飲水指導は夜間頻尿患者の頻尿症状を有効に改善する

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate how guidance on water-intake impacts the degree of nocturia. METHODS: A total of 67 male patients were enrolled in the present study. Patients were asked to adjust their water and food intakes so that their 24-h urine production/bodyweight would be equal or lower than 30 mL/kg. One month after the treatment, the therapeutic gain from and adverse effects of fluid restriction were examined by comparing the pretreatment and post-treatment value of various parameters. RESULTS: Overall, 65 eligible patients were evaluated. In 44 patients (67%), the frequency of nocturia was improved to one or more times. The change in frequency of nocturia showed a positive correlation with the change in nocturnal urine volume. The change in nocturnal urine volume showed a positive correlation with the changes in 24-h urine production/bodyweight, 24-h drinking volume and daytime drinking volume. The changes in 24-h urine production/bodyweight and daytime drinking volume were independent factors influencing therapeutic effect. None of the participants reported any adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a 24-h urine production/bodyweight equal or higher than 30 mL/kg, guidance on water intake might be considered effective and safe as a lifestyle therapy. Water restriction should be carried out not only in the evening, but also during daytime.博士（医学）・乙第1348号・平成26年12月3日© 2014 The Japanese Urological Associatio

Clinical Course of 60 Cesarean Scar Pregnancies

Early diagnosis and therapy are important in a cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), which can cause uterine rupture with resultant massive bleeding. However, there are some reports of CSPs continued to term. The optimal management of CSPs remains unclear; therefore, we investigated the clinical courses of CSPs diagnosed and treated at perinatal institutions in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions of Japan. We enrolled 60 women diag-nosed with CSP at 21 institutions from January 2006 to December 2015. Of the 60 women diagnosed with CSP, 57 were treated. Pregnancy was terminated in 48 women and continued in 9. Thirteen women underwent transabdominal hysterectomy; they experienced no postoperative complications or allogeneic blood transfu-sion. Nine women received therapies such as dilation and curettage, and 26 received non-surgical therapies such as methotrexate and topical administration of potassium chloride. Among 9 women who chose to con-tinue with their CSP, 7 successfully delivered newborns, 2 had uterine ruptures in the second trimester, and all women required transabdominal hysterectomy. Diagnosis and therapy in the first trimester of pregnancy are important in the management strategy of a CSP. When continuing a CSP, the risk of uterine rupture and trans-abdominal hysterectomy must be considered

hCG values and gestational sac size as indicators of successful systemic methotrexate treatment in cesarean scar pregnancy

Objective: To retrospectively investigate cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) patients who received systemic methotrexate (MTX) and to clarify the criteria for administering systemic MTX to CSP patients. Materials and methods: Fifteen CSP patients who were initially treated with systemic MTX (50 mg/m2/ week) were included. Nine patients, who needed a uterine artery embolization (UAE) or a laparotomy, including a transabdominal hysterectomy (TAH), were defined as the unsuccessful MTX group. Six patients who did not require UAE or a laparotomy were defined as the successful MTX group. Furthermore, the hCG cut-off value and the GS cut-off size at the time of CSP diagnosis, which differentiated successful and unsuccessful patients, were defined. MTX success rates were investigated by combining the hCG and gestational sac (GS) size cut-off values. Results: The hCG cut-off value was 17757.0 mIU/mL, and the GS cut-off size was 10.4 mm. In patients with hCG values less than 17757.0 mIU/mL, the MTX success rate was 75.0%. Fewer patients needed UAE or a laparotomy compared to patients with hCG values higher than 17757.0 mIU/mL (P = 0.007). In patients with a GS size less than 10.4 mm, the MTX success rate was 80.0%. Fewer patients among them needed UAE or a laparotomy compared to those among patients with a GS size greater than 10.4 mm (P = 0.089). In patients with hCG values and GS sizes lower than the cut-off values, the MTX success rate was 80.0%. Fewer patients among them needed UAE or a laparotomy compared to those among patients with hCG values and/or GS sizes higher than the cut-off values, respectively (P = 0.010). Conclusion: Patients with hCG values less than 17757.0 mIU/mL and GS sizes less than 10.4 mm may have a greater chance of successful systemic MTX treatment when it is used as the first line of treatment for CSP

Non-Invasive Prenatal Genetic Testing (NIPT) Leading to Prenatal Diagnosis of Trisomy 21 Mosaicism and 18q Deletion Syndrome: Two Cases

NIPT is non-definitive testing to estimate the possibility that fetuses have trisomy 21, trisomy 18, or trisomy 13. However, in NIPT-positive and indeterminate cases, rare chromosomal disease may become apparent, requiring advanced genetic considerations and counseling skills. We experienced two such cases, a trisomy 21 mosaicism case triggered by NIPT-positive status and 18q deletion syndrome triggered by NIPT-indeterminate status. These cases have two clinical implications for NIPT. First, it was revealed that trisomy mosaicism might be found in NIPT-positive cases that have lower Z-Scores than those inferred from the fraction of fetal cfDNA in the case of standard trisomy. Second, it is possible that microdeletion syndrome could be the reason for an indeterminate NIPT result. Today’s genetic counseling requires more expertise in ethics and communication as well as genetic science because NIPT can lead to totally unexpected results

Upregulation of Angiogenic Factors via Protein Kinase C and Hypoxia-induced Factor-1α Pathways under High-glucose Conditions in the Placenta

