One-hour versus two-hour postprandial blood glucose measurement in women with gestational diabetes mellitus: which is more predictive?

The purpose of this study is to investigate postprandial 1-h (PP1) and 2-h (PP2) blood glucose measurements' correlation with adverse perinatal outcomes. This prospective cohort study consisted of 259 women with gestational diabetes mellitus. During each antenatal visit, HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) as well as plasma glucose at PP1 and PP2 were analyzed. There were 144 patients on insulin therapy and 115 patients on diet therapy. A total of 531 blood glucose measurements were obtained at different gestational ages between 24 and 41 gestational weeks. PP2 plasma glucose measurements (but not PP1) were positively correlated with fetal macrosomia. But on adjusted analysis, neither PP1 nor PP2 measurements predicted perinatal complications. In addition to PP1 and PP2, neither FPG nor HbA1c were able to predict perinatal complications or fetal macrosomia when controlled for confounding factors except for a positive correlation between fetal macrosomia and HbA1c in patients on diet therapy. Postprandial 1-h and postprandial 2-h plasma glucose measurements were not superior to each other in predicting fetal macrosomia or perinatal complications. Based on our findings, it can be concluded that both methods may be suitable for follow-up as there are no clear advantages of one measurement over the other.

Prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus in the first trimester: comparison of C-reactive protein, fasting plasma glucose, insulin and insulin sensitivity indices.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a predictive index based on high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and fasting plasma insulin (FPI) measurements for early diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: Healthy pregnant women who were screened for GDM during their first antenatal visit were included in this retrospective cohort study. FPG, FPI and serum hs-CRP concentrations were measured between weeks 11 and 14. A two-step glucose challenge test was carried out between gestational weeks 24 and 28. Fasting glucose/insulin ratio (FIGR), Homeostatic Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), HOMA-ß indices and Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) were used to estimate insulin sensitivity and ß-cell function. RESULTS: Of the 450 women who were eligible for the study, 49 (11.2%) were diagnosed with GDM at weeks 24-28. The median FPG and hs-CRP levels were higher in the GDM diagnosed women compared to the others. Comparison of accuracy measures resulted in the highest specificity (87.2%; 95% CI 83.5-90.1) and diagnostic odds ratio (3.9; 95% CI 2.1-7.6) for hs-CRP. CONCLUSION: FPG and hs-CRP in the first trimester are correlated with later development of GDM in the pregnancy. In our study, FPG provided a better sensitivity while hs-CRP exhibited a better specificity for prediction of GDM.

Successful use of BT-Cath(®) balloon tamponade in the management of postpartum haemorrhage due to placenta previa.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate efficacy of the BT-Cath(®) in cases of uncontrollable haemorrhage due to placenta previa. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study of women treated with the BT-Cath in the event of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) due to placenta previa, despite optimal management with medical treatment. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2013, 237 women had placenta previa (0.45%) at the study hospital. This study evaluated 53 women who underwent uterine tamponade with a BT-Cath. Haemostasis was achieved in 45 women (85%), and hysterectomy was required in six women (11%). Two women required repeat laparotomy. The mean duration of balloon tamponade was 9.8h (standard deviation 6.4h). When the relationship between balloon volume and treatment success was evaluated, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.803 (95% confidence interval 0.633-0.973; p=0.007) and the optimal cut-off point was 220ml, with sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 71%. CONCLUSION: The intra-uterine BT-Cath is simple to use, even among clinicians with little experience, and is an effective treatment choice in patients with PPH due to placenta previa when medical treatment is unsuccessful. Minimal inflation of the balloon, a shorter period of intra-uterine balloon tamponade and early deflation of the balloon are recommended.

Prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus in the first trimester, comparison of fasting plasma glucose, two-step and one-step methods: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Our aim was to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of three methods commonly used for GDM screening: fasting plasma glucose (FPG), two-step 50 g glucose challenge test (GCT), and 75 g glucose tolerance test (GTT) in a randomized study design to predict GDM in the first trimester and determine the best approach in predicting GDM. In a non-blind, parallel-group prospective randomized controlled study; 736 singleton pregnant women underwent FPG testing in the first trimester and randomly assigned to two groups; two-step 50 g GCT and 75 g GTT. GDM diagnosis was made according to Carpenter-Coustan or ADA (American Diabetes Association) criteria in two-step 50 g GCT and 75 g GTT groups, respectively. Subsequent testing was performed by two-step 50 g GCT at 24-28 weeks for screen negatives. After excluding the women who were lost to follow-up or withdrawn as a result of pregnancy loss, 486 pregnant women were recruited in the study. The FPG, two-step GCT, and one-step GTT methods identified GDM in 25/486 (5.1 %), 15/248 (6.0 %), and 27/238 (11.3 %) women, respectively. Area under ROC curves were 0.623, 0.708, and 0.792, respectively. Sensitivities were 47.17, 68.18, and 87.1 %, respectively. Specificities were 77.37, 100, and 100 %, respectively. Positive predictive values were 20.33, 100, and 100 %, respectively. Negative predictive values were 92.29, 97, and 98.1 %, respectively. Until superior screening alternatives become available, the 75 g GTT may be preferred for GDM screening in the first trimester.

Echogenic focus in the fetal left ventricular cavity: is it a false tendon?

OBJECTIVE: To draw attention to the left ventricular false tendon which can be misinterpreted as echogenic focus in the fetus. METHODS: The study group consisted of 9 fetuses out of the 161 who had been misdiagnosed for left ventricular false tendon as echogenic focus by obstetricians. Fetal echocardiography and 2-D color Doppler echocardiography were performed in the pre-postnatal period. The standard fetal echocardiographic views (4,5 chamber views, long axis view of the left ventricle, short axis view of the ventricles and great arteries, three vessels and trachea view, long axis views of the duct and aortic arch) were obtained for each case. RESULTS: Of the 161 fetuses with echogenic focus in the left ventricle which underwent fetal echocardiography, 9 (5.6%) were diagnosed with false tendons present in the left ventricular cavity with no other cardiovascular anomaly. Six out of 9 patients underwent amniocentesis as follows: for age of over 35 years (two patients), abnormal double-triple screening tests plus echogenic focus (two patients) and soft ultrasonographic markers including echogenic focus (two patients). These fetuses revealed no cardiovascular and other systemic pathology or dysmorphism except for false tendons in the left ventricular cavity. CONCLUSION: False tendon should be taken into account as differential diagnosis of left ventricular echogenic focus in the fetus. Misinterpretation of false tendon as echogenic focus may cause unnecessary fetal invasive approach and maternal anxiety, especially when it arises with a background of borderline fetal findings and knowledge.

Serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels in patients with unilateral hydronephrosis due to urinary lithiasis.

AIM: We aimed to investigate that the association between serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) levels and unilateral hydronephrosis due to urinary lithiasis in homogeneous groups who had no urinary tract infection and renal impairment. METHODS: A total of 50 patients with ureteral stone enrolled in this study prospectively. The patients were divided into two groups according to degree of hydronephrosis. Patients without hydronephrosis were taken into Group I and who had hydronephrosis were taken into Group II. All patients were underwent treatment of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL). Serum CA 19-9 was measured using immunassay method pre-treatment of SWL. After complete stone clearence and recovery of hydronephrosis in all patients, patiens were re-evaluated and CA 19-9 levels were measured. RESULTS: There were no significant differences for age, gender, body mass index, stone volume, shock wave number, number of SWL seasons, and serum creatinin between the groups (P>0.05). Pre-SWL serum mean Ca 19-9 levels were 14.82±14.64 U/mL. in Group I and 13.89±13.03 U/mL. in Group II (P=0.8686). After complete stone clearance and recovery of hydronephosis with SWL, the mean CA 19-9 values were measured as 14.14±10.67 U/mL. in Group II and there were not found significant change as compared pre-SWL values for Group II (P=0.7334). CONCLUSION: The relationship between CA 19-9 values and hydronephrosis was not found to be statistically meaningful on the contrary to previous reports and it does not appear as a useful parameter to predict of urinary obstruction non-invasively.

