Impact of amniotic fluid “sludge” on the risk of preterm delivery

Objective: To evaluate the impact of amniotic fluid “sludge” (AFS) on the risk of preterm delivery and to describe the effect of antibiotic treatment in that situation.

Methods: Case–control study including singleton pregnancies with or without AFS, between 15–32 weeks of gestation. Factors associated with preterm delivery before 32 weeks, 34 weeks and 37 weeks were evaluated with univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Since all women with AFS in this study were treated with antibiotics, a historical comparison was performed with similar patients with AFS found before 2007 and not treated with antibiotics.

Results: AFS was observed in 90/1220 patients (7.4%). AFS was associated with shorter cervical length, greater body mass index, cervical cerclage and preterm birth before 28 weeks. However, after adjustment, AFS did not remain associated with preterm delivery before 32 or 34 weeks. The historical comparison suggested that azithromycin could significantly reduce the risk of preterm delivery before 34 weeks (odds ratio: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.04–0.92).

Conclusions: AFS, treated with azithromycin, was associated with a higher risk of prematurity, but not independently after adjustment for cervical length and second trimester vaginal bleeding. Further studies need to evaluate the effect of antibiotics in pregnancies with AFS.     

子宫颈小细胞神经内分泌癌临床病理分析

目的探讨宫颈小细胞神经内分泌癌(small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix,SCNEC)的临床病理特征和免疫组化特点。方法对四川省妇幼保健院病理科和四川省人民医院病理科2006年1月至2014年6月诊治的8例宫颈小细胞神经内分泌癌进行组织形态学、免疫组化观察,并对其临床资料进行整理分析。结果 8例患者平均年龄45.6岁,均以阴道不规则出血或宫颈接触性出血就诊。组织学显示肿瘤由大小较为一致的圆形、卵圆形细胞构成。其中单纯性小细胞神经内分泌癌7例,合并腺癌成分1例。免疫组化:所有病例癌细胞细胞角蛋白(CK)不同程度阳性,且均有两种以上神经内分泌标记阳性,其中6例突触素(Syn)和嗜铬素(Cg A)均阳性,4例神经细胞黏附分子(CD56)阳性。随访7例患者,死亡3例。结论宫颈小细胞癌作为一种少见的高度恶性肿瘤,进展快,预后差,免疫组化神经内分泌标志阳性有助于诊断。     

HPV16E6与E-钙黏蛋白在不同宫颈病变组织中的表达与临床病理特征的相关性

目的 探讨人乳头瘤病毒(HPV) 16E6与E-钙黏蛋白在正常宫颈、宫颈上皮内瘤样变(CIN)、宫颈鳞癌中的表达意义.方法 采用免疫组化方法检测30例正常宫颈、34例CIN、60例宫颈鳞癌组织中HPV16E6与E-钙黏蛋白的表达,比较其表达差异,与临床病理特征的相关性.结果 HPV16E6在正常宫颈组织、CIN Ⅰ级、CINⅡ-Ⅲ级、宫颈鳞癌中的阳性表达率逐渐增加,差异有统计学意义(x2 =40.166,P=0.000);各组间两两比较除外正常组与CIN Ⅰ组、CIN Ⅰ组与CINⅡ-Ⅲ组(P=0.315,0.483),其余各组间差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).E-钙黏蛋白在正常宫颈、CIN Ⅰ级、CINⅡ-Ⅲ级、宫颈鳞癌组织中的阳性表达率逐渐减少,差异有统计学意义(x2=31.295,P=0.000),各组间两两比较除外正常组与CIN Ⅰ组、CIN Ⅰ组与CINⅡ-Ⅲ组(P=0.056,0.627),其余各组间差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).HPV16E6与E-钙黏蛋白阳性表达率与宫颈癌临床病理分期、肿瘤直径、组织病理学分级、肌层浸润都有关(P＜0.05),但两者的表达与年龄无关(P＞0.05).宫颈鳞癌组和CIN组中HPV16E6与E-钙黏蛋白的表达呈负相关(rs=-0.647,P=0.000).结论 宫颈病变级别增加与HPV16E6和E-钙黏蛋白阳性表达密切相关,提示宫颈癌预后不良;两种蛋白表达可能存在相互作用,且参与了宫颈癌的发生发展.     

