Antioxidant Defenses, Oxidative Stress Responses, and Apoptosis Modulation in Spontaneous Abortion: An Immunohistochemistry Analysis of First-Trimester Chorionic Villi.

Oxidative stress (OS) and apoptosis are critical factors in placental development and function. Their interplay influences trophoblast proliferation, differentiation, and invasion, as well as vascular development. An imbalance between these processes can lead to pregnancy-related disorders such as preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and even spontaneous abortion. Our study seeks to elucidate the associations between preventive antioxidant/protective OS response factors-glutathione (GSH), MutT Homolog 1 (MTH1), and apoptotic regulation modulators-tumor protein p53 and B-cell lymphoma (Bcl-2) transcripts, in the context of spontaneous abortion (30 samples) versus elective termination of pregnancy (20 samples), using immunohistochemistry (IHC) to determine their proteomic expression in chorionic villi within abortive fetal placenta tissue samples. Herein, comparative statistical analyses revealed that both OS response factors, GSH and MTH1, were significantly under-expressed in spontaneous abortion cases as compared to elective. Conversely, for apoptotic regulators, p53 expression was significantly higher in spontaneous abortion cases, whereas Bcl-2 expression was significantly lower in spontaneous abortion cases. These findings suggest that a strong pro-apoptotic signal is prevalent within spontaneous abortion samples, alongside reduced anti-apoptotic protection, depleted antioxidant defenses and compromised oxidative DNA damage prevention/repair, as compared to elective abortion controls. Herein, our hypothesis that OS and apoptosis are closely linked processes contributing to placental dysfunction and spontaneous abortion was thus seemingly corroborated. Our results further highlight the importance of maintaining redox homeostasis and apoptotic regulation for a successful pregnancy. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this interplay is essential for developing potential therapies to manage OS, promote placentation, and avoid unwanted apoptosis, ultimately improving pregnancy outcomes. Antioxidant supplementation, modulation of p53 activity, and the enhancement of DNA repair mechanisms may represent potential approaches to mitigate OS and apoptosis in the placenta. Further research is needed to explore these strategies and their efficacy in preventing spontaneous abortion.

Development of a Framework for On-Demand Caesarean Section in Romania.

BACKGROUND: Caesarean section rates have continued to trend upward in most countries, including Romania, creating a number of economic challenges. In the public health system, there is no regulation for performing Caesarean sections on demand; it is often done unlawfully, and in private hospitals, it is a real business. Thus, this study aims to investigate the budgetary impact at a hospital level and the profit per procedure by introducing on-demand caesarean sections for a fee. METHODS: This study was conducted in one of the largest maternity units in Western Romania-the "Bega" Maternity Clinic of the Timisoara County Emergency Hospital. For the analysis, the difference between a proposed occupancy rate (between 50 and 85%, increasing every 5 percent) and the actual occupancy rate was calculated. Considering that this difference can be used to admit patients to receive Caesarean sections on demand for a fee, the profit that could be obtained during the study period was calculated. RESULTS: It is reported that between 238 (proposed occupancy rate of 50%) and 4683 patients (a proposed occupancy rate of 85%) could have benefited from on-demand caesarean section surgery in 2017-2019. Between RON 419,999 and RON 8,551,636 could be obtained in the 3 years of study by implementing caesarean section against payment. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a system of on-demand payment for caesarean sections in Romania would bring significant profits to the hospital budget.

Pheochromocytoma as a rare hypertensive complication rarely associated with pregnancy: Diagnostic difficulties (Review).

