Etiology and perinatal outcomes between early and late-onset nonimmune hydrops fetalis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the etiology and perinatal outcomes of non-immune hydrops fetalis diagnosed early- and late-onset at our hospital. METHODS: The records of the patients who applied to our department were reviewed, and we reached 42 non-immune hydrops fetalis cases retrospectively and examined the medical records. Hydrops diagnosis week, birth week, accompanying anomalies, and perinatal outcomes were compared as ≤12 weeks (early-onset) and >12 weeks (late-onset). RESULTS: The prevalence of non-immune hydrops fetalis was 0.05%, and the median week of diagnosis for hydrops was 18 weeks. Consanguinity (16.7%) was found in seven pregnancies, and the other seven patients (16.7%) had a history of hydrops in previous pregnancies. Anomalies of the skeletal system, central nervous system, and gastrointestinal tract accounted for 66.7% of ≤12 weeks in non-immune hydrops fetalis cases. Cardiac abnormalities were more common (26.7%) in patients at > 12 weeks (p=0.078). A statistically significant difference was found between the distribution of week of birth and week of diagnosis (p=0.029). Notably, 66.7% of patients diagnosed before week 12 and 23.3% of patients diagnosed after week 12 delivered their babies before week 24. Spontaneous intrauterine death occurred before week 12 in 45.5% (n=5) of non-immune hydrops fetalis and after week 12 in 39.1% (n=9) of non-immune hydrops fetalis. Notably, 69.2% (n=9) of the patients who had prenatal invasive testing resulted in normal karyotype. CONCLUSION: In this study, most of the fetuses diagnosed with early-onset non-immune hydrops fetalis were born in the first 24 weeks. Additionally, live birth rates and cardiac anomalies were observed to be higher in late-onset non-immune hydrops fetalis.

The association of umbilical cord blood oxidative stress with maternal iron deficiency anemia: A tertiary center experience.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the levels of oxidative stress markers in the umbilical cord blood between pregnant women diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and low-risk controls. METHODS: The sample consisted of 131 patients, including 55 pregnant women with IDA and 76 controls with similar demographic characteristics. Participants were selected from patients delivered at ≥37 weeks. We compared the two groups in terms of the native thiol, total thiol, disulfide, and ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels measured in pregnant women's umbilical cord venous blood. RESULTS: The native thiol and total thiol values were statistically significantly lower in the anemia group, and the disulfide and IMA values were statistically significantly higher in the IDA group (P < 0.001). Perinatal outcomes were similar between the groups. CONCLUSION: In the present study, pregnant women with IDA had lower native and total thiol values and higher disulfide and IMA values in umbilical cord blood. Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy may be a potential cause of increased oxidative stress.

The Association of Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII), Systemic Immune-Response Index (SIRI), and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) with Cesarean Scar Pregnancy (CSP).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of the Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII), Systemic Immune-Response Index (SIRI), and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) with Cesarean Scar Pregnancy (CSP) METHODS: This prospective case-control study was conducted in Ankara City Hospital perinatology clinic between 2022 and 2023. The diagnosis of CSP was made by transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound. NLR, SII, and SIRI values were compared between those diagnosed with CSP (n=23) and healthy pregnancies (n=126) at the time of first admission. RESULTS: The study group had significantly higher NLR, SII, and SIRI values compared to the controls. Optimal cut-off values were 3.79 (69 % sensitivity, 78.2 % specificity), 1180.6 (76.7 % sensitivity, 72.7 % specificity), and, 1.9 (83.3 % sensitivity, 72.7 % specificity) for NLR, SII, and SIRI, respectively. When NLR, SII and SIRI values were compared between CSP cases and pregnant women who had previous history of cesarean section but did not have CSP, significantly higher SII values were observed in the CSP group. The optimal cut-off value of SII was found to be 804.4 in predicting CSP among cases with previous history of cesarean delivery (73.9 % sensitivity, 66.2 % specificity). CONCLUSION: SII, SIRI, and NLR may be useful in predicting cesarean scar pregnancy in pregnant women.