Degradation of cartilage by macrophages in culture: Evidence for the involvement of an enzyme which is associated with the cell surface

A cell culture system is described in which purified mononuclear phagocytes may be cultured with a cartilage substrate which is radiolabelled in its proteoglycan. Resident mouse peritoneal macrophages degraded this substrate, and did so more avidly if cultured in direct contact with it. There was no evidence for complete intralysosomal degradation of the proteoglycan of the cartilage. Lysates were found to contain considerable activity at pH 7, which was inhibited by the presence of 10% serum, or by boiling the lysate.

Proximity of macrophages to the substrate did not induce selective release of the lysosomal marker enzyme hexosaminidase, and concentrated enzymes secreted from the macrophages after treatment with the lysosomotropic agent ammonium chloride were ineffective in degrading cartilage at neutral pH.

The active enzyme in macrophage lysates at neutral pH was found to be sedimentable by 100,000 × g centrifugation for 1 hour, in absence of lysosomal protective agents. There is evidence for a cell membrane-associated process in the degradation of cartilage by these cells, which may be a proteolytic, endoglycosidic or free radical-mediated event.     

子宫颈支原体感染与胚胎停止发育的关系

目的:探讨子宫颈支原体感染与胚胎停止发育的关系。方法:病例选取起止时间为2018年7月至2019年12月,入组200例病例均为本院收治的流产患者。对其临床资料进行回顾性分析,将发生子宫颈支原体感染患者纳入研究组(100例),将未发生感染患者纳入对比组(100例)。对比分析两组患者发生胚胎停止发育的情况。结果:组间对比,研究组患者发生胚胎停止发育的例数为32例,占比32.00%,对比组发生胚胎停止发育患者例数为12例,占比12.00%,研究组胚胎停止发育比例更高(P<0.05)。两组患者胚胎停育1次、2次以及3次以上比例无统计学差异(P>0.05),支原体感染与胚胎停育次数无正相关性。结论:子宫颈支原体感染是引发胚胎发育异常的重要原因,会引发不良妊娠结局。     

印迹基因IGF2与p53在子宫颈鳞癌、子宫颈上皮内瘤变及子宫颈炎中的表达及意义

目的：探讨IGF2与p53在子宫颈鳞癌、子宫颈上皮内瘤变（cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, CIN）及子宫颈炎中的表达及意义。方法采用免疫组化EnVision两步法检测IGF2与p53在45例子宫颈炎、126例CIN、47例子宫颈鳞癌组织中的表达,分析其与临床病理参数间的关系。结果子宫颈鳞癌组织中IGF2阳性表达显著高于CIN 及子宫颈炎（P<0.05）;p53阳性表达显著高于CIN 及子宫颈炎（P<0.0001）。子宫颈鳞癌组织中IGF2的阳性表达与浸润深度以及淋巴结转移呈负相关（P<0.05）。结论 IGF2、p53的异常表达与子宫颈鳞癌的发生密切相关。     

Necrotizing small-vessel vasculitis confined to the uterine cervix

OBJECTIVES: To report our experience with five cases of apparently isolated small-vessel vasculitis of the uterine cervix. METHODS: Case study of five patients with necrotizing vasculitis discovered incidentally in surgical specimens of the female genital tract, and a review of the pertinent literature on this subject. RESULTS: All patients lacked clinical and serological features of the well-delineated vasculitic syndromes. Comprehensive workup failed to yield any evidence of an underlying disorder. All patients were managed expectantly and did not develop systemic vasculitis during follow-up ranging from 6 months to 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Isolated vasculitis of the female genital tract can be encountered as an innocuous finding in otherwise healthy individuals. The cause and pathogenesis of this disorder remain obscure. Rheumatologists should be familiar with this rare and vexing form of vasculitis and with its benign prognosis.