Urinary complications of gynecologic surgery: iatrogenic urinary tract system injuries in obstetrics and gynecology operations.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate iatrogenic urinary tract system injuries in obstetrics and gynecology operations and compare the results with the literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined the records of patients who had obstetric and gynecology operations at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health, Training and Research Hospital between June 2007 and June 2010. All the patients who were diagnosed as having urinary system injuries in either the intraoperative or postoperative period were determined. RESULTS: During this period, 25,998 gynecologic and obstetrical operations were performed, 0.03% ureteric, 0.20% bladder, and one case of urethral injury, in a total of 0.24% urinary tract injuries were observed. The bladder was the most frequently injured organ. Total urinary tract injury rates were 0.79% (0.49% bladder, 0.24% ureteral) in gynecologic operations and 0.19% (0.18% bladder and 0.01% ureteral) in obstetric operations. CONCLUSION: Urinary system injuries are seen in approximately 1% of all gynecologic and obstetric surgeries. The complication rates observed in our patients were comparable with the other studies in the literature. A gynecologic surgeon must become familiar with the anatomy of the urinary tract and must be aware of common intraoperative and postoperative complications to decrease the risk of morbidity.

Varicocele-induced testicular dysfunction may be associated with disruption of blood-testis barrier.

The objective of this study was to examine E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression at the junctions between adjacent Sertoli cells in testicular specimens from patients with varicocele in order to determine the presence of a possible link between blood-testis barrier and pathophysiology of varicocele. A total of 51 testicular biopsies were obtained from 28 infertile men with unilateral or bilateral varicocele. Twenty-three patients had bilateral and 5 had unilateral varicocele, Grade I varicocele was detected in 30 (59%), grade II in 15 (29%) and grade III in 6 (12%) patients. Abnormal expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin at the junctions between adjacent Sertoli cells was demonstrated in 100% and 90% of the patients with varicocele, respectively. In those with grade I-III varicocele, the mean E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression were 7.6 +/- 11.4 and 39 +/- 36; 7.6 +/- 0.0 and 49 +/- 30; 8.3 +/- 9.3 and 58 +/- 33, respectively, but the difference was not significant. Reduced E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression at the junctions between adjacent Sertoli cells may be associated with disruption of blood-testis barrier in varicocele.

Urinary fibronectin levels in patients treated with intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin for superficial bladder cancer.

Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has been shown to be an effective treatment for superficial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder, but the precise mechanism of action of BCG remains poorly understood. Fibronectin (FN), an important component of the extracellular matrix, has been found to play a role in BCG therapy. Some studies have shown that the soluble form of FN can compete efficiently with the matrix form of binding to the specific receptors on the bacteria and could consequently diminish the effect of BCG treatment. To evaluate a possible correlation between the urinary levels of FN and the efficacy of BCG therapy, we determined prospectively the urinary FN levels in 38 patients with TCC of the bladder and in 25 control subjects without malignancy matched for age and sex. All TCC patients were treated with transurethral tumor resection plus 6 weekly intravesical BCG instillations. After an average follow-up of 30 months, 8 patients (21.1%) had recurrent tumors, while 30 (78.9%) were free of tumor after intravesical BCG therapy. Urinary levels of FN in cancer patients have been shown to be significantly higher than controls (p < 0.001). These elevated levels were not decreased significantly after the operation (p > 0. 05). It was also found that the mean urinary FN levels were not statistically significant between patients with recurrence and complete remission. The data suggest that BCG-bladder tumor cell binding is not influenced by soluble fibronectin and urinary FN may not be a ideal marker for selecting patients to BCG therapy.

Do renal failure and hemodialysis have any effect on the elimination of free and total prostate-specific antigen?