The role of aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) in the first trimester for the prediction of superimposed preeclampsia: A case-control study from a tertiary center.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the role of aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) in the prediction of superimposed preeclampsia in chronic hypertensive pregnancy group in the first trimester. METHODS: The present retrospective case-control study was conducted on 258 pregnant women, including 75 patients in the isolated chronic hypertension group, 92 in the superimposed preeclampsia group, and 91 low-risk pregnant women in the control group. APRI1 was calculated from routine blood test results in the first antenatal visit, and APRI2 was calculated from prelabor routine blood test results. APRI indices and other blood count parameters were evaluated and compared between groups and with the literature. RESULTS: APRI1 was lower in the superimposed preeclampsia group than in the control and chronic hypertension groups, with p-values < 0.001. In the first trimester, platelet counts were higher in the superimposed preeclampsia group than in the hypertension and control groups. APRI2 was increased in the superimposed preeclampsia group compared to the control and chronic hypertension groups, with p-values 0.001 and 0.002, respectively. The optimal cut-off value for APRI1 was 0.036 (sensitivity 65.2 %, specificity 83.7 %), and for APRI2, it was found to be 0.057 (sensitivity 67.4 %, specificity 52.0 %) to predict superimposed preeclampsia. DISCUSSION: To the best of our knowledge, this was the first study evaluating APRI in predicting superimposed preeclampsia in the first trimester. Increased platelet counts and lower APRI were found to be valuable indices for predicting superimposed preeclampsia. Further studies are needed to determine the utility of APRI in clinical practice.

Assessment of the fetal thymic-thoracic ratio in pregnant women with intrahepatic cholestasis: a prospective case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the fetal thymic-thoracic ratio (TTR) in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). METHODS: This prospective case-control study was conducted in a single tertiary center. The sample consisted of 86 pregnant women at 28-37 weeks of gestation, including 43 women with ICP and 43 healthy controls. TTR was calculated for each patient using the anterior-posterior measurements of the thymus and intrathoracic mediastinal measurements. RESULTS: The median TTR value was found to be smaller in the ICP group compared to the control group (0.32 vs. 0.36, p<0.001). The ICP group had a greater rate of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (p<0.001). Univariate regression analysis revealed that lower TTR values increased the possibility of NICU admission six times (95 % confidence interval: 0.26-0.39, p=0.01). A statistically significant negative correlation was detected between TTR and the NICU requirement (r: -0.435, p=0.004). As a result of the receiver operating characteristic analysis, in predicting NICU admission, the optimal cut-off value of TTR was determined to be 0.31 with 78 % sensitivity and 67 % specificity (area under the curve=0.819; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We determined that the fetal TTR may be affected by the inflammatory process caused by the maternal-fetal immune system and increased serum bile acid levels in fetal organs in the presence of ICP. We consider that TTR can be used to predict adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with ICP.

Utility of the cerebro-placental-uterine ratio in predicting composite adverse perinatal outcomes in pregestational diabetes: A prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: To examine the cerebro-placental-uterine ratio (CPUR) in pregnant women with pregestational diabetes and determine its role in predicting adverse prenatal outcomes. METHODS: This prospective, cohort study conducted at a tertiary hospital included 65 patients with pregestational diabetes (25 with type1 diabetes, 40 with type2 diabetes) and 130 low-risk patients in the control group. The cerebroplacental (CPR) ratio and the CPUR were calculated. Composite adverse perinatal outcome (CAPO) is defined as the presence of any of the following: (1) Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, (2) Apgar at 5 min <7, and (3) umbilical cord arterial pH <7.10. The relationship of CPR and CPUR with CAPO was investigated. RESULTS: CPR and CPUR were significantly lower in the pregestational diabetes group than in the control group. The NICU admission was higher in the case group. In receiver operating characteristic analyses, the optimal cut-off value of CPUR was 1.46 (AUC = 0.72, p = 0.003, 80% sensitivity, and 69% specificity) to predict CAPO and the optimal cut-off value of CPUR was 1.50 for NICU admission (AUC = 0.70, p = 0.013, 77% sensitivity, and 66% specificity). CONCLUSION: Low CPUR values were found to be associated with adverse perinatal outcomes in women with pregestational diabetes. With the increasing number of studies, CPUR is expected to be utilized more widely in routine obstetric practice.

