Comparison of glutaminase and cancer antigen 125 for distinguishing benign and malignant ovarian tumors.

Increasing demand for glutaminase (GLS) due to high rates of glutamine metabolism is considered one of the hallmarks of malignancy. In parallel, cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) is a commonly used ovarian tumor marker. This study aimed to compare the roles of GLS and CA-125 in distinguishing between benign and malignant ovarian tumors. The research was conducted as a comparative study, enrolling 156 patients with ovarian tumors. Preoperative serum CA-125 and GLS levels were analyzed to evaluate their effectiveness in distinguishing between benign and malignant ovarian tumors. The results revealed that the mean levels of CA-125 and GLS were significantly higher in malignant ovarian tumors compared with benign ones (389.54 ± 494.320 vs. 193.15 ± 529.932 (U/mL) and 17.37 ± 12.156 vs. 7.48 ± 4.095 (µg/mL), respectively). The CA-125 and GLS cutoff points of 108.2 U/mL and 18.32 µg/mL, respectively, were associated with malignant ovarian tumors. Multivariate analyses showed that GLS had higher predictive capabilities compared with CA-125 (odds ratio 9.4 vs. 2.1). The accuracy of using GLS combined with CA-125 was higher than using CA-125 alone (73.1% vs. 68.8%). In conclusion, higher levels of CA-125 and GLS are associated with malignant ovarian tumors. GLS outperforms CA-125 in distinguishing between benign and malignant ovarian tumors. The combination of GLS and CA-125 demonstrated improved accuracy for distinguishing benign and malignant ovarian tumors when compared with using CA-125 alone.

Effect of maternal serum magnesium and calcium levels on umbilical glial fibrillary acidic protein levels in preterm labor.

Magnesium can prevent astrocyte cell death and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) secretion as inflammatory marker in preterm delivery. This study was performed to analyze differences in umbilical cord GFAP levels in preterm labor given magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) as treatment group and control group and analyze the correlation between magnesium and calcium levels with umbilical GFAP levels. This quasi-experimental study was performed on 68 patients at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital from February-June 2021 consisting of 34 patients in each group. Maternal-umbilical cord magnesium levels, calcium levels, and GFAP levels were examined using ELISA test. The result was statistically measured by IBM SPSS 24.0. We found that there was a significant difference between maternal and umbilical magnesium levels and GFAP umbilical cord blood levels between the treatment and the control group (P < 0.05) in which GFAP level was higher in the control group. The multivariate analysis showed no significant relevance between mother magnesium and calcium level to umbilical cord GFAP level in the MgSO4 group. As conclusions, umbilical cord blood GFAP levels in preterm labor given MgSO4 were lower than in preterm deliveries who were not given MgSO4. There was no correlation between magnesium, calcium, and GFAP levels in the treatment group.

Relationship Between D-Dimer Levels and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) in Preeclamptic Pregnant Women with COVID-19: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Preeclampsia involves an inflammatory response and vascular endothelial dysfunction. In COVID-19, there is also tissue damage and an inflammatory response that stimulates the formation of D-dimers and an increase in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). These 2 parameters have become laboratory tests carried out both in preeclampsia and COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the relationship between D-dimer levels and NLR in patients with both COVID-19 and preeclampsia. MATERIAL AND METHODS This was an observational analytic study with a retrospective approach. The subjects were pregnant women with gestational age >20 weeks diagnosed with severe preeclampsia and had D-dimer and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) laboratory results at Hasan Sadikin Hospital Bandung during the period April 2020 to July 2021. We enrolled 31 COVID-19 patients with preeclampsia and 113 COVID-19 patients without preeclampsia. RESULTS The mean level of D-dimer in COVID-19 patients with preeclampsia was 3.66±3.15 and in those with COVID-19 without preeclampsia it was 3.03±3.15 (P<0.05). The mean NLR value in COVID-19 patients with preeclampsia was 7.22±4.30 and in COVID-19 patients without preeclampsia it was 5.47±2.20 (p<0.05). In the Spearman correlation test, the correlation coefficient was 0.159. Area under curve (AUC) D-dimer level was 64.9% (p<0.05) and NLR was 61.7% (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There was a significant difference (P<0.05) in D-dimer and NLR between COVID-19 patients with preeclampsia and those without preeclampsia. There was also a weak positive relationship between D-dimer and NLR levels in COVID-19 patients with preeclampsia, which means that the higher the D-dimer level, the higher the NLR value in COVID-19 patients with preeclampsia.

Common bile duct injury following open conversion of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in 14-15 Weeks pregnancy: A rare case report.

Introduction: Common bile duct (CBD) injury is the most serious complication of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LapC). Nonetheless, complications of LapC as a treatment for CBD injury are rare in pregnancy. There have been no published case reports regarding complications of CBD injury in gravida patients and their management. Case presentation: We reported a 32-year-old primiparous woman with CBD injury following open conversion of LapC in 14-15 weeks of pregnancy with enterocutaneous fistula complications. She presented with yellowish fluid leakage from an open wound in her abdomen, and had a history of gallbladder removal and corrective surgery due to bile leakage and intestinal adhesions. Tenderness and serous fluid were found in the area of the previous surgery scar. The laboratory examination showed that the patient was in anaemic condition; Fetal ultrasound examinations showed that the fetus' condition was within normal limits. The patient was given supportive and medical management with further MRCP plans as well as maternal-fetal close and regular monitoring. Clinical discussion: In addition to the history and physical examinations, biliary tract imaging holds a pivotal role in this case. LapC is a surgical technique recommended to treat symptomatic cholelithiasis in pregnancies. Despite being rare in pregnancy, prevention of CBD injury by recognizing the pearls and pitfalls of LapC should be done. Conclusion: Key points for successful treatment of this case are characterized by early recognition of CBD injury, fluid collection and infection control, nutritional balance, and multidisciplinary approaches of the Surgery Department and Obstetrics-Gynaecology Department.

Influence of antenatal magnesium sulfate application on cord blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in premature infants.

AIM: To investigate the influence of antenatal magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) application on cord blood brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels - the first-line neuroprotection for preventing cerebral palsy in prematurely born infants. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted by observing 72 pregnant women who were divided into three groups: group I (preterm pregnancy with MgSO4), group II (preterm pregnancy without MgSO4), and group III (full-term pregnancy as control group). Groups I and II were selected by block permutation randomization on subjects. Inclusion criteria consisted of preterm pregnancy at 34 weeks of gestation or less who were in labor or having planned terminations and receiving antenatal corticosteroids. Exclusion criteria consisted of previous complications caused by MgSO4, previous history of antenatal MgSO4 application in the current pregnancy infant was born before 4 h administration of MgSO4 or unborn more than 72 h after maximum course of antenatal MgSO4 of 24 h, prolonged antenatal MgSO4 treatment (>24 h), refusal to participate, and emergent adverse events during the study. Group I was given intravenous MgSO4; initial dose was 4 g, which was maintained at 1 g/h up to maximum of 24 h. Meanwhile, groups II and III were not given any special treatment. BDNF was examined by ELISA by taking 5 mL cord blood sample shortly after birth. The result was statistically measured by ANOVA. RESULTS: The cord blood BDNF levels in premature infants with antenatal MgSO4 was significantly higher than in premature infants without antenatal MgSO4 (11,568 vs. 5027 pg/mL, P=0.000). Moreover, the result was statistically comparable to full-term infants (11,568 vs. 13,300 pg/mL, P=0.085). CONCLUSION: The application of antenatal MgSO4 in preterm delivery increased cord blood BDNF levels, which could have a potential role on fetal neuroprotection. Further investigation is needed.