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Objective: To study if neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are present in the peritoneal fluid of endometriosis patients. NETs play a crucial role in fighting against microorganisms. However, exaggerated NET production may lead to tissue damage in their vicinity in pathological conditions. Our study evaluates the presence of NETs in endometriosis peritoneal fluid., Study Design: Peritoneal fluid (PF) was collected in a case-control study from 52 women, who underwent either diagnostic or operative laparoscopy. The control group consisted of 17 women with infertility, chronic pelvic pain, simple or functional cysts or irregular bleeding. The endometriosis group, altogether 35 patients, comprised 19 patients with stage I and II and 16 patients with stage III and IV endometriosis. First we tested whether the PF is able to stimulate NET production. Neutrophils from healthy volunteers were treated with the PF of endometriosis patients and controls and NETs were detected with Sytox orange extracellular DNA dye and immunofluorescence microscopy. Then we evaluated if NETs were already present in the collected PF using the specific myeloperoxidase (MPO)-DNA capture ELISA method, based on the MPO associated with the NET scaffold., Results: The PF of endometriosis patients did not stimulate NET release from healthy granulocytes. However, pre-existent NETs could be detected in 17 endometriosis patients out of 35 (49%). In contrary, in the control group NETs were present in only 3 patients out of 17 (18%), (p=0.03, OR: 4.4). Moreover, the quantification of NETs showed a significantly higher amount of NETs in endometriosis compared to the controls (0.097 vs. 0.02, p=0.04)., Conclusion: This is the first study, which evaluated and described the presence of NETs in the PF of endometriosis patients. Our study shows, that NETs may be involved in the complex pathophysiology of endometriosis., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Surgical treatment of endometriosis aims to remove all visible areas of pelvic endometriosis and restore anatomy by division of adhesions, as well as relieve painful symptoms. In this paper, we summarize the advantages, disadvantages, and efficacy of different laparoscopic surgical procedures in the treatment of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain and infertility. Modern endometrial surgery primarily involves laparoscopy, while indication of previously widespread laparotomy has been restricted to special cases. Surgery for the treatment of peritoneal endometriosis includes several options: electrocoagulation, laser ablation, or excision of the lesions, all of which have similar efficacy in the therapy of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain and infertility. There are two effective techniques for treating ovarian endometrioma: excision (stripping) technique or ablation of the cyst wall. It has been conclusively proven that stripping provides a more favorable outcome than drainage and ablation with regard to alleviating pain symptoms and infertility. The treatment of deeply infiltrating endometriosis involves some of the most challenging dissections in endometrial surgery. Such deeply infiltrating lesions can be most securely removed with laser techniques. For example, rectovaginal septum endometriosis can be completely removed with laser therapy. In case of bowel endometriosis, the affected part of the bowel can be removed by segmental resection, disc resection, or superficial partial-thickness excision. In most cases segmental colorectal resection is employed, because it is the most effective treatment currently available. In case of slight ureteral endometriosis, laparoscopic ureterolysis can be an effective treatment option; however, with obstructive uropathy segmental resection and anastomosis are indicated. Laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation and praesacral neurectomy are ancillary procedures meant to further decrease endometriosis-associated pelvic pain symptoms. However, the efficacy of these techniques is not yet proven and currently they appear to offer no added benefits beyond those achievable with conservative surgery alone. The ever improving surgical techniques steadily increase the efficacy of the treatment of endometriosis-associated infertility and pelvic pain, as well as delay recurrence of the disease.

Objective: We aimed to analyze, based upon autopsy, the main characteristics of miscarriages in the second trimester., Methods: We have processed the results of fetopathological investigations of 544 aborted fetuses resulting from 486 second-trimester miscarriages., Results: Malformation could be identified in 13.05% of all cases. In almost one third of the patients there was a positive history. In the cases having a malformation, expressed dominance of male fetuses could be observed. Among the fetopathologically identified malformations, 49 were isolated. The most common was the single umbilical artery (22.4%). In 1.3% of the cases a chromosome aberration was verified., Conclusion: Miscarriage in pregnancies complicated by a malformation occurs approximately 3 weeks earlier than in cases without a confirmed malformation. There is practically no difference between affected and unaffected miscarriages as far as the cumulative ratio of positive history is concerned. A single umbilical artery alone predisposes to miscarriage, while in association with other malformations it may result from chromosome aberration., (Copyright (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Unlabelled: Fetopathologic investigations are of great importance since they are aimed at assessing the risks of a malformation to recur in a mother's future pregnancy., Aims: The authors wished to assess and analyse the accuracy of ultrasonography based on the results of fetopathologic investigations in view of malformations of higher prevalence., Study Design: The authors have processed the details of 683 cases affecting the nervous, cardiovascular, urinary and skeletal systems, and the abdominal/thoracic walls detected at our department in the period of 1995-2006., Results: No significant differences could be justified as far as the major statistical parameters of maternal and gestational ages at the time of the diagnosis were concerned. There were one or another positive detail in the history in a quarter of malformations affecting the central nervous, cardiovascular and skeletal systems and in one sixth of the cases with disorders of the urinary tract as well as the abdominal/thoracic wall. Urinary tract and cardiovascular malformations were far more common among male fetuses, while moderate female dominance could be observed in malformations of the central nervous system and of the abdominal/thoracic wall. In the four investigated groups of malformations, the proportion of sonographic diagnoses completely coinciding with the post mortem results was found to be approximately or more than 70%, but it was found to be much lower (38%) in urinary malformations. Based on the full sample, the cumulative proportion of coinciding sonographic and fetopathologic diagnoses were more than 63%, while completely incorrect ultrasonographic diagnoses amounted to 18%., Conclusions: (Even multiple) sonographic investigations are to be performed in a genetic centre if urinary tract malformation with subsequent oligohydramnion is detected. Since the associability of omphalocele and chromosome aberrations has been an established fact, and because some of the cases with omphalocele have been diagnosed as gastroschisis, it may be advisable to perform chromosome investigations in ultrasonographically diagnosed cases of gastroschisis. In cases of VSD, echocardiography should be performed in high-risk pregnancies even if ultrasonography cannot reveal any changes in the patients.

Background: Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-related disorder present in about 5-7% of all pregnancies. CD24 expression was recently reported in different diseases, while it has not yet been determined in pre-eclamptic placental tissues., Methods: We collected placental tissues from pre-eclamptic (n = 16) and healthy pregnancies (n = 16). We used the quantitative real-time PCR method with a primer-probe system for determination of CD24 gene expression., Results: We measured CD24 concentrations of 18.94 +/- 26.86 ng/microl in the pre-eclamptic and 53.85 +/- 92.05 ng/microl in the healthy placental tissues (p = 0.03)., Conclusions: The quantitative real-time PCR method is suitable to determine CD24 expression in placental tissues. We suppose the low expression of CD24 may cause the enhanced immune reaction and could play a role in the abnormal development of placenta in pre-eclampsia., ((c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.)