Aim
To evaluate whether the first Covid‐19 lockdown for Italian citizens (March to July 2021) might have altered the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
Methods
A retrospective ...single‐center study in a tertiary referral center. Primary outcome was the incidence of GDM among pregnant women. GDM incidence, from June 11, 2019 to December 4, 2020, was compared by dividing the study time as follows: from the beginning of the study to before Covid‐19 lockdown (from June 11, 2019, to March 9, 2020) and lockdown period (from March 10, 2020, to December 4, 2020). GDM was diagnosed with a 75‐g, 2‐h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24–28 gestational weeks.
Results
Concerning 1295 women, GDM incidence increased during the lockdown period (9.3% vs. 3.4%, p < 0.001). Higher pregnancy weight gain with an increased body mass index (BMI) at the delivery was reported during the lockdown (31.3 vs. 28.4 kg/m2, p = 0.02 and mean weight gain of 9.3 vs. 6.6 kg, p = 0.007). There was no difference in other comorbidity incidence and OGTT values between the two groups.
Conclusions
Pregnant women during the Covid‐19 lockdown might have experienced higher BMI and pregnancy weight gain with increased GDM diagnoses. This may be related to physical limitations and emotional distress experienced during the lockdown. However, evidence is limited due to restricted study duration and random variations of outcomes across time. More studies are needed to understand the dietary patterns and the physical activity changes during the Covid‐19 lockdown and its impact on fetal outcomes.
Abstract Context Surgery represents the mainstay of treatment for pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Among different surgical procedures, abdominal sacrocolpopexy (SC) is the gold standard for apical or ...multicompartmental POP. Research has recently focused on the role of robot-assisted sacrocolpopexy (RASC). Objective To conduct a systematic review on the outcomes of RASC. Evidence acquisition PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases as well as ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for English-language literature on RASC. A total of 509 articles were screened; 50 (10%) were selected, and 27 (5%) were included. Studies were evaluated per the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system and the European Association of Urology guidelines. Evidence synthesis Overall, data on 1488 RASCs were collected from 27 studies, published from 2006 to 2013. Objective and subjective cures ranged from 84% to 100% and from 92% to 95%, respectively. Conversion rate to open surgery was <1% (range: 0–5%). Intraoperative, severe postoperative complications, and mesh erosion rates were 3% (range: 0–19%), 2% (range: 0–8%), and 2% (range: 0–8%), respectively. Surgical-related outcomes have improved with increased experience, with an estimated learning curve of about 10–20 procedures. Laparoscopic SC is less costly than RASC, although the latter has lower costs than abdominal SC. Conclusions RASC is a safe and feasible procedure for POP; it allows the execution of complex surgical steps via minimally invasive surgery without medium- and long-term anatomic detriments. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings. Patient summary We looked at the outcomes of robotic sacrocolpopexy for prolapse. We found that the use of robotic technology is safe and effective for the treatment of prolapse in women.
Background: in recent years, many studies were carried out to explore the role of vaginal microbiota in HPV infections and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) progression. The aim of this study ...was to conduct a review of the literature to analyze the interaction between the vaginal microbiota, the CIN, and the immunological response. Methods: we performed a literature search, considering papers published between November 2015 and September 2021. Results: despite significant evidence suggesting a role of vaginal microbiota in the pathogenesis of HPV-related lesions, some studies still struggle to demonstrate this correlation. However, the vaginal microbiota of HPV-positive women shows an increased diversity, combined with a reduced relative abundance of Lactobacillus spp. and a higher pH. In cervical dysplasia progression, a strong association is found with new bacteria, and with the deregulation of pathways and hyperexpression of cytokines leading to chronic inflammation. Conclusions: in HPV progression, there is a strong correlation between potential biomarkers, such as Sneathia and Delftia found in community state types IV and II, and chronic inflammation with cytokine overexpression. Better analysis of these factors could be of use in the prevention of the progression of the disease and, eventually, in new therapeutic strategies.
This paper describes the clinical practice and performance of cell-free DNA sequencing-based non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) as a screening method for fetal trisomy 21, 18, and 13 (T21, T18, and ...T13) and sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCA) in a general Italian pregnancy population.
The AMES-accredited laboratory offers NIPT in maternal blood as a screening test for fetal T21, T18, T13 and SCA. Samples were sequenced on a NextSeq 550 (Illumina) using the VeriSeq NIPT Solution v1 assay.
