Is There a Relationship Between Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Tissue Fibrillin-1 Levels?

Purpose: Pelvic organ prolapse is a multifactorial disorder in which extracellular matrix defects are implicated. Fibrillin-1 level is reduced in stress urinary incontinence. In Marfan syndrome, which is associated with mutations in Fibrillin-1, pelvic floor disorders are commonly observed. We hypothesize that Fibrillin-1 gene expression is altered in pelvic organ prolapse. Methods: Thirty women undergoing colporrhaphy or hysterectomy because of cystocele, rectocele, cystorectocele, or uterine prolapse were assigned to a pelvic prolapse study group, and thirty women undergone hysterectomy for nonpelvic prolapse conditions were assigned to a control group. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was conducted on vaginal tissue samples to measure the expression of Fibrillin-1. Expression levels were compared between study and control groups by Mann-Whitney U test with Bonferroni revision. Results: Fibrillin-1 gene expression was not significantly lower in the study group than in the control group. Similarly, no significant correlation between Fibrillin-1 levels and grade of pelvic prolapse was found. Age over 40 years (P=0.018) and menopause (P=0.027) were both associated with reduced Fibrillin-1 levels in the pelvic prolapse group, whereas the delivery of babies weighing over 3,500 g at birth was associated with increased Fibrillin-1 expression (P=0.006). Conclusions: The results did not indicate a significant reduction in Fibrillin-1 gene expression in pelvic prolapse disorders; however, reduced Fibrillin-1 may contribute to increased pelvic organ prolapse risk with age and menopause. Increased Fibrillin-1 gene expression may be a compensatory mechanism in cases of delivery of babies with high birth weight. Further studies are needed for a better understanding of these observations

FLT3 MUTATION AND RELATION WITH PROGNOSIS IN CHILDHOOD ACUTE LEUKEMIAS

WOS: 000282910200323

Intima-media thickness of carotid artery and susceptibility to atherosclerosis in obese children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Objective: To test, via prospective case-control study, whether measurements of carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) reflect the susceptibility to atherosclerosis in obese children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

The role of ultrasonographic hepatic artery resistive index in the diagnosis of insulin resistance in obese children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Aim: To determine the role of hepatic artery resistive Index (HARI) measurement in the prediction of insulin resistance (IR) in obese children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Assessment of atherosclerosis in obese adolescents: Positive correlation of mean platelet volume and carotid intima media thickness

Aims: This study aims to assess the correlation of mean platelet volume (MPV) and common carotid artery (CCA) thickness in a population of obese adolescents

Cardiac Functions in Children With Growth Hormone Deficiency Before and During Growth Hormone-Replacement Therapy

Childhood growth hormone deficiency (GHD) decreases left-ventricular (LV) mass, but impairment of cardiac function has never been documented. The objective of this study was to assess the cardiac effects of GHD and recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment using conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging. Complete two-dimensional, M-mode, pulse-wave Doppler echocardiography and pulse-wave tissue Doppler imaging were performed in 12 children (6 male and 6 female patients) with GHD at baseline and at 5.86 +/- 1.61 months after rhGH therapy. Recombinant human growth hormone treatment was associated with a significant increase in LV mass index (63.8 +/- 27.1 to 79.3 +/- 30.3 g/m(2); P < 0.01) and LV internal dimensions (21.4 +/- 2.63 to 24.0 +/- 4.13 mm in systole [P = 0.03] and 36.5 +/- 3.90 to 39.5 +/- 4.94 mm in diastole [P < 0.01]). There were statistical differences of parameters, such as deceleration time of early peak velocity of mitral, isovolumic relaxation time, and myocardial performance index (103 +/- 15.4 to 139 +/- 21.2 ms [P < 0.01], 55.5 +/- 9.24 to 69.2 +/- 3.74 ms [P < 0.01], and 37.8 +/- 4.46 to 44.9 +/- 5.44% [P < 0.01], respectively). Before and during rhGH therapy, there were no significant differences in fractional shortening of the left ventricle, peak mitral, and tricuspid wave velocities with ratios determined using conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging. In children, GHD affects heart morphology by inducing a decrease in cardiac size, but it does not modify cardiac function. Recombinant human growth hormone treatment increases cardiac mass, deceleration time of early peak velocity of the mitral valve, isovolumic relaxation time, and myocardial performance index, but it does not make a difference in other parameters of conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging

The effects of hypnotherapy during transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate needle biopsy for pain and anxiety

Several studies evaluating the tolerance of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided needle biopsies showed that moderate-to-severe pain was associated with the procedure. Additionally, prebiopsy anxiety or rebiopsy as a result of a prior biopsy procedure is mentioned as factors predisposing to higher pain intensity. Thus, in this study, we investigated the effects of hypnotherapy during transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate needle biopsy for pain and anxiety

Familial Mediterranean Fever Mutation Analysis in Pediatric Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Multicenter Study

Background: the aim of the study was to evaluate familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) mutation analysis in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The relation between MEFV mutations and chronic inflammatory diseases hos been reported previously