Bilateral or unilateral tubo-ovarian abscess: exploring its clinical significance.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the characteristics of patients with unilateral and bilateral tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA). METHODS: Women diagnosed with TOA during 2003-2017 were included in this retrospective cohort study. TOA was diagnosed using sonography or computerized tomography and clinical criteria, or by surgical diagnosis. Demographics, sonographic data, clinical treatment, surgical treatment, and post-operative information were retrieved. RESULTS: The study cohort included 144 women who met the inclusion criteria, of whom 78 (54.2%) had unilateral TOA and 66 (45.8%) had bilateral TOA. Baseline characteristics were not different between the groups. There was a statistical trend that women with fewer events of previous PID were less likely to have with bilateral TOA (75.3% vs. 64.1%, respectively; p = 0.074). Women diagnosed with bilateral TOA were more likely to undergo surgical treratment for bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy compared to unilateral TOA (61.5% vs. 42.3%, respectively; p = 0.04). There was no difference in maximum TOA size between groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study detected a trend toward increased need for surgical treatment in women diagnosed with bilateral TOA. These findings may contribute to determining the optimal medical or surgical treatment, potentially leading to a decrease in the duration of hospitalization, antibiotic exposure, and resistance. However, it is important to acknowledge that the results of the current study are limited, and further research is warranted to validate these potential outcomes.

Outcomes of incomplete abortion related to treatment modality.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the differences in treatment outcomes between misoprostol and surgical evacuation for the management of incomplete abortion. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study compared patients with a clinical diagnosis of incomplete abortion who underwent surgical or pharmaceutical (misoprostol) intervention, 2014-2017. Demographics, sonographic results, treatment follow-up, and post-intervention data on retained products of conception were retrieved. Women with incomplete abortion who underwent surgical versus pharmaceutical intervention were compared. RESULTS: Among 589 spontaneous abortions, 198 were included in the study, of which 123 (62.1%) underwent surgical evacuation and 75 (37.9%) pharmaceutical intervention with misoprostol. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. During 130.8 ± 91.7 days of follow-up, no patient who underwent surgical evacuation had retained products of conception or needed surgical hysteroscopy. Four cases (5.3%) in the misoprostol group had retained products of conception and needed hysteroscopy (p = 0.02). Patients who underwent surgical evacuation had higher hemoglobin levels during follow-up (12.1 mg/dL vs. 11.7 mg/dL, p = 0.05). There were no differences in post-treatment pregnancy rates between groups. CONCLUSION: Long-term follow-up after incomplete abortion showed that hemodynamically stable patients treated with misoprostol achieved the desired results in 95% of cases without significant differences in pregnancy intervals compared to surgical management. Further prospective studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm the outcomes described in this study.

Oral ω-3 PUFA supplementation modulates inflammation in adipose tissue depots in morbidly obese women: A randomized trial.

OBJECTIVES: Obesity is characterized by local and systemic low-grade inflammatory responses. Adipose tissue macrophages (ATM) play decisive roles in inflammation, insulin signaling, and various metabolic dysfunctions. Diets enriched with ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to improve health and mitigate pathologic conditions. However, the effects of ω-3 PUFA on adipose tissue inflammation, ATM number, and phenotype are poorly defined in human obesity. The aim of this study was to examine differences in expression of metabolic-inflammatory markers in omental, mesenteric, and subcutaneous fat depots of obese women supplemented with ω-3 PUFAs for 4 wk compared with a low-calorie diet before bariatric surgery. METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial, inflammatory markers in the abdominal adipose tissue and the systemic response in obese women were studied. Patients were treated with a 2-wk low-calorie diet (LCD) or a 4-wk ω-3 PUFA-enriched diet (920 mg eicosapentaenoic acid, 760 mg docosahexaenoic acid daily) before laparoscopic bypass surgery. Omental, mesenteric, and subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies were collected during surgery and analyzed for quantity and phenotype of ATMs, and profiled for adipokines, cytokines, and signal transduction molecules. RESULTS: The chronic inflammatory state characterized by ATM markers was mostly improved by ω-3 PUFAs in visceral adipose tissue. We observed a decreased expression of CD45, CCL2, and CD68, indicating a lower inflammatory state. In patients with type 2 diabetes, ω-3 PUFAs lowered the expression of Netrin-1. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with an LCD, a diet enriched with ω-3 PUFAs influences the inflammatory state in different adipose tissue depots, by affecting markers of adipose tissue inflammation, macrophage phenotype, and retention. However, this was not reflected in clinical parameters such as insulin resistance and inflammatory cytokines. Subcutaneous adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue have different responses to an LCD or a ω-3 PUFA-enriched diet. The presence of diabetes modifies the expression of inflammatory markers.

Mapping Semaphorins and Netrins in the Pathogenesis of Human Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a complex life-threatening disease characterized by extensive extracellular matrix (ECM) fragmentation and persistent inflammation, culminating in a weakened aorta. Although evidence suggests defective canonical signaling pathways in TAA, the full spectrum of mechanisms contributing to TAA is poorly understood, therefore limiting the scope of drug-based treatment. Here, we used a sensitive RNA sequencing approach to profile the transcriptomic atlas of human TAA. Pathway analysis revealed upregulation of key matrix-degrading enzymes and inflammation coincident with the axonal guidance pathway. We uncovered their novel association with TAA and focused on the expression of Semaphorins and Netrins. Comprehensive analysis of this pathway showed that several members were differentially expressed in TAA compared to controls. Immunohistochemistry revealed that Semaphorin4D and its receptor PlexinB1, similar to Netrin-1 proteins were highly expressed in damaged areas of TAA tissues but faintly detected in the vessel wall of non-diseased sections. It should be considered that the current study is limited by its sample size and the use of internal thoracic artery as control for TAA for the sequencing dataset. Our data determines important neuronal regulators of vascular inflammatory events and suggest Netrins and Semaphorins as potential key contributors of ECM degradation in TAA.