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Biomedical subjects

G Decavalas

Publications and source records attributed to G Decavalas.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Amniotic fluid endothelin levels and the incidence of premature rupture of membranes.

Objective. The purpose of this prospective study was to record Endothelin 1 (ET1) concentrations in the second trimester amniotic fluid and in women who develop premature rupture of membranes (PROM), preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM) and in women with uneventful pregnancies. Method. Amniotic fluid was retrieved by amniocentesis from 125 women in the second trimester of pregnancy. The levels of Endothelin were measured by a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay. Results. From the 125 women included in the study 20 developed PROM and preterm PROM (13 PPROM and 7 PROM). The ET1 concentration was significantly higher (P<0.001) in PROM and PPROM than in normal pregnancy (96.4 vs. 43 pg/ml). The sub-analysis of the two rupture of membranes groups found that the concentration of ET1 was higher in the PPROM than in PROM (118 vs. 72 pg/ml). Conclusion. The amniotic fluid concentration of ET1 is elevated by the second trimester in women who later develop preterm PROM or term PROM.

Adult↗

Synchronous primary endometrial and ovarian cancers: a case report.

Synchronous primary cancers of the endometrium and ovary are relatively uncommon in the general population. The patient, a 49-year-old postmenopausal Greek woman, presented with abdominal pain and a pelvic mass. She underwent total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, total omentectomy, appendectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection. The histopathology revealed synchronous primary cancers of the endometrium and right ovary. She underwent postoperative chemotherapy. Thirty-nine months after surgery, she remains well without evidence of recurrence.

Endometrial Neoplasms↗

Second trimester amniotic fluid endothelin concentration. A possible predictor for pre-eclampsia.

The mechanism of pre-eclampsia is still an enigma. There is now some evidence that amniotic concentrations of endothelin is elevated in pregnancies associated with pre-eclampsia. The aim of this prospective observational study was to record the concentration of amniotic fluid endothelin and compare this in women who develop pre-eclampsia and women who do not develop pre-eclampsia. Amniotic fluid concentration of endothelin is elevated by the second trimester in women who later develop pre-eclampsia.

Adult↗

Endometriosis and ovarian dysgenesis: a case report.

The pathogenesis of endometriosis remains unclear. The latest studies have integrated information which clarify various aspects, but the data remain incomplete. The term "ovarian dysgenesis" represents a wide variety of syndromes, in which Turner syndrome is the most prevalent. The coexistence of endometriosis and Turner syndrome is extremely rare, and therefore poses certain questions on the mechanisms of endometriosis. We present a case of a 33-year-old woman with Turner syndrome, primary amenorrhea and menopausal hormonal profile in which peritoneal endometriosis (white opacification type) was revealed laparoscopically.

Adult↗

Short-term verus long-term prophylactic tocolysis in patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes.

A randomised prospective clinical trial was conducted over a 7-year period (1987-1993) in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Patras. The purpose of this study was to compare two management protocols of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM). Two-hundred forty-one women entered the study and were assigned randomly to one of two groups. Group A consisted of 105 subjects who were managed expectantly (tocolysis used for 48 h only, if necessary, to permit full course of steroid therapy), while Group B consisted of 136 subjects, in whom aggressive tocolysis was utilised. The differences in the latency period (time from rupture of membranes to the onset of labour) were not statistically significant between the two groups. On the contrary, statistically significant differences in the incidence of chorioamnionitis and postpartum endomyometritis were found between the two groups (higher in Group B). Twelve subjects in Group A (12/105, 11.4%) and 40 in Group B (40/136, 29.4%) had chorioamnionitis. The relative risk (RR) was 2.47 (95% C.I. 1.42-4.66, P < 0.001). Endomyometritis was diagnosed in 20 subjects in Group A (20/105, 19%) and in 45 in Group B (45/136, 33.3%). The RR was 1.74 (95% C.I. 1.10-2.75, P < 0.05). These data suggest that long term prophylactic tocolytic therapy in patients with PPROM, while without demonstrated benefit, may result in an increased risk of maternal infectious morbidity, and raise the cost of treatment.

Chorioamnionitis↗

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in gravidas and recently aborted women and study of risk factors.

Two hundred seventeen parturients and eighty six recent aborters were screened for IgM and IgG toxoplasma antibodies. Age, profession, educational level, residence (urban/rural), presence of cat and other domestic animals were recorded for each subject. None of the subjects was IgM-positive. Prevalence of IgG positivity was 52.3% in the parturients and 50.2% in the recently aborted women. None of the personal or social characteristics investigated could be related to IgG positivity. However, the frequency of toxoplasma antibodies was found to be higher in recent aborters from rural areas where contact with soil is common regardless of whether cats are kept as pets or not. This study confirms other investigators' conclusion on the importance of soil contact as a risk factor for infection.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Prevalence of asymptomatic carriers of Chlamydia trachomatis among pregnant and non-pregnant women in south-western Greece.

One-hundred-ninety-three pregnant and seventy five non-pregnant women, aged 18-35 years, were examined for endocervical infection with Chlamydia trachomatis using an enzyme immunoassay technique on cervical specimens. Chlamydia trachomatis was discovered in 7.2% of the pregnant women and in 10.6% of the non-pregnant ones. There was no correlation between chlamydia infection and either previous vulvovaginitis, previous pregnancies or pregnancy outcome. However, younger, more highly educated women with high sexual promiscuity tended to be more frequently colonized.

Adolescent↗

Low frequency of isozyme 2 acid a-glucosidase in Greece.

The isozyme type 2 of acid a-glucosidase, identified by "affinity" starch gel electrophoresis, was found to have a gene frequency of 0.001 in an unselected Greek population from Southwestern Greece. The estimated frequency of the heterozygote in the population is 1 in 500 and of type 2 homozygote 10(-6). This frequency is by far lower than that reported in Europeans and other populations. This may be a characteristic of the Greek gene pool at the acid a-glucosidase locus or it may be present in populations of neighbouring countries as well.

Alleles↗