization of one egg by two sperms. In present paper the methods of non-invasive and invasive prenatal diagnosis of triploidy in I and II trimester are described. We also report the case of triploid fetus, diagnosed by ultrasound visualisation followed by amniocenthesis and cytogenetic analysis.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) as a mediator of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH).

Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) is accompanied by injury and further activation of placental endothelial cells. Activated endothelial cells produce several mediators, among them endothelin-1 (ET-1)--one of the most potent vasoconstrictors. The aim of the study was to examine the ET-1 level in serum of 18 women with PIH and compare it to the group of 16 normotensive pregnant women. ET-1 level, as evaluated by ELISA test, was significantly higher in PIH than in normotensive pregnancy, 33.00 +/- 12.07 vs. 25.00 +/- 5.69 pg/mL (p = 0.005), respectively. It might be concluded, that ET-1 level is a prognostic parameter, indicating the possibility of PIH development.

[Congenital absence of the vagina--its diagnostic-therapeutic implications--case report]. / Wrodzony brak pochwy--implikacje diagnostyczno-terapeutyczne--opis przypadku.

Issues relating to diagnosis and reconstructive therapy for developmental anomalies of female genital tract are controversial. The teratogenic influence during the 6th week of intrauterine life, the time for the development of structures such as fallopian tube, uterus and cervix from the Müllerian duct may lead to their defective formation. In a 14 year old girl congenital absence of vagina, cervix developed right half of uterus (rudimentary horn?) and a pelvic kidney was diagnosed by laparoscopy and laparotomy. The attempt to connect uterus with the artificial vagina during the laparotomy was unfortunately not successful, the main reason being prolonged distance between the apex of artificial passage and the rudimentary uterus. In our opinion ultrasound is a superior diagnostic tool for diagnosis of developmental anomalies in comparison to the palpatory methods. The corrective and reconstructive surgery for the developmental anomalies of the female genital tract should be the domain of a specialized center. Increased awareness of the parents and the public, increase in environmental pollution has led to more frequent and earlier diagnosis of these malformations, which in turn has led to the shift in age for therapeutic interventions.