This review provides a brief clinically relevant review of pheochromocytoma in pregnancy, to raise awareness among doctors in obstetrics and the aim is to serve as the first point of reference when confronted by their presence. Pheochromocytomas are neuroendocrine, catecholamine-secreting tumours. Despite having the highest incidence rate among other hormone-secreting adrenal tumours, they remain rare especially when associated with pregnancy. The non-specific presentation of pheochromocytomas, the difficulties in their diagnosis during pregnancy as well as the high maternal and fetal mortality rates associated with them, present a challenge. Clinical suspicion and meticulous patient history-taking remain the primary lines of defense, while biochemical proof of catecholamine excess (or their metabolites) and imaging-based localisation of the tumour are required for diagnosis. Antenatal diagnosis and complete localisation of the tumour increase the likelihood of successful outcomes for both mother and newborn. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the method of choice during pregnancy without excluding the use of ultrasound. Treatment goals should include the avoidance of hypertensive crises while maintaining adequate uteroplacental circulation. The target blood pressure is not strictly defined but is in line with the general guideline addressing chronic hypertension during pregnancy. Antihypertensive medications remain the cornerstone in managing pheochromocytoma. As a first-line, the α-adrenergic, nonselective antagonist phenoxybenzamine is the most frequently used agent, while α1-selective adrenergic antagonists with or without the addition of ß- or ß1-blockers are also prescribed in certain cases, rendering calcium channel blockers as 'second-choice'. Blood-pressure control of the mother and the well-being of the fetus are determining factors in deciding the time of delivery, which is preferably conducted by Caesarean section. Excision of the tumour(s) remains the final treatment goal. Lifelong biochemical testing is required with or without medical treatment, to address mineralocorticoid or glucocorticoid deficits. Despite ever-improving positive outcome rates, pheochromocytoma associated with pregnancy remains a pathology with high mortality and morbidity rates.

Analysis of the Impact of Comorbidities on Endometrial Lesions Using the Charlson Comorbidity Index in Western Romania.

Background and Objectives: This retrospective study aimed to identify the main comorbidities found in gynecological patients hospitalized for endometrial lesions and to analyze the relationships between these comorbidities and each type of endometrial lesion. The Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) was calculated, thus assessing the patient's probability of survival in relation to the underlying disease and the existing comorbidities. Materials and Methods: During 2015-2019, 594 cases hospitalized for vaginal bleeding outside of pregnancy were included in the research. For all cases, the frequency of comorbidities was calculated, applying the Cox proportional hazard model, considering the hospitalizations (from the following year after the first outpatient or hospital assessment) as a dependent variable; age and comorbidities were considered as independent variables. Results: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for mean age of patients enrolled after diagnosis and multiple comparisons (via the Tukey post-hoc test) indicate significant differences (p < 0.05) between the average age for endometrial cancer (EC) and that for the typical endometrial hyperplasia or other diagnoses. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (62.28%), obesity (35.01%), and diabetes (22.89%), followed by cardiovascular disease. An intensely negative correlation (r = -0.715281634) was obtained between the percentage values of comorbidities present in EC and other endometrial lesions. The lowest chances of survival were calculated for 88 (14.81% of the total) patients over 50 years (the probability of survival in the next 10 years being between 0 and 21%). The chances of survival at 10 years are moderately negatively correlated with age (sample size = 594, r = -0.6706, p < 0.0001, 95% confidence interval (CI) for r having values from -0.7126 to -0.6238) and strongly negatively correlated with the CCI (r = -0.9359, p < 0.0001, 95% CI for r being in the range -0.9452 to -0.9251). Conclusions: Using CCI in endometrial lesions is necessary to compare the estimated risk of EC mortality with other medical conditions.

The Correlation of the IETA Ultrasound Score with the Histopathology Results for Women with Abnormal Bleeding in Western Romania.

In the early differential diagnosis of endometrial cancer (EC), decisive and mandatory histological aspects are considered, in addition to obvious clinical manifestations. In addition, sonographic aspects are characteristic in relation to the stage, degree, and histological types of identified cancer. This bi-center retrospective observational study included 594 women with abnormal uterine bleeding outside pregnancy, for which a biopsy was performed in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Departments of the Emergency County Hospitals of Arad and Timis Counties, Romania, between 2015 and 2019. Most of the cases were represented by EC or endometrial hyperplasia (EH). Of the 594 cases, 25.5% (n = 153) were EC at women aged between 41 and 85 years. High International Endometrial Tumor Analysis (IETA) scores (3, 4) were associated with a relative risk of 2.9335 compared with other endometrial lesions (95% CI 2.3046 to 3.734, p < 0.0001, NNT 1.805). Histological aspects and pelvic ultrasound using IETA scores represent valuable noninvasive assets in diagnosing and differentiating endometrial cancer from benign uterine pathology.

Insights on Hysteroscopic Procedures and Their Place in Romanian Gynecologic Practice-The Experience of Two Medical Units.

Hysteroscopy has known an increasing use in Romania over the last decade, succeeding to mark an impact on lowering the costs of medical services. The strategy of this study was to present the experience of two Romanian medical units with different experiences using inpatient regimen hysteroscopy, and to further compare it with current worldwide tendencies. Strong points in our practice were sought, as well as components that require improvement. Overall, abnormal uterine bleeding stands for most hospital case presentations in our study group; hysteroscopy had the highest accuracy and positive predictive value in identifying uterine myomas: 91.03% and 100%, respectively; for endometrial polyps, statistical analysis showed the highest sensitivity: 100%, with 83.89% specificity and a 77.64% positive predictive value. The applicability of hysteroscopy was further described for infertility cases and isthmocele repair.

The Situation of Cervical Cancers in the Context of Female Genital Cancer Clustering and Burden of Disease in Arad County, Romania.

Romania has the highest incidence of cervical cancer morbidity and mortality in Europe. This study identifies the major clusters for genital cancers, observes the features of genital and cervical cancer, and determines the extent to which cancer is a contributor to total Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY). Spatial analysis used Besag and Newell's method for genital cancer distribution, prevalence considered Arad County patients records (2008⁻2017), and DALY was determined according to WHO methodology and GLOBOCAN 2013 data. Diagnosis was established by histopathological examination of diagnostic biopsies or tissues obtained by surgical procedures, followed by clinical staging. 1695 women were recorded with genital cancer. Of these, 14.9% of lesions were in situ (n = 252) and 74.20% of cases were recorded in stage III or IV (n = 1258) (p < 0.0001). Over 90% of cervical cancers were squamous cell carcinomas (n = 728), 33.76% of endometrial cancers were adenocarcinomas in situ (n = 131), 32.42% of ovarian cancers were serous adenocarcinomas (n = 131), and 70.58% of vulvar cancers were squamous cell carcinomas (n = 48) (p < 0.0001). DALY/1000 was 67.2 for genital cancers and 33 for cervical cancers. From the point of view of Romanian women, cervical cancer remains one of the major problems that need to be dealt with and access to optimal treatment proves to be extremely limited.

A rare case of synchronous ovarian tumors: clinical case report and literature review.

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma makes up 90-95% of all ovarian malignancies, taking into account also low-malignant-potential tumors. The Krukenberg tumor is a rare metastatic adenocarcinoma (ADK) in the ovary, representing 1-2% of ovarian tumors. Multiple primary malignant neoplasms may exist when more than one cancerous tumor is diagnosed in the same or a different organ. The incidence of multiple primary cancers among malignancies is between 2.4% to 8%. The aim of this paper is to report the case of a 47-year-old patient with two synchronous malignant tumors involving both ovaries, one diagnosed as primary papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma and the other one diagnosed as ovarian metastasis (Krukenberg tumor) of a synchronous colorectal ADK, and the complex diagnostic and therapeutic challenges that such a rare case poses. Histopathological (HP) examination and especially the immunohistochemical analysis had a determining role in differentiating between an ovarian primary tumor and a metastasis from a gastrointestinal tract cancer. The tumors examination for somatic mutations of Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) and neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene homolog (NRAS) genes was performed in order to individualize the chemotherapic treatment in this difficult case. The conclusion of this case is that, although synchronous multiple primary cancers in a young patient are a rare condition, this situation should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis when we encounter clinical and HP diagnostic challenges.

Improvements in Cesarean Section Techniques: Arad's Obstetrics Department Experience on Adapting the Vejnovic Cesarean Section Technique.

OBJECTIVES: Cesarean section has become recently the first choice for delivery in many clinics in Romania and worldwide. The purpose of our study is to assess the benefits of introducing the adapted Vejnovic uterine suture technique into daily practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1703 out of the 1776 cesarean section performed in the period January, 2012 - March, 2013 in the Obstetric Department of the Emergency Clinical County Hospital of Arad were retrospectively analyzed based on the cesarean section registries, birth registries and patient's personal medical records. We compared results between the group of patients undergoing adapted Vejnovic cesarean section technique and the group of patients operated in a classic manner. OUTCOMES: The cesarean section rate in the studied period was 56.48%. Adapted Vejnovic cesarean section technique was performed in 548 cases (30.86% of the cases), furthermore in the last 3 months studied it reached 57.27%. Mean APGAR score was better in the adapted Vejnovic cesarean section group (8.43) compared with the reference group (8.34). No significant differences were seen between the two groups regarding maternal age, gestation, weeks of gestation, newborn weight, anesthesia and indications for cesarean section. Exteriorizing the uterus helped the incidental diagnosis of 35 uterine myoma, 22 adnexal masses and 13 uterine malformations. CONCLUSION: In a society with a constant growth of cesarean rate, the adapted Vejnovic cesarean section technique is becoming popular amongst clinicians for its advantages, but further studies need to be developed for its standardization.

Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in the "dr. Salvator vuia" clinical obstetrics and gynecology hospital - arad during the 2000-2009 period.

OBJECTIVES: This study intends to analyze some statistical data concerning Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia diagnosed in our hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our study concerning the incidence of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) covers the 2000-2009 time-span, the data being collected from the Histopathology Exams (HPE) registers. RESULTS: During this period, CIN lesions were discovered in 1256 cases and Cervical Intraglandular Dysplasia (CIGD) in 53 cases. CIN I, CIN II and CIN III lesions represented 65.92%(828 cases), 19.67% (247 cases), and 14.41% (181 cases) of the total CIN cases, respectively. There were 26 cases combined with cervical carcinoma (2.07% of all CIN cases, 3.56% of the 731 cervical cancer cases). The mean patients' age was 44.65± 9.83 years for all cervical dysplasia cases, 44.58± 9.75 years for all CIN cases, 43.81±9.22, 46.50±10.17, and 45.46±11.05 years for CIN I, CIN II, and CIN III, respectively, and 46.45 ± 11.63 years for CIGD. The t-test revealed the following significant differences: all cases versus CIN I (p<0.05) and CIN II (p<0.01), CIGD versus CIN I (p<0.05), all cases versus CIN II (p<0.01), CIN I versus CIN II (p<0.0001) and versus CIN III (p<0.05). The mean age of the 731 cervical cancer cases diagnosed in our hospital during that same period was 52.94±12.96 years,and it was statistically significantly different from the mean ages of patients with CIN I, II and III (p <0.00000001) and with CIGD (p<0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: Early detection of CIN is of utmost importance for preventing cervical cancer, a serious and frequent health problem in Romania.

Gynecological Cancer Age Groups at the "Dr. Salvator Vuia" Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital during the 2000-2009 Period.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to statistically compare the mean ages of the patients with gynecologic cancer in our hospital during the 2000-2009 interval. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data was collected from the Histopathology Exams (HPE) registers. RESULTS: Gynecologic cancer was discovered in 1244 cases: 731 cervical cancers, 392 uterine cancers, 82 ovarian cancers, 31 vulvar cancers and eight vaginal cancers.The mean ages were 52.94±12.96 years for cervical cancer (age range 22-87 years), 61.71±9.06 years for uterine cancer (age range 38-85 years), 51.46±14.28 years for ovarian cancer (age range 18-77 years), and 65.90±9.65 years for vulvar cancer (age range 39-81 years).After performing Student's test, the statistically significant differences were: cervical vs uterine (p<0.000001), cervical vs vulvar (<0.000001), uterine vs ovarian (<0.000001), uterine vs vulvar (<0.05), and ovarian vs vulvar (p=0.000001). Cervical and ovarian cancer mean ages were not significantly different (p=0.33). CONCLUSIONS: The mean ages of the patients from the groups with five gynecological cancer types from our study are similar to those in literature. Existing screening measures must be applied and new ones must be implemented in order to reduce the burden of gynaecological cancers.