Are micro-RNA 21 and 143 indicative as prognostic biomarkers in dedifferentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma?

AIM: Dedifferentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma (DEAC) is a rare, aggressive subtype, accounting for 2% of all endometrial cancers. Poor survival in DEAC prompts the need for effective treatment modalities through better prognostic classification. MicroRNAs (miRNA) have essential roles in tumor angiogenesis, which might enable their use as novel biomarkers. In this study, we aimed to reveal the relationship between the expression of miRNA-21 and miRNA-143, which are associated with angiogenesis, and the prognosis of DEAC. METHOD: The study included six cases diagnosed with DEAC. The expression levels of miRNA-21 and miRNA-143 were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. Microvascular density (MVD) was measured by CD34 staining. All data and effects on survival were compared for statistical significance. RESULTS: Six cases diagnosed with DEAC were included in the study. The percentage of undifferentiated components ranged from 50 to 90%. The second component of differentiated carcinoma was detected as endometrioid (3/5 grade I, 1/5 grade II, 1/5 grade III) in five cases and serous in one case. The mean MVD was 27 (range 17-44, SD 9.4). In three cases, miRNA-21 expression was down-regulated in neoplastic areas compared to non-neoplastic areas. On the contrary, it was found to be up-regulated in the remaining three cases. MiRNA-143 expression decreased in four cases and increased in two cases. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, we found a significant irregular expression of miRNA-21 in DEACs. As in other cancers, angiogenesis is significantly associated with survival in DEACs. This study provides initial data for revealing possible implications of miRNAs as prognostic indicators in DEAC.

Is vitamin D replacement effective in the treatment of postpartum urinary incontinence?

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The main objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training, and vitamin D replacement in the treatment of urinary incontinence in the postpartum period of pregnant women with vitamin D deficiency. METHODS: The study was planned as an ancillary study of a study on the determination of the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and urinary incontinence in third-trimester pregnant women. Total 61 women who defined urinary incontinence at postpartum 8th week were included in the study. The participants were divided into two groups: the vitamin D replacement group and the pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) group. Participants in both groups received appropriate treatment for 12 weeks. Initial evaluations of which Pelvic Organ Prolapse-Quantification stage, International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire on Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (ICIQ-FLUTS) query, and pelvic floor muscle strength were repeated after 12 weeks of treatment for each patient. RESULTS: In the vitamin D replacement group, there was a significant increase in Oxford scores measured after treatment compared with pre-treatment and a significant decrease in ICIQ-FLUTS scores. In the comparison of the groups, it was determined that the changes in the Oxford and ICIQ-FLUTS scores of the vitamin D group after treatment were significantly higher than those of the PFMT group. In this pilot study, it was determined that the effectiveness of vitamin D replacement in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction in pregnant women with hypovitaminosis D was significantly higher than PFMT. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D replacement may be useful in the treatment of urinary incontinence in pregnant women with hypovitaminosis D.

Asprosin: a novel peptide hormone related to insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Asprosin associated with insulin resistance is a newly discovered peptide hormone. The peptide promotes hepatic glucose production. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic disorder. Insulin resistance plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of the disease. The aim of this study was to discover the association between insulin resistance and asprosin in women with PCOS. We recruited 78 subjects with PCOS and 78 age-matched and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls into this cross-sectional study. Circulating asprosin levels were validated using ELISA method. We also determined metabolic and hormonal parameters of the involved subjects. We found that circulating asprosin levels were elevated in women with PCOS with respect to controls. Asprosin levels showed a positive correlation with insulin resistance, BMI, and free androgen index (FAI). Moreover, subjects with the highest tertile of asprosin levels represented increased odds of having PCOS as compared to those subjects with the lowest tertile asprosin levels. Increased asprosin levels resulted to high possibility of having PCOS risk associated with insulin resistance.

Comparison of the efficacy of 5% versus 8% acetic acid concentrations for detecting premalignant and malignant lesions in colposcopy.