Fetal cardiac functional changes in pregnancies with Behcet's disease: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Behcet's disease usually progresses with remission during pregnancy, but early subtle changes might be detected in the heart of these fetuses due to inflammation. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the cardiac functions in fetuses of pregnant women with Behcet's disease (BD). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective case-control study. SUBJECTS: This prospective study enrolled pregnant women diagnosed with Behcet's disease before pregnancy. Twenty-four pregnancies with Behcet's disease and 48 healthy pregnancies were included at 32-34 gestational weeks. OUTCOME MEASURES: Pulsed-wave Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) were used to assess cardiac functions. RESULTS: Right ventricle (RV) E (early) wave and left ventricle (LV) E were significantly increased in pregnancies with BD (p = .008, p = .041, respectively). Decreased right ventricle E' (peak systolic velocity) was detected with TDI in the case group (6.2 ± 0.5, p < .001). E/E' ratios for RV and LV were significantly increased in the case group (p < .001, p = .001, respectively). The correlation between the duration of the disease and fetal cardiac functions was also evaluated. For RV, E (r = 0.735, p < .001), E' (r = -0.735, p < .001), E/E' (r = 0.894, p < .001), were strongly correlated with the disease duration. The study also showed the correlation between disease duration and LV E' (r = -0.735, p = .005), LV E (r = 0.750, p < .001), and LV E/E' (r = 0.820, p < .001). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to evaluate the fetal cardiac functions in fetuses of pregnancies with BD. Although BD usually progresses with remission during pregnancy, early subclinical diastolic changes might occur in the heart of these fetuses due to inflammation.

Prenatal diagnosis and outcomes for fetuses with suspected pelvic kidney.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of demographic characteristics and postnatal outcomes of patients with suspected fetal pelvic kidney diagnosis followed in a tertiary center. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in Ankara Bilkent City Hospital perinatology clinic between 2020-2023. Demographic features, prenatal ultrasound findings, and postnatal outcomes were reported. RESULTS: Pelvic kidney localization was on the left in 11(55 %) patients, on the right in 7(35 %), and bilateral in 2(10 %) patients in prenatal ultrasonography. The gender of the 12(60 %) fetuses were male and 8(40 %) of them were female. The pelvic kidney was an isolated finding in 8(40 %) fetuses, additional findings were present in the remaining 12(60 %) fetuses. Pelvic kidney was confirmed postnatally by ultrasound in all 18 fetuses. However two cases with prenatal ultrasound findings resulted in intrauterine fetal demise and the final diagnosis could not be confirmed as the parents refused autopsia. Cases were divided into 3 groups according to postnatal follow-up duration as 0-12 months (n = 7), 12-24 months (n = 7) and 24-44 months (n = 4). Atrial septal defect was the most common accompanying abnormality in the postnatal period (n = 4). Smaller kidney size (n = 7), vesicoureteral reflux (n = 3), and impaired renal function (n = 3) were the most common postnatal complications. CONCLUSION: Pelvic kidney can be diagnosed in fetal abnormality screening ultrasound and postnatal follow-up should be performed closely for the assessment of renal functions.

Can System Inflammation Response Index or Systemic Immune Inflammation Index predict gestational diabetes mellitus in the first trimester? A prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate System Inflammation Response Index (SIRI) and Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII), which are the inflammatory indices, for the prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the first trimester. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study conducted in a tertiary center from April 2023 to September 2023. Ninety-four pregnant women with gestational diabetes and 107 healthy pregnant women were included. The two groups were compared according to first-trimester SIRI and SII values. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cut-off levels of SII and SIRI in predicting GDM. RESULTS: Significantly higher first-trimester SII and SIRI values were present in the gestational diabetes group (P < 0.001). Optimal cut-off values in the prediction of gestational diabetes were found to be 1.58 (area under the curve [AUC] 0.71, 67% sensitivity, 65% specificity, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64-0.78, P < 0.001) and 875 (AUC 0.70, 66% sensitivity, 65% specificity, 95% CI 0.63-0.77, P < 0.001) for SIRI and SII, respectively. Neutrophil counts, mean platelet volume (MPW), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and red cell distribution width (RDW) were significantly higher in the GDM group (P < 0.001, P = 0.02, P = 0.01, P < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Novel inflammatory indices SII and SIRI may be useful in the prediction of GDM in the first trimester, but their utility in the prediction of insulin requirement is questionable. They may be used as additional tools in routine clinical practice.

Systemic Inflammation Response Index and Systemic Immune-inflammation Index for Prediction of Pregnancy Loss: a Case-control Study.

The systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) and systemic immune inflammation index (SII) have recently been investigated as new prognostic markers for obstetric morbidities. However, there are few studies on their predictive role in patients with pregnancy loss. Predicting miscarriages may be useful to support and prevent selected cases.The aim of this study was to investigate the role of SIRI and SII in the prediction of pregnancy loss. A total of 800 patients were included in the retrospective case-control study at a tertiary hospital.Group 1 consisted of 200 patients who had a pregnancy loss for the first time; group 2 consisted of 200 patients with recurrent pregnancy loss; the control group consisted of 400 patients who had a healthy pregnancy. The groups were compared in terms of maternal characteristics, SIRI and SII. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine optimal cut-off values for SIRI and SII in predicting pregnancy loss. SIRI and SII were higher in the group with recurrent pregnancy loss than in the control group (p < 0.001).SIRI was higher in the first pregnancy loss group than in the control group (p < 0.001).To predict recurrent pregnancy loss, optimal cut-off values were 1.57 (80% sensitivity, 70% specificity) and 924.12 (74% sensitivity, 57% specificity) for SIRI and SII, respectively. For first pregnancy loss prediction, the optimal cut-off value was 1.38 for SIRI, with 75% sensitivity and 60% specificity. SIRI and SII may be used as inflammatory markers to predict recurrent pregnancy loss. High SIRI values can also help to predict first pregnancy loss.

The utility of combined utero-cervical index in predicting preterm delivery in pregnant women with preterm uterine contractions.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the utility of a novel ultrasound index "combined utero-cervical index (CUCI)" in the prediction of preterm delivery. METHODS: The present prospective cohort study was conducted in Ankara Bilkent City Hospital Perinatology Clinic between January 1, 2023, and March 31, 2023. Pregnant women with uterine contractions between 24 and 36th gestational weeks but did not have dilatation or effacement were included. CUCI was calculated as: (utero-cervical angle)/(anterior cervical lip thickness + fundal thickness + lower uterine segment thickness + cervical length). In the presence of cervical funneling, one point was added to the final result. A ROC analysis was conducted to determine the potential of CUCI in predicting delivery <37 weeks of gestation, <34 weeks of gestation, and <4 weeks after the first admission to the hospital for uterine contractions, respectively. RESULTS: Optimal cut-off values of CUCI were found to be 1.4 (67.1% sensitivity, 67.2% specificity) for predicting delivery at <37th weeks, 1.7 (72.7% sensitivity, 65.7% specificity) for predicting delivery at <34th weeks, and 1.4 (62.5% sensitivity, 61.7% specificity) for predicting delivery at <4 weeks. CONCLUSION: CUCI may be used in the prediction of preterm delivery for pregnant women admitted to hospital with preterm uterine contractions.

Evaluation of maternal serum thiol and ischemia-modified albumin levels in cases of placenta previa: A case-control study in a tertiary center.

AIM: We aim to compare the maternal serum thiol and ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels between pregnant women with placenta previa and those with uncomplicated pregnancies and to determine whether changes in these levels were useful in predicting cases of abnormally invasive placenta (AIP). METHODS: Fifty-five pregnant women diagnosed with placenta previa according to the diagnostic criteria (case group) were compared to 100 women with uncomplicated pregnancies of similar demographic characteristics (control group). The patients with placenta previa were further divided into two subgroups: AIP (n = 20) and placenta previa without invasion (n = 35). The maternal serum native thiol, total thiol, disulfide, and IMA levels of the groups were evaluated. RESULTS: The native thiol, total thiol, and IMA values were significantly lower in the case group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The disulfide values were similar between the study and control groups (p = 0.488). When the AIP and placenta previa without invasion groups were compared, the levels of native thiol, total thiol, disulfide, and IMA were similar (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal serum thiol and IMA levels were lower in placenta previa cases compared to the control group. However, these parameters were not useful in predicting AIP cases.

Do Maternal Heart Diseases Affect Fetal Cardiac Functions?

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether fetal cardiac function is affected by underlying heart disease in pregnant women. METHODS: A total of 100 pregnant women who were ≥34 gestational weeks were included in the study, 40 in the maternal heart disease (MHD) group diagnosed with heart disease and 60 in the control group. All cardiac diseases in pregnant women were diagnosed preconceptionally and categorized according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification system. Fetal cardiac functions of study groups were evaluated by M-mode, color tissue Doppler imaging (c-TDI), and pulsed wave Doppler. RESULTS: Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and myocardial performance index (MPI) values were significantly higher and isovolumetric relaxation time was prolonged in the MHD group. The MPI value was found higher in MHD group with NYHA Class II compared to those with NYHA Class I. No significant change in any of the fetal tricuspid annular peak velocity values measured by c-TDI in the MHD group. There were no differences in fetal cardiac functions and perinatal outcomes between pregnant women with acquired and congenital heart diseases. Patients in NYHA Class II had lower birth weight, 1st and 5th minute APGAR scores, and higher neonatal intensive care unit admission rates. CONCLUSIONS: Underlying heart diseases in pregnant women can cause alterations in the systolic and diastolic function of the fetal heart. High fetal MPI values detected in cardiac patients may indicate that cardiac pathologies during pregnancy affect fetal cardiac globular myocardial function. Cardiac pathologies that progress with restricted physical activity may cause changes in fetal cardiac function and may be associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.