A retrospective analysis was performed on 36,456 consecutive maternal blood samples, including 35,650 singleton pregnancies, 800 twin pregnancies, and 6 triplet pregnancies. Samples were tested between April 2017 and September 2019. The cohort included 46% elevated-risk and 54% low-risk patients. A result indicative of a classic trisomy was found in 356 (1%) of singleton or twin samples: 254 T21, 69 T18, and 33 T13. In addition, 145 results (0.4%) were indicative of a SCA. Of the combined 501 screen-positive cases, 484 had confirmatory diagnostic testing. NIPT results were confirmed in 99.2% (247/249) of T21 cases, 91.2% (62/68) of T18 cases, 84.4% (27/32) of T13 cases, and 86.7% (117/135) of SCA cases. In the 35,955 cases reported as unaffected by a classic trisomy or SCA, no false negative cases were reported. Assuming that false negative results would be reported, the sensitivity of NIPT was 100.00% for T21 (95% Cl 98.47-100.0), T18 (95% Cl 94.17-100.0), and T13 (95% Cl 87.54-100.0). The specificities were 99.99% (95% Cl 99.98-100.0), 99.98% (95% Cl 99.96-100.0), 99.99% (95% Cl 99.97-100.0), and 99.95% (95% Cl 99.92-99.97) for T21, T18, T13, and SCA, respectively.
This retrospective analysis of a large cohort of consecutive patients who had whole-genome sequencing-based NIPT for classic trisomies and SCA shows excellent detection rates and low false positive rates.
Bone is a dynamic tissue, whose homeostasis is maintained by a fine balance between osteoclast (OC) and osteoblast (OB) activity. The endocannabinoid/endovanilloid (EC/EV) system's receptors are the ...cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1), the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), and the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1). Their stimulation modulates bone formation and bone resorption. Bone diseases are very common worldwide. Osteoporosis is the principal cause of bone loss and it can be caused by several factors such as postmenopausal estrogen decrease, glucocorticoid (GC) treatments, iron overload, and chemotherapies. Studies have demonstrated that CB1 and TRPV1 stimulation exerts osteoclastogenic effects, whereas CB2 stimulation has an anti-osteoclastogenic role. Moreover, the EC/EV system has been demonstrated to have a role in cancer, favoring apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation. In particular, in bone cancer, the modulation of the EC/EV system not only reduces cell growth and enhances apoptosis but it also reduces cell invasion and bone pain in mouse models. Therefore, EC/EV receptors may be a useful pharmacological target in the prevention and treatment of bone diseases. More studies to better investigate the biochemical mechanisms underlining the EC/EV system effects in bone are needed, but the synthesis of hybrid molecules, targeting these receptors and capable of oppositely regulating bone homeostasis, seems to be a promising and encouraging prospective in bone disease management.
Background
Besides reducing the quality of obstetric care, the direct impact of COVID‐19 on pregnancy and postpartum is uncertain.
Objective
To evaluate the characteristics of pregnant women who died ...due to COVID‐19.
Search strategy
Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched from inception to February 2021.
Selection criteria
Studies that compared deceased and survived pregnant women with COVID‐19.
Data collection and analysis
Relevant data were extracted and tabulated. The primary outcome was maternal co‐morbidity.
Main results
Thirteen studies with 154 deceased patients were included. Obesity doubled the risk of death (relative risk RR 2.48, 95% confidence interval CI 1.41–4.36, I2 = 0%). No differences were found for gestational diabetes (RR 5.71; 95% CI 0.77–42.44, I2 = 94%) or asthma (RR 2.05, 95% CI 0.81–5.15, I2 = 0%). Overall, at least one severe co‐morbidity showed a twofold increased risk of death (RR 2.26, 95% CI 1.77–2.89, I2 = 76%). Admission to intensive care was related to a fivefold increased risk of death (RR 5.09, 95% CI 2.00–12.98, I2 = 56%), with no difference in need for respiratory support (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.23–1.48, I2 = 95%) or mechanical ventilation (RR 4.34, 95% CI 0.96–19.60, I2 = 58%).
Conclusion
COVID‐19 with at least one co‐morbidity increases risk of intensive care and mortality.
Synopsis
Pregnant women with COVID‐19 infection and at least one severe co‐morbidity experience increased risk of death and admission to the intensive care unit.
Atraumatic childbirth: is it a utopia? Braga, Andrea; Caccia, Giorgio; Papadia, Andrea ...