Abnormal glucose metabolism during pregnancy is an established risk factor for preeclampsia (PE). Disruption of the balance between placental angiogenic factors is linked to PE pathophysiology. We examined whether hypoxia-induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) and protein kinase Cβ (PKCβ) are involved in the regulation of placental angiogenic factors under high-glucose conditions in vitro. The human choriocarcinoma cell lines BeWo and JEG-3, and the human trophoblast cell line HTR-8/SVneo were cultured with 10 and 25 mmol/L glucose [control glucose group (CG) and high-glucose group (HG), respectively]. We examined the changes in HIF-1α, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the CG and HG by real-time PCR and ELISA. PKC activation was also measured by ELISA. The expressions of HIF-1α, sFlt-1, PlGF, and VEGF were significantly higher in the HG than in the CG. PKC activity was significantly increased in the HG. High glucose affected the expression of angiogenic factors in choriocarcinoma cells via the PKCβ and HIF-1α pathways, suggesting their involvement in PE pathogenesis

EG-VEGF Induces Invasion of a Human Trophoblast Cell Line via PROKR2

Extravillous trophoblast (EVT) invasion is important for embryo implantation, placental development, and successful remodeling of the uterine spiral artery. Endocrine gland derived-vascular endothelial growth factor (EG-VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are implicated in EVT invasion; however, the high con-centrations found in pregnancy pathologies have not been investigated in non-tumor trophoblasts. The roles of EG-VEGF, prokineticin receptors (PROKR1/2), MMP-2, and MMP-9 in EVT invasion during spiral artery remodeling were evaluated using human EVT from HTR-8/SVneo cell lines. The expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and Akt pathways in HTR-8/SVneo cells treated with recom-binant EG-VEGF alongside anti-PROKR1 and/or anti-PROKR2 antibodies was evaluated using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and western blotting. Wound-healing and cell invasion assays were performed to assess the migration and invasion of these treated cells. Interestingly, 20 nM EG-VEGF activated ERK1/2 sig-naling and upregulated MMP-2 and MMP-9. This effect was suppressed by anti-PROKR2 antibody via ERK1/2 downregulation. Anti-PROKR2 antibody inhibited the migration and invasion of EG-VEGF-stimulated HTR-8/SVneo cells. Elevated concentrations of EG-VEGF enhance EVT invasion in a human trophoblast cell line by upregulating MMP-2 and MMP-9 via PROKR2. These new insights into the regulation of epithelial cell invasion may help in developing therapeutic interventions for placental-related diseases during pregnancy

Diffuse myometrium thinning and placenta accreta spectrum in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): a case report and review of the literature

Background : Cases of uterine wall thinning and placental abnormalities complicated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during pregnancy have been reported in Asian countries for ten years. Long-term steroid use can cause muscle degeneration, but the mechanism of myometrium thinning was not known. Through the review of published articles, this report is the first review of cases to discuss the pathogenesis and clinical features of thinned myometrium and placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) in pregnant patients with SLE. Case presentation : A twenty-nine-year-old primigravida with a history of lupus enteritis and paralytic ileus had a natural conception after less than two years of steroid treatment. An ultrasonographic study showed a thin uterine wall with a widespread thick placenta on the entire surface of the uterine cavity in the third trimester. At the 39th gestational week, she underwent a cesarean section due to the failure of the uterus to contract, even though the injection of oxytocin. There were several engorged vessels on the surface of the anterior uterine wall at the time of laparotomy. We decided to perform a hysterectomy because diffuse PAS replaced her uterus. Conclusion : A review of reported cases and our case shows an unusual complication of SLE that might be related to the particular condition of the estrogen-mediated immune system. Clinicians should always pay attention to the possibility of uterine wall thinning as uterine atony and the structural abnormality of the placenta for SLE patients with the unscarred uterus

Exchange Transfusion and Cytarabine for Transient Abnormal Myelopoiesis in Hydrops Fetalis

Most cases of transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM) in neonates with Down syndrome (DS) resolve spontaneously; however, DS-TAM neonates with hydrops fetalis (HF) show poor clinical outcomes. We report three infants with DS-TAM and HF who were treated with exchange transfusion (ET) followed by low-dose cytarabine (LD-CA). All of them survived without developing liver failure, acute leukemia, or other serious adverse events. Our results suggest that this combination treatment with ET and LD-CA would be safe, tolerable and effective as an novel approach for DS-TAM patients with HF

Successful Delivery after Abdominal Radical Trachelectomy, Using Transabdominal Cerclage in Early Pregnancy

Radical trachelectomy (RT) is a fertility-sparing surgery for cervical cancer. Postoperative pregnancies have a high risk of abortion and prematurity. To prevent this, a procedure involving transabdominal cerclage (TAC) was devised for shortened cervical canals post-RT. Here we describe the successful management of a pregnancy after abdominal RT (ART). The 34-year-old patient was gravida 1, para 0. When she was 27, she underwent ART for stage Ib1 cervical cancer, and she became pregnant 7 years later. Because her cervical canal was 16.7 mm during early pregnancy, we performed TAC at 12 weeks of pregnancy. Post-surgery, we administered an infusion of ritodrine hydrochloride for tocolysis. A selective caesarean section was performed at 36 weeks, with the delivery of a healthy infant