Relation of metabolic syndrome with endometrial pathologies in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding.

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the association of metabolic syndrome and metabolic risk factors with endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma among women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). METHODS: This study included 199 patients who had undergone endometrial curettage due to abnormal uterine bleeding. We divided the patients into two groups according to whether they had an abnormal (n = 53) or normal endometrium (n = 146). Waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose and serum lipid levels were measured and statistically analyzed. The women in each group were matched with regard to mean age, gravidity, parity and menopausal status. RESULTS: We found increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, general and abdominal obesity, hypertension, elevated levels of glucose, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol and reduced levels of HDL-cholesterol among women with endometrial carcinoma and hyperplasia. These results were detected particularly in postmenopausal (>50 years) women compared to pre-menopausal cases (<50 years). All metabolic parameters were similar between hyperplasia and cancer groups. CONCLUSION: Metabolic syndrome and its components have been shown to have profound impacts on initiation and progession of endometrial pathology, particularly during post-menopausal period.

Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor gene polymorphisms in women with endometriosis.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor poymorphisms Asn680Ser and Thr307Ala on endometriosis in Turkish women. METHODS: Polymorphic analysis of the FSH receptor gene was performed in 100 patients with endometriosis and 100 controls. Genomic DNA was obtained from peripheral blood leukocytes and polymorphisms were investigated using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in genotype frequencies of FSH receptor gene between endometriosis patients and controls. When the patients were divided into two groups according to disease severity, we found that the patients with the SS (680 Ser/Ser) or AA (307 Ala/Ala) genotype were less likely to develop stage 3-4 endometriosis compared to the stage 1-2 endometriosis group (P = 0.004; OR: 0.177, 95% CI 0.055-0.568 and P = 0.040; OR: 0.240, 95% CI 0.061-0.938; respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The distributions of FSHR polymorphisms may not have an effect on endometriosis development but they are associated with the severity of the disease. The polymorphisms encoding SS at the position 680 and AA at the position 307 and the patients with the genotype that included alanine or serine were less likely to develop stage 3-4 endometriosis compared to the stage 1-2 endometriosis group.

P-wave parameters and cardiac repolarization indices: does menopausal status matter?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Data regarding electrocardiographic characteristics of postmenopausal women are lacking. In this prospective, cross-sectional study, electrocardiographic P-wave parameters and cardiac repolarization indices of age-matched pre- and postmenopausal healthy women were compared. We hypothesized that menopausal status would have a significant effect on cardiac electrical activity and hence electrocardiography (ECG) recordings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve-lead ECG recordings were obtained from 125 consecutively recruited postmenopausal healthy women aged between 44 and 54 years. The control group consisted of 125 age-matched premenopausal women. P-wave parameters and cardiac repolarization indices were measured and compared with respect to menopausal status. RESULTS: Demographic features of premenopausal and postmenopausal women were comparable. There were no significant differences between two groups regarding mean values of heart rate, maximum and minimum P-wave duration, P-wave dispersion, maximum and minimum QT interval, and QT dispersion. Mean values of QT interval obtained from lead V5 were also similar. Corrected values which were calculated according to Bazett and Fridericia formulas also did not differ between the groups. Mean values of Tpeak to Tend (TpTe) (p<0.001) and corrected TpTe (p=0.001) intervals obtained from lead V5 were significantly shorter in postmenopausal women when compared to those without menopause. CONCLUSION: Tpeak to Tend interval decreased significantly while QT intervals and P-wave parameters did not change in postmenopausal women when compared to premenopausal women. Association of these findings with changes in levels of sex steroids and their prognostic implications need to be elucidated with further studies.