A novel predictive marker for placental abruption with composite adverse outcomes: creatinine-fibrinogen ratio.

PURPOSE: To develop a new cost-effective marker named creatinine-fibrinogen ratio (CFR) for the prediction of composite adverse outcomes (CAO) in placental abruption cases. METHODS: A total of 109 placental abruption patients (30 with adverse outcomes, 79 without adverse outcomes) were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Patients with at least one of the features listed below were included in the abruption with CAO group: requirement of blood product transfusion (erythrocyte suspension, fresh frozen plasma, pooled thrombocyte, thrombocyte apheresis), development of acute kidney injury or disseminated intravascular coagulation, and need for intensive care unit. Laboratory parameters and CFR values at admission to the hospital were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Higher creatinine and lower fibrinogen levels were found in the CAO group (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001 respectively). The CFR value of the CAO group was significantly higher (p < 0.001). In the ROC curve analysis performed to investigate the value of CFR in CAO prediction, the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated as 0,802 (95% CI 0.709-0.895, 77% sensitivity, 65% specificity). CONCLUSION: CFR seems to be a practical marker for the prediction of CAOs in pregnant women with ablatio placenta.

Evaluation of postpartum shock index in hypertensive diseases of pregnancy: a case-control study from a tertiary reference center.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the postpartum shock index (SI) values between pregnant women with hypertensive disease of pregnancy (HDP) and normotensive controls. METHODS: The present study was conducted in Ankara City Hospital Perinatology Clinic. Postpartum SI was compared between the pregnant women with HDP (n=217) and normotensive controls (n=219). A logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the independent predictors of maximum SI ≥1. Finally, a ROC analysis was performed to calculate optimal cut-off values for postpartum SI's measured at different periods in the prediction of postpartum Hb (hemoglobin) decrease ≥2 g/dL. RESULTS: Peripartum SI (p<0.001), 15th min SI (p<0.001), 30th min SI (p<0.001), 2nd h SI (p<0.001), 6th h SI (p) of the HDP group (p<0.001) and max SI (p<0.001) values were found to be significantly lower in the study group. A weak positive and statistically significant correlation was found between the maximum SI and the decrease in Hb ≥2 g/dL (r=0.209; p=0.002). Optimal cutoff values for SI were; 0.7 at peripartum 0.7 at 15 min, 0.73 at 30 min, 0.6 at 2 h, and 0.7 at 6 h, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically significant blood loss may develop at lower SI values in hypertensive pregnant women.

Does Second Trimester Maternal Serum Zonulin Level Predict Gestational Diabetes Mellitus?

Zonulin, a protein that regulates intestinal permeability, has attracted attention as a potential biomarker for GDM. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether there are differences in zonulin levels between the GDM group and control groups, especially between those receiving different treatments (diet and insulin). Based on this idea, we included 90 patients with a gestational age between 24 and 28 weeks in our study. While GDM was not detected in 33 of these patients, as a result of OGTT, 57 patients were diagnosed with GDM and these patients were followed throughout their pregnancy. Gestational diabetes was diagnosed by an OGTT performed between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation according to American Diabetes Association (ADA) standards. During follow-up, GDM patients were divided into two groups according to whether they required insulin treatment. Plasma zonulin levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. The GDM group had significantly higher plasma zonulin levels than the control group (p < 0.005). According to our research, zonulin may be a non-invasive biomarker involved in the etiology of GDM. Large-scale research on this topic is still needed.

Evaluation of maternal serum VEGF, TNF-alpha, IL-4, and IL-10 levels in differentiating placenta accreta spectrum from isolated placenta previa.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to differentiate patients with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) from those with placenta previa (PP) using maternal serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and IL-10. METHODS: The case group consisted of 77 patients with placenta previa, and the control group consisted of 90 non-previa pregnant women. Of the pregnant women in the case group, 40 were diagnosed with PAS in addition to placenta previa and 37 had placenta previa with no invasion. The maternal serum VEGF, TNF-alpha, IL-4, and IL-10 levels were compared between the case and control groups. Then the success of these markers in differentiating between PP and PAS was evaluated. RESULTS: We found the VEGF, TNF-alpha, and IL-4 levels to be higher and the IL-10 level to be lower in the case group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). We observed a statistically significantly lower IL-10 level in the patients with PAS than those with PP (p = 0.029). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal cut-off of IL-10 in the detection of PAS was 0.42 ng/mL). In multivariate analysis, the risk of PAS was significant for IL-10 (odds ratio (OR) 0.45, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.25-0.79, p = 0.006) and previous cesarean section (OR 2.50, 95 % Cl 1.34-4.66, p = 0.004). The model's diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, including previous cesarean section, preoperative hemoglobin (Hb), TNF-alpha, and IL-10 were 75 % and 72.9 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study showed that the IL-10 level was lower in patients with PAS than in those with PP. A statistical model combining risk factors including previous cesarean section, preoperative Hb, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 may improve clinical diagnosis of PAS in placenta previa cases. Cytokines may be used as additional biomarkers to the clinical risk factors in the diagnosis of PAS.

Assessing adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with uncontrolled asthma vs. mild asthma: a retrospective comparative analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate perinatal outcomes between the uncontrolled asthma group and the mild asthma group and to reveal the relationship between disease severity and adverse maternal-fetal outcomes in this study. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 180 pregnant women diagnosed with asthma, hospitalized, and delivered at our center between September 1, 2019, and December 1, 2021. We compared two groups: 160 with mild asthma and 20 with uncontrolled asthma. Data encompassed maternal characteristics, obstetrical complications, medication use, emergency department admissions for exacerbations, smoking status, and neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: In the uncontrolled asthma group, hospitalization rates, use of inhaled short-acting ß-agonist (SABA), and systemic corticosteroids were significantly higher compared to the mild asthma group (p < 0.01). Maternal and fetal complications were more prevalent in the uncontrolled group, including asthma exacerbations (45% vs. 1.2%), anemia (10% vs. 4.4%), prematurity (25% vs. 9.6%), and intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) (10% vs. 0.6%). Neonatal outcomes in the uncontrolled group showed higher rates of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (50% vs. 25%), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (30% vs. 14%), and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (5% vs. 0%) compared to the mild asthma group. CONCLUSION: Uncontrolled asthma during pregnancy is associated with higher adverse maternal-fetal and neonatal outcomes compared to mild asthma.

The influence of maternal COVID-19 on cardiac functions: From fetal life to infancy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate both short and mid-term effects of maternal COVID-19 on cardiac functions of fetuses and children. METHODS: The present case-control study was conducted on 36 pregnant women who had COVID-19 infection in the second trimester of pregnancy and 30 pregnant women as healthy controls. Fetal, neonatal, and infant cardiac functions were compared between the groups. Assessment of fetal cardiac functions were performed in the last trimester of the pregnancy at least 6 weeks after the recovery of infection. The first postnatal echo was performed within the first 2 weeks and the follow-up (second) echo was performed in the 6-8 weeks of life. RESULTS: The demographic data were similar between groups. Interventricular septum and left ventricular posterior wall end-diastolic dimensions were significantly higher in the study group in both fetal, neonatal, and infant periods. Impaired diastolic functions of right and left ventricles were detected and myocardial performance indexes with tissue doppler imaging of both lateral walls and septum were significantly higher than controls at all periods. CONCLUSION: Maternal COVID-19 seems to have a global impact on the cardiac functions of babies in the short and mid-term periods after maternal recovery.

Evaluation of maternal serum vascular endothelial growth factor C and D levels in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate maternal serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) C and D levels in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). METHODS: A total of 83 patients, including 41 patients with ICP and 42 healthy pregnant women, were included in the study. We first compared the maternal serum VEGF-C and VEGF-D levels between the ICP and control groups and then examined the correlation between the serum VEGF-C level and the bile acid level in patients with severe ICP. RESULTS: We observed statistically significantly higher serum VEGF-C levels and lower VEGF-D levels in the ICP group compared with the healthy controls (P < 0.001 and P = 0.015, respectively). According to receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal cutoff value for ICP was 147 ng/mL in the determination of the VEGF-C level (specificity and sensitivity: 76%). In patients with severe ICP, the serum VEGF-C statistically significantly correlated with the bile acid level (P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the maternal serum VEGF-C level was higher and the VEGF-D level was lower in patients with ICP compared with healthy pregnant women. We also found that the VEGF-C level was correlated with the serum bile acid level in patients with severe ICP. Serum VEGF-C level can be used in the diagnosis and follow-up of intrahepatic pregnancy cholestasis.