日本人女性における切迫早産予測のための腟分泌物pHと腟分泌物緩衝能に関する研究

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between preterm labor and delivery, and the pH and buffer capacity of vaginal secretions. METHODS: Between January 1, 2009 and March 31, 2012, two cohorts of patients at 22-36weeks of pregnancy were enrolled in a prospective cohort study at Nara Medical University Hospital, Japan. Patients experiencing preterm contractions and a control group of patients experiencing normal pregnancies were included. The pH and buffer capacity of vaginal secretions were measured and compared. RESULTS: Of the 237 patients enrolled, 48 (20.3%) were experiencing symptoms of preterm labor and 189 (79.7%) were included in the control group. The pH was higher (P<0.001) and the buffer capacity was lower (P=0.0135) in the vaginal secretions of the patients experiencing preterm contractions compared with the control group. There was no difference in the pH and buffer capacity of the vaginal secretions of symptomatic patients who would experience preterm delivery and those who would not. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses demonstrated that vaginal-secretion pH and buffer capacity could differentiate between patients experiencing preterm contractions and those not, but could not differentiate between patients who would experience preterm delivery and those who would not. CONCLUSION: Vaginal-secretion pH and buffer capacity could be useful in diagnosing preterm labor; further studies are needed to determine potential practical diagnostic criteria.博士（医学）・乙第1383号・平成28年9月28日Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Chemokine and Free Fatty Acid Levels in Insulin-Resistant State of Successful Pregnancy: A Preliminary Observation

Increased insulin resistance and inflammatory action are observed in pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), but similar insulin resistance is observed also in successful pregnancy. To estimate insulin resistance and inflammatory activity in normal pregnancy and PIH, serum concentrations of free fatty acids (FFA; corrected with albumin to estimate unbound FFA), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, and high-molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin were measured in severe PIH patients with a BMI less than 25 kg/m2 and were measured 3 times during the course of pregnancy in women with normal pregnancies. FFA/albumin, MCP-1, and HMW adiponectin concentrations were significantly higher in PIH patients than in women with normal pregnancies. The 3 measurements of FFA/albumin showed a significant increase through the course of uncomplicated pregnancies. In contrast, MCP-1 and HMW adiponectin were significantly decreased during the course of pregnancy. These results suggest that the reduced MCP-1 concentration in normal pregnancy may be a pathway to inhibit the induction of pathological features from physiological insulin resistance and homeostatic inflammation

Evidence for Activation of Toll-Like Receptor and Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products in Preterm Birth

Objective. Individuals with inflammation have a myriad of pregnancy aberrations including increasing their preterm birth risk. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and their ligands were all found to play a key role in inflammation. In the present study, we reviewed TLR and RAGE expression, their ligands, and signaling in preterm birth. Research Design and Methods. A systematic search was performed in the electronic databases PubMed and ScienceDirect up to July 2010, combining the keywords “preterm birth,” “TLR”, “RAGE”, “danger signal”, “alarmin”, “genomewide,” “microarray,” and “proteomics” with specific expression profiles of genes and proteins. Results. This paper provides data on TLR and RAGE levels and critical downstream signaling events including NF-kappaB-dependent proinflammatory cytokine expression in preterm birth. About half of the genes and proteins specifically present in preterm birth have the properties of endogenous ligands “alarmin” for receptor activation. The interactions between the TLR-mediated acute inflammation and RAGE-mediated chronic inflammation have clear implications for preterm birth via the TLR and RAGE system, which may be acting collectively. Conclusions. TLR and RAGE expression and their ligands, signaling, and functional activation are increased in preterm birth and may contribute to the proinflammatory state

Vaginal fluid pH and buffer capacity for predicting false preterm labor in Japanese women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between preterm labor and delivery, and the pH and buffer capacity of vaginal secretions. METHODS: Between January 1, 2009 and March 31, 2012, two cohorts of patients at 22-36weeks of pregnancy were enrolled in a prospective cohort study at Nara Medical University Hospital, Japan. Patients experiencing preterm contractions and a control group of patients experiencing normal pregnancies were included. The pH and buffer capacity of vaginal secretions were measured and compared. RESULTS: Of the 237 patients enrolled, 48 (20.3%) were experiencing symptoms of preterm labor and 189 (79.7%) were included in the control group. The pH was higher (P<0.001) and the buffer capacity was lower (P=0.0135) in the vaginal secretions of the patients experiencing preterm contractions compared with the control group. There was no difference in the pH and buffer capacity of the vaginal secretions of symptomatic patients who would experience preterm delivery and those who would not. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses demonstrated that vaginal-secretion pH and buffer capacity could differentiate between patients experiencing preterm contractions and those not, but could not differentiate between patients who would experience preterm delivery and those who would not. CONCLUSION: Vaginal-secretion pH and buffer capacity could be useful in diagnosing preterm labor; further studies are needed to determine potential practical diagnostic criteria.博士（医学）・乙第1383号・平成28年9月28日Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.identifier:International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics Vol.134 No.1 p.69-74 (2016 Jul)identifier:00207292identifier:http://ginmu.naramed-u.ac.jp/dspace/handle/10564/3273identifier:International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics, 134(1): 69-7