Although preventable; cervical cancer remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in developing countries; thus, early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent its development into invasive cancer. Based on the screening results, diagnostic colposcopy was performed to evaluate women with abnormal Papinocalaou test results, high-risk human papillomavirus DNA positivity, or suspected cervical cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the optimal acetic acid concentration (5% or 8%) for detecting cervical precancerous/cancerous lesions during colposcopy evaluation. This study included 607 patients admitted to our obstetrics and gynecology clinic. The medical records of the patients were obtained from the colposcopy registry in the hospital information system and retrospectively analyzed. The cases were divided into 2 groups according to the acetic acid concentrations (5% and 8%) used during colposcopy and examined. The duration of acetic acid application was 2 to 4 minutes. The probability of developing ≥ CIN2 was low in patients with negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy smear results in both groups, but increased in the high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions/atypical squamous cells group with the 8% acetic acid concentration (P < .0001; P = .012). The probabilities of pathological detection of ≥ CIN2 in the 5% and 8% acetic acid groups were 17.3% and 46.6%, respectively (P < .0001). The enhancement of the efficiency of colposcopy should focus on improving the detectability of precancerous lesions. Given that this study compared the effectiveness of acetic acid concentration in colposcopy diagnostics, it can be considered a leading study in this field.

Effect of coexisting adenomyosis on patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma: Determination of intraoperative risk factors for tumor metastasis and estimation of prognosis.

Context: We sought to clarify the impact of adenomyosis on the clinical and pathological prognosis of endometrial cancer to aid the selection of appropriate surgical intervention based on the diagnosis of adenomyosis. Aims: Our study aimed to report the frequency of adenomyosis in patients with endometrioid cancer and correlate its incidence rate with the survival and prognostic factors. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 357 patients. Patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma were divided into two groups based on the presence of adenomyosis. The groups were compared in terms of tumor diameter, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), low-high risk pathologic status, stage of the disease, and survival outcome. Statistical Analysis Used: Continuous variables were analyzed using the Student's t or Mann-Whitney U-test. Survival data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier test. Results: The average age was similar between the two groups. In total, 47 (13.2%) of 357 patients had adenomyosis. A total of 43 (91.4%) cases with adenomyosis and 258 (83.2%) cases without adenomyosis had Stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma (n = 301, 84.3%). Moreover, 32 (68.1%) cases with adenomyosis and 187 (60.3%) cases without adenomyosis were in the low-risk group. There was no statistically significant correlation between the risk groups (P = 0.309) and overall survival between the two groups (P = 0.416). Conclusion: No correlation was seen between the characteristics of endometrioid type endometrial cancer and survival rates in patients with or without adenomyosis. The impact of adenomyosis as a factor in evaluating the perioperative prognosis and planning postoperative adjuvant therapy for endometrial cancer should be assessed by further studies.

Lower uterine segment involvement in lymphovascular space invasion and lymph node metastasis in endometrioid endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the correlation between lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) indicating lower uterine segment involvement (LUSI) in endometrioid endometrial cancer and lymph node metastasis based on the lymphatic drainage difference between the uterine corpus and the lower segment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients who underwent staging surgery for endometrioid endometrial cancer between January 2010 and January 2019 at our institution were reviewed. The clinicopathologic findings and LUSI status of the patients were compared with their LVSI and lymph node metastasis status. RESULTS: Of the 253 patients included in this study, 49 (19.4%) had LUSI. Among these patients, none of the 31 LVSI-negative patients had metastatic lymph node involvement. However, of the 18 LVSI-positive patients, half had metastatic lymph node involvement; this difference was significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The significant correlation between LVSI and lymph node metastasis in LUSI-positive cases indicates that pathologists should also focus on LVSI findings in the frozen examination required for the decision of staging surgery in patients with endometrioid endometrial cancer limited to the uterus. This is especially important in patients with a lower uterine segment involvement.

Omental Micrometastasis in Endometrial Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Although there are several reports on omentum metastasis, limited studies have evaluated omental micrometastases, particularly isolated microscopic metastases in endometrial cancer (EC). We performed this study to assess the frequency of omental micrometastasis in EC, especially when the omentum is the only site of extrauterine spread. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to assess cases of EC with an omental sample during primary surgical treatment for EC at the Gynecological Oncology Unit, Uludag University Hospital, Bursa, Turkey, between January 2005 and May 2018. RESULTS: In total, 435 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, which comprised a complete surgical staging. The prevalence of omental metastases was 5.3% (n = 23), regardless of the subtype or clinical stage. Omental micrometastasis was detected in four cases (17.4%). In half of these patients, the omentum was the only site of disease outside the uterus, with an estimated 0.46% of isolated omental involvement. The grade of the endometrioid tumor was found to be statistically correlated with omental metastases (p = 0.01). There was a significant correlation between omental metastasis and positive peritoneal cytology, as well as adnexal involvement (p = 0.001 and p = 0.03, respectively). CONCLUSION: We recommend omentectomy routinely in serous EC. In addition, we suggest selective omentectomy in patients with EC who have concomitant adnexal involvement or grade 3 tumors.