OBJECTIVE: The differential expression patterns of the two progesterone receptor (PR) isoforms, PRA and PRB were examined using immunohistochemistry and real time quantitative RT-PCR in normal and neoplastic ovarian tissues, and in cell lines derived from epithelial ovarian cancer and breast cancer as a positive control in order to further elucidate the possible involvement of progesterone in the development of ovarian neoplasia. METHODS: Breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and ovarian cancer cell line SNU-8 were seeded to 24-well plate with 5 X 10(5) cell/well and incubated overnight. Those cell lines were treated with 17-beta-estradiol and incubated for another 24 hrs. RNA were purified for RT-PCR and whole cell prepared total proteins were subject to immunoblot with DAB-staining. DNA ladder pattern and flowcytometry were studied to evaluate progestins induced apoptosis in the ovarian epithelium. RESULTS: The median H-scores for PR isoforms in normal (n=8), benign (n=10), borderline (n=8) and malignant (n=24) ovarian tissues were as follows; PRA: 194.0, 171.0, 49.5, 0.0 (P<0.05), and PRB: 175.0, 180.5, 251.5, 168.5, respectively. In ovarian cancer cell line (SNU-8), PRB/PRAB mRNA ratio was not increased by 17-beta-estradiol, but that ratio was increased by 17-beta-estradiol in breast cancer cell line (MCF 7). Immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that PRB protein expression was markedly up- regulated in SNU-8, whereas the PRA and PRB isoforms both appeared to be increased in MCF-7. DNA ladder pattern was increased in dose and time related exposure of progestins and apoptotic cells were markedly increased during exposure progestins in ovarian cancer cell line were found by flowcytometry. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that down-regulation of PRA is associated with the development of ovarian epithelial carcinoma. Progestins can activate the apoptotic pathway in the ovarian epithelium for protection of normal tissues from neoplatic transformation suggests that progestins deserve further evaluation as potential ovarian cancer preventive agents.
Apoptosis ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Line ; DNA ; Down-Regulation ; Epithelium ; Female ; Immunoblotting ; Immunohistochemistry ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ovary* ; Progesterone* ; Progestins ; Protein Isoforms* ; Receptors, Progesterone* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger

Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Leiomyoma ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Uterus ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; Venous Thrombosis ; diagnosis ; surgery

No abstract available.
Female ; Fetal Heart* ; Hearing* ; Heart Rate, Fetal* ; Pregnancy

Several international initiatives have taken place with themes such as "Men as Partners in reproductive health". Furthermore, many articles have recently been published concerning men's preconception care before pregnancy. However, little attention has been paid to this field in Korea. The concept of preconception health and health care for men is very important for pregnancy outcomes, and furthermore, for the health of their future families. Men's contribution to the pregnancy is clear for planned pregnancy and also offers an opportunity for disease prevention and health promotion in men themselves. This paper reviews the important concept of men's health for preparing for pregnancy, and summarizes key component of a comprehensive approach to optimizing the preconception health status of men as expecting fathers. In fact, many clinicians including most obstetricians-gynecologists in Korea are not trained to provide preconception health and care for men. In addition, no consensus has been developed on basic guidelines for preconception care including the pregnancy planning for men and women, laboratory tests before pregnancy, vaccination programs, and much more information on preparing for a successful pregnancy. To improve preconception care for men in Korea, many barriers must be overcome, such as lack of national services, financing, organization, and men's and women's understanding of the importance of preconception health for their pregnancy. Therefore, much more research is needed on men's preconception care in Korea.
Consensus ; Delivery of Health Care ; Family Planning Services ; Fathers ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Korea ; Male ; Men's Health ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Vaccination

A 29-year-old woman presented with secondary amenorrhea, primary infertility, and virilization, which had developed over the past 2 years was suspected to have a virilizing tumor at her left ovary. Her serum testosterone level was markedly elevated (380 ng/dL). Left salpingooophorectomy was performed, and histopathological examination revealed a thecoma of the left ovary. The postoperative serum testosterone level returned to 65 ng/dL. The patient did not have regression of virilism soon. However, the patient had a normal menstruation 29 days after surgery and gave birth to a baby 13 months after surgery.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Menstruation ; Ovarian Neoplasms/blood/*complications/*surgery ; Ovariectomy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Testosterone/blood ; Thecoma/blood/*complications/*surgery ; Virilism/blood/*etiology/surgery

Congenital malformations are a common cause of illness, handicapping conditions, and death. Errors of morphogenesis leading to congenital anomalies have many recognized causes, including specific single-gene mutations, chromosome imbalances, and the action of teratogenic agents. Most congenital anomalies, however, are of multifactorial origin, occurring by complex interactions between not yet well understood genetic and environmental factors. Two to six percent of the newborn babies worldwide, i.e., 3 to 9 million infants a year, suffer from major congenital anomalies and genetic diseases. However, a great deal of this misery could be avoided. In particular, preconception care is more important than prenatal care for prevention of congenital anomalies since as many as 30 percent of pregnant women begin traditional prenatal care in the second trