Endometrial expression of beta-3 integrin, calcitonin and plexin-B1 in the window of implantation in women with unexplained infertility

Background: Endometrial receptivity plays a key role in the establishment of successful implantation and its impairment may contribute to subfertility and limit the assisted reproduction techniques [ART] success

Objective: The aim of present study was to investigate endometrial receptivity in terms of beta3 integrin, calcitonin and plexin-B1 expression in women with unexplained infertility

Materials and Methods: We evaluated expression of beta3 integrin, calcitonin and plexin-B1 through mRNA level measurement with real-time RT-PCR, in the endometrium of 16 infertile patients with unexplained infertility and 10 fertile women. Endometrial biopsies were collected during a single menstrual cycle on postovulatory day LH+7 in each subject

Results: Significant differences regarding beta3 integrin and calcitonin expression levels found between patients with unexplained infertility and the fertile women. Endometrial plexin-B1 expression levels showed no significant difference between fertile and infertile women. There were significant correlations between expression of beta3 integrin with calcitonin and plexin-B1 in fertile and infertile women

Conclusion: Reduced in endometrial expression of beta3 integrin and calcitonin alone or together may contribute to unexplained infertility and these genes could account as the potential molecular markers of infertility

Evaluation of thyroid dysfunction in pregnant women with gestational and pre-gestational diabetes

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate thyroid function tests in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus [GDM] and pre-gestational DM and control group

Methodology: There were 61 pregnant diabetic women in study group and 35 pregnant women in control group. Serum T4, T3, T3RU, FTI, TSH and Anti TPO Ab were assessed in each person

Results: About 36% of patients had GDM and 64% pre-gestational DM. Thyroid dysfunction was detected in 18% of study group compared with 8.6% of control group [P = 0.2]. There was Thyroid dysfunction in 4.5% of GDM and 25.6% of pregestational DM [P = 0.045]. There was no statistically significant difference between thyroid dysfunction in GDM group and control group [P=0.99].27% of GDM and 36% of pregestational DM and 23% of control group had positive titer of Anti TPO Ab without statistically significant differences among the three groups

Conclusion: Thyroid dysfunction is prevalent in women with pre-gestational DM so, thyroid function should be evaluated in these patients during pregnancy. Rate of thyroid dysfunction in GDM patients is similar to normal pregnant control women. High prevalence of positive titer of TPO Ab was seen in diabetic and nondiabetic pregnant women

Comparison of complications of chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis

Background: A significant number of pregnancies are associated with the cytogenetic abnormalities of the fetus. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling [CVS] are procedures used for prenatal genetic diagnosis. In this study, we compare the safety and complications of mid-trimester amniocentesis and transabdominal CVS

Materials and Methods: This analytic cross-sectional study was performed in 308 patients from 2.11.2007 to 26.10.2009. We had 155 cases of amniocentesis, which we performed in weeks 15-23 of pregnancy; and 153 cases of CVS, which we performed during weeks 10-14 of pregnancy

Results: There were 2 cases [1.2%] of premature rupture of membrane [PROM] in amniocentesis which occurred 1 and 10 days after the procedure and caused pregnancy loss before 20 weeks. We had 1 case [0.7%] of abortion in CVS, which occurred 10 days after the procedure. Additionally, there was 1 case of amniotic fluid leakage [0.7%] in which, after admission to the hospital and observation, leakage was stopped and the pregnancy continued normally

Conclusion: In this study, we had more complications with amniocentesis cases than CVS. CVS is a procedure performed in the earlier stages of pregnancy and its complications are less than amniocentesis. We suggest CVS to be the procedure of choice for genetic diagnosis

[Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome in Ahvaz]

In different studies, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome outbreak has been reported as high as 7-43% among the women with polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS]. This study was performed to determine the prevalence and predictors of the metabolic syndrome in PCOS women in Ahvaz. In an epidemiologic descriptive study, a total number of 53 women who attended the endocrinology clinic in Ahvaz from 2007 through 2008, and were diagnosed as PCOS, according to the Rotterdam criteria, were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was studied on the basis of the criteria explained by American National Cholesterol Panel [ATP-III criteria] Fifty three women with the mean age of 24 +/- 6.8 years were studied in this research. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in women of Ahvaz was estimated to be as 13.5%, and the prevalence for individual components comprising the metabolic syndrome were: fasting glucose blood concentrations greater than or equals to 110 mg/dl in 4 patient [7.7%], hypertension in 4 patients [7.7%], waist circumference greater than or equals to 88 cm in 14 patients [34.1%], HDL less than 40 mg/dl in 12 patients [24%], triglyceride greater than or equals to 150 mg/dl in 5 patients [9.4%], IFG in 17 patients [32.7%], diabetes in 3 patients [5.8%] and dislipidemia in 31 patients [60%]. The Metabolic Syndrome and its elements occur frequently in women with PCOS that places them at risk for cardiovascular diseases, therefore screening for these disturbances is recommended

comparison of spot urine protein-creatinine ratio with 24-hour urine protein excretion in women with preeclampsia

Proteinuria is an important diagnostic component of preeclampsia. We prospectively compared the results of spot urine protein-creatinine [P/C] ratio with 24-hour urine protein excretion in women with preeclampsia. A total of 81 pregnant women with preeclampsia were prospectively studied for proteinuria. Urine P/C ratio was determined in a spot mid-stream urine sample, and the amount of protein excretion was measured in 24-hour urine collected on the subsequent day. The correlation between the spot P/C ratio and 24-hour urine protein excretion was assessed. Diagnostic value of P/C ratio was expressed in terms of specificity and sensitivity. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the best discriminator values of the spot urine P/C ratios for preeclampsia [proteinuria >/= 300 mg/24 h]. There was a strong correlation between the spot P/C ratio and 24-hour urine protein excretion [r = 0.84; P < .001]. The optimal spot P/C ratio cutoff point was 0.20 for 300 mg/24 h of protein excretion [preeclampsia], with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 91.2%, 87.8%, 94.4%, and 96.8%, respectively. The spot P/C ratios less than 0.19 yielded a sensitivity of 100% for exclusion of preeclampsia. We found that there is a significant correlation between the spot urine P/C ratio and 24-hour urine protein excretion in women with preeclampsia. Urine P/C ratio could be used for exclusion of preeclampsia