Development of a Plantar Load Estimation Algorithm for Evaluation of Forefoot Load of Diabetic Patients during Daily Walks Using a Foot Motion Sensor

Forefoot load (FL) contributes to callus formation, which is one of the pathways to diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). In this study, we hypothesized that excessive FL, which cannot be detected by plantar load measurements within laboratory settings, occurs in daily walks. To demonstrate this, we created a FL estimation algorithm using foot motion data. Acceleration and angular velocity data were obtained from a motion sensor attached to each shoe of the subjects. The accuracy of the estimated FL was validated by correlation with the FL measured by force sensors on the metatarsal heads, which was assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The mean of correlation coefficients of all the subjects was 0.63 at a level corridor, while it showed an intersubject difference at a slope and stairs. We conducted daily walk measurements in two diabetic patients, and additionally, we verified the safety of daily walk measurement using a wearable motion sensor attached to each shoe. We found that excessive FL occurred during their daily walks for approximately three hours in total, when any adverse event was not observed. This study indicated that FL evaluation method using wearable motion sensors was one of the promising ways to prevent DFUs

Immature Teratoma after Three Laparoscopic Resections for Mature Cystic Teratomas

We report a case in which an immature teratoma developed following three previous resections for mature cystic teratomas. The patient was a 26-year-old nulliparous woman with a regular menstrual cycle. Twelve years earlier, she had consulted a pediatrician for complaints of lower abdominal pain. Bilateral cystic teratomas were suspected and she underwent a left salpingo-oophorectomy and a right cystectomy laparoscopically, and bilateral mature cystic teratomas were diagnosed histologically. She underwent a right cystectomy twice afterwards and mature cystic teratomas were diagnosed. Three years after the third surgery, a regular checkup performed annually for ovarian cyst recurrence revealed a 9.3 cm ovarian cyst by ultrasonography without marker elevation or complaint of symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a 10 cm multilocular cyst, including a part with heterogeneous medium and high-signal intensity on T2-weighted images, which revealed enhancement on dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI unlike the previous images. Ovarian tumors, including immature teratomas and malignancy, were considered. She had a strong wish to undergo laparoscopic surgery. She was diagnosed with an immature teratoma, grade 1 of the right ovary. Although the frequency of recurrence of immature teratomas after resection of mature cystic teratomas is very low, regular checkups are necessary because there may be no associated symptoms

Development of a Plantar Load Estimation Algorithm for Evaluation of Forefoot Load of Diabetic Patients during Daily Walks Using a Foot Motion Sensor

Forefoot load (FL) contributes to callus formation, which is one of the pathways to diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). In this study, we hypothesized that excessive FL, which cannot be detected by plantar load measurements within laboratory settings, occurs in daily walks. To demonstrate this, we created a FL estimation algorithm using foot motion data. Acceleration and angular velocity data were obtained from a motion sensor attached to each shoe of the subjects. The accuracy of the estimated FL was validated by correlation with the FL measured by force sensors on the metatarsal heads, which was assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The mean of correlation coefficients of all the subjects was 0.63 at a level corridor, while it showed an intersubject difference at a slope and stairs. We conducted daily walk measurements in two diabetic patients, and additionally, we verified the safety of daily walk measurement using a wearable motion sensor attached to each shoe. We found that excessive FL occurred during their daily walks for approximately three hours in total, when any adverse event was not observed. This study indicated that FL evaluation method using wearable motion sensors was one of the promising ways to prevent DFUs

Port-Site Metastasis of Mucinous Borderline Ovarian Tumor after Laparoscopy

We report a case of port-site metastasis after laparoscopic surgery for borderline mucinous ovarian tumors (mBOTs) without spillage and review the related literature. The patient was a 50-year-old nulligravida who presented with abdominal distension. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 20 × 10-cm multilocular mass with various signal intensities. The wall and septa of the mass were neither thick nor enhanced. A laparoscopy was performed. An intact left ovarian tumor was observed. The weight of the tumor was 1,540 g. The final diagnosis was stage IA intestinal-type mBOT, so the patient did not undergo adjuvant therapy. Twenty-six months after surgery, the patient presented with a 3 × 5-cm palpable mass on the umbilicus. Biopsy of the mass revealed mucinous adenocarcinoma and computed tomography showed a 3.5 × 4.0-cm mass at the umbilicus without additional metastases. A laparotomy was performed and no metastasis in the peritoneal cavity was observed by gross examination. An umbilical mass resection, hysterectomy, right salpingo-oophorectomy, appendectomy, and partial omentectomy were performed. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of the umbilical mass revealed glands of varying size infiltrating the stroma, immunohistologic staining for cytokeratin 7 was positive, and cytokeratin 20 was negative, but no other metastases were observed. The patient was diagnosed with port-site metastasis and invasive recurrence of mBOT. She underwent six cycles of adjuvant paclitaxel and carboplatin therapy. Large ovarian tumors should be carefully extracted without spillage of the tumor contents to prevent port-site metastasis, despite the low incidence