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was first to determine the serum levels of free prostate-specific antigen (f-PSA), total prostate-specific antigen (t-PSA) and f-PSA/t-PSA ratios in patients with renal failure, and secondary, to investigate whether a significant difference between serum f-PSA and t-PSA levels consists in patients with end-stage renal disease before and after hemodialysis. METHODS: Serum concentrations of f-PSA and t-PSA were measured in 36 men with end-stage renal disease before and after hemodialysis and in 95 healthy controls. A chemiluminescent enzyme assay was used to determine the levels of f-PSA and t-PSA. RESULTS: The mean concentrations of serum t-PSA were 1.36+/-0.43 ng/ml in patients on hemodialysis and 1.08+/-0.60 ng/ml in controls. There was no significant difference in f-PSA and t-PSA levels between patients with renal failure and controls. F-PSA and t-PSA levels in patients with renal failure also showed no statistical differences before and after hemodialysis. CONCLUSIONS: The limited kidney reserve in patients with end-stage renal disease is sufficient to maintain the levels of t-PSA and f-PSA within normal ranges and hemodialysis does not alter the serum levels of different PSA forms.

Serum free and total prostate-specific antigen levels in patients with liver disease.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of liver diseases on serum free prostate-specific antigen (fPSA) levels, total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA) levels, and fPSA/tPSA ratios. METHODS: Serum concentrations of tPSA and fPSA were measured in 18 men with histologically confirmed liver cirrhosis, 20 men with histologically proved chronic hepatitis, and 20 healthy men. All patients underwent a standard urologic evaluation, including history, physical examination, urine analysis, serum fPSA and tPSA determinations, and liver function tests (serum bilirubin, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase). RESULTS: Patients with liver cirrhosis had slightly lower fPSA levels than did control subjects or patients with chronic hepatitis, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. tPSA levels also were not significantly different among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: In the presence of liver disease, despite the limited liver reserve, tPSA and fPSA are specific and reliable markers in the clinical management of prostatic diseases in this population. This result should be taken into account when serum concentrations of fPSA, tPSA, and the fPSA/tPSA ratio are evaluated in patients with liver disease.

Ratio of free to total prostate-specific antigen in patients with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.

OBJECTIVE: There are many reports about the effects of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) on serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between PIN and serum free PSA/total PSA (fPSA/tPSA) ratios. METHODS: We evaluated 46 patients with PIN, 15 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and 16 patients with localized prostatic carcinoma (CaP) for the amount of fPSA and tPSA with the chemiluminescent enzyme assay. RESULTS: fPSA values from BPH to high-grade PIN (PIN2 and PIN3) was increased, and then a decrease was observed from high-grade PIN to CaP. fPSA was significantly different between BPH and low-grade PIN and high-grade PIN. There was no significant difference observed between BPH and CaP. tPSA values increased from BPH to CaP. tPSA was significantly different between BPH and high-grade PIN and CaP. fPSA/tPSA ratios decreased from BPH to CaP. This ratio was significantly different between CaP and BPH and low-grade PIN. There was no significant difference between CaP and high-grade PIN. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that fPSA/tPSA ratio is better at discriminating between patients with CaP and those with BPH, but not between patients with CaP and those with high-grade PIN. Due to similarities between CaP and high-grade PIN, we think that decreased fPSA/tPSA ratio obtained at the time of intial diagnosis of PIN without concurrent carcinoma could be used as predictive factors to distinguish patients in whom carcinoma will be found on subsequent biopsies from those with PIN not associated with cancer on repeat biopsy.

Experimental investigations on the influence upon the chemical carcinogenesis. IIIrd communication: studies with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine.

After ten times monthly, subcutaneous, injections of 30 mg/kg 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) to Sprague-Dawley-rats, malignant tumors were found in approximately 90% of the animals after a mean induction period of approximately 330 days. Injections were started on the 2nd day of life and maintained during 10 months. 72% of the tumors induced were formed in the colon, 17% were squamous cell carcinomas of the ear duct, adenosarcomas of the kidney and hepatocellular carcinomas were found in 13 and 11% of the animals, respectively. Additional treatment with immunodepressive (cyclophosphamide, methotrexat, hydrocortisone) and immunostimulating substances (BCG, albumin, vitamin A-acid) as well as an enzyme-stimulating agent (Luminal) did not alter incidences and induction periods of tumors. After application of a vegetarian diet, the rate of liver and kidney tumors was diminished significantly and induction periods of intestinal and ear duct tumors increased.