International Urogynecology Journal,
03/2020, Letnik:
31, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Female childhood cancer survivors (CCS) might have impaired ovarian reserves, especially after alkylating agents or radiotherapy. The purpose of this systematic review and network meta-analysis is to ...evaluate the role of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) for ovarian reserve screening and the risk of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) according to the subtype of childhood cancer. (2) Methods: PRISMA-NMA guidelines were followed. We carried out a network meta-analysis based on a random effects model for mixed multiple treatment comparisons to rank childhood cancers effects on fertility by surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Studies were selected only if they had an age-matched control group. Quality assessment was performed using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The co-primary outcomes were mean AMH levels and the incidence of POI. (3) Results: A total of 8 studies (1303 participants) were included. Women treated for a neuroblastoma during infancy were more likely to be ranked first for impaired AMH levels (SUCRA = 65.4%), followed by mixed CCS (SUCRA = 29.6%). The greatest rates of POI were found in neuroblastoma survivors (SUCRA = 42.5%), followed by acute lymphoid leukemia (SUCRA = 26.3%) or any other neoplasia (SUCR A = 20.5%). (4) Conclusions: AMH represents a trustworthy approach for ovarian reserve screening. Direct and indirect comparisons found no differences in mean AMH levels and POI risk between subtypes of CCS and healthy controls. SUCRA analysis showed that female neuroblastoma survivors were more at risk for reduced serum AMH levels and increased risk of POI.
Abstract Background One of the most effective and popular current procedures for the surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is tension-free midurethral slings. Objective To evaluate ...the outcomes of women with retropubic tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) for urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) after 10-yr follow-up. Design, setting, and participants This was a prospective observational study. Consecutive women with proven USI were treated with TVT. Patients with mixed incontinence and/or anatomic evidence of pelvic organ prolapse were excluded. Intervention Standard retropubic TVT. Measurements Patients underwent preoperative clinical and urodynamic evaluations. During follow-up examinations, women were assessed for subjective satisfaction and objective cure rates. Multivariable analyses were performed to investigate outcomes. Results and limitations A total of 63 women were included. After 10 yr, 5 patients (8%) were lost or no longer evaluable. The 10-yr subjective, objective, and urodynamic cure rates were 89.7%, 93.1%, and 91.4%, respectively. These rates were stable across the whole study period ( p > 0.99). De novo overactive bladder was reported by 30.1% and 18.9% of patients at 3-mo and 10-yr follow-up, respectively ( p for trend = 0.19). A total of 84.2% of women with detrusor overactivity received antimuscarinic drugs, but 43.8% were nonresponders 12 wk later. At multivariable analysis, maximum detrusor pressure during the filling phase >9 cm H2 O (hazard ratio HR: 16.2; p = 0.01) and maximum detrusor pressure during the voiding phase ≤29 cm H2 O (HR: 8.0; p = 0.01) were independent predictors for the recurrence of SUI, as well as obesity was for the recurrence of objective SUI (HR: 17.1; p = 0.01) and of USI (HR: 8.9; p = 0.02), respectively. Intraoperatively, bladder perforation occurred in two cases; no severe bleeding or other complications occurred. Conclusions The 10-yr results of this study seem to demonstrate that TVT is a highly effective option for the treatment of female SUI, recording a very high cure rate with low complications after a 10-yr follow-up.
: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent, inflammatory, gynecological disorder represented by the migration of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. It can manifest through gynecological and ...gastrointestinal (GI) signs. Given the hormonal imbalances in endometriosis and the effect of microbiota on immune dysfunction, it has been thought that the human microbiome may play a role in its pathogenesis, acting differently before and after laparotomy. The aim of this review is to establish whether there is an interaction between endometriosis and gut microbial composition.
: We aimed to review available literature by systematically searching five databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ScienceDirect. We included records describing gut microbiota in the context of endometriosis-observing PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines-to recognize the presence of disease by the expression of bacterial taxa-based on 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing analysis.
: Among 10 studies selected, there were four review articles and six clinical trials. The latter identified significant differences at a genus level in increased Prevotella, Blautia, and Bifidobacterium and decreased Paraprevotella, Ruminococcus, and Lachnospira (
< 0.05). In patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy, Proteobacteria phylum increased from 34.36% before surgery to 54.04% after surgery (
< 0.05).
: Although scientific literature reports different characterizations of intestinal microbiota in endometriotic patients, further evidence is needed to develop new diagnostic-therapeutic strategies, for example, administration with probiotics before surgery.
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