Association between cytokine polymorphisms and recurrent pregnancy loss: A review of current evidence.

Cytokines are a type of protein that play an important role in the immune response and can also affect many physiological processes in the body. Cytokine polymorphisms refer to genetic variations or mutations that occur within the genes that code for cytokines, which may affect the level of cytokine production and function. Some cytokine polymorphisms have been associated with an increased risk of developing certain diseases, while others may be protective or have no significant effect on health. In recent years, the role of cytokine polymorphisms in the development of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) has been studied. RPL or miscarriage is defined as the occurrence of two or more consecutive pregnancy losses before the 20th week of gestation. There are diverse causes leading to RPL, including genetic, anatomical, hormonal, and immunological factors. With regard to cytokine polymorphisms, a few of them have been found to be associated with an increased risk of RPL, for instance, variations in the genes that code for interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-10. The exact mechanisms by which cytokine polymorphisms affect the risk of recurrent miscarriage are still being studied, and further research is essential to fully understand this complex condition. This brief review aims to summarize the recent literature on the association between cytokine polymorphisms and RPL.

The Effectiveness of Metabolic Bariatric Surgery in Preventing Gynecologic Cancer - from Pathophysiology to Clinical Outcomes.

Obesity and cancer represent two pandemics of current civilization, the progression of which has followed parallel trajectories. To time, thirteen types of malignancies have been recognized as obesity-related cancers, including breast (in postmenopausal women), endometrial, and ovarian cancer. Pathophysiologic mechanisms that connect the two entities include insulin resistance, adipokine imbalance, increased peripheral aromatization and estrogen levels, tissue hypoxia, and disrupted immunity in the cellular milieu. Beyond the connection of obesity to carcinogenesis at a molecular and cellular level, clinicians should always be cognizant of the fact that obesity might have secondary impacts on the diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic cancer, including limited access to effective screening programs, resistance to chemotherapy and targeted therapies, persisting lymphedema, etc. Metabolic bariatric surgery represents an attractive intervention not only for decreasing the risk of carcinogenesis in high-risk women living with obesity but most importantly as a measure to improve disease-specific and overall survival in patients with diagnosed obesity-related gynecologic malignancies. The present narrative review summarizes current evidence on the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms, the clinical data, and the potential applications of metabolic bariatric surgery in all types of gynecologic cancer, including breast, endometrial, ovarian, cervical, vulvar, and vaginal.

Eco-Friendly and COVID-19 Friendly? Decreasing the Carbon Footprint of the Operating Room in the COVID-19 Era.

Surgery is one of the most energy-intensive branches of healthcare. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced surgical volumes, infection control protocols have increased the ecological footprint of surgery owing to the extensive use of personal protective equipment, sanitation, testing and isolation resources. The burden of environmental diseases requiring surgical care, the international commitment towards environmental sustainability and the global efforts to return to the pre-pandemic surgical workflow call for action towards climate-friendly surgery. The authors have searched the peer-reviewed and gray literature for clinical studies, reports and guidelines related to the ecological footprint of surgical care and the available solutions and frameworks to reduce it. Numerous studies concede that surgery is associated with a high rate of energy utilization and waste generation that is comparable to major non-medical sources of pollution. Recommendations and research questions outlining environmentally sustainable models of surgical practices span from sanitation and air quality improvement systems to the allocation of non-recyclable consumables and energy-efficient surgical planning. The latter are particularly relevant to infection control protocols for COVID-19. Paving the way towards climate-friendly surgery is a worthy endeavor with a major potential to improve surgical practice and outcomes in the long term.

Inguinal Lymph Node Metastasis as Sole Manifestation of Ovarian / Fallopian Tube Cancer: a Review of the Literature.

Background: Ovarian/fallopian tube cancer is the deadliest gynecological malignancy. Most cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, typically after the cancer has spread to the peritoneal cavity, or via lymphatic drainage. The presence of distant lymph node metastasis in the inguinal region is a rare manifestation of lymphatic metastasis. Since the 2014 FIGO staging revision, ovarian cancer patients with inguinal metastasis are classified as stage IVB. However, the clinical significance of such an upstaging remains under investigation. Materials and Methods: Both Scopus and PubMed / MEDLINE databases were utilized, by inputting the following combination of keywords: (Ovarian cancer OR Fallopian tube cancer) AND (Inguinal lymph node AND Metastasis) on June 31st, 2023. The time of publication and text availability were not considered when searching the databases and all relevant articles in English were initially accepted. Results: Twelve patients from equal number of case reports were included in our review. Mean age of diagnosis was 56,5 years old, with 3 out of 12 women to be premenopausal at the time of diagnosis. Regarding the histologic type, 67% (8 out of 12) of the cases were serous adenocarcinoma and 4 patients (33%) were diagnosed with fallopian tube malignancy. All patients, except one, were treated with primary cytoreductive surgery. In all patients optimal cytoreductive surgery was achieved. All patients, except one, received adjuvant chemotherapy. Regarding the disease-free survival, mean DFS is calculated approximately at 2 years (23,1 months). Conclusion: Inguinal lymph node metastases from ovarian / fallopian tube malignancy as initial site of metastasis is extremely rare. However, patients with inguinal masses should be investigated for ovarian / fallopian malignancy. Further investigation ought to be conducted to enlighten the pathway and the oncological significance of inguinal lymph node metastasis in ovarian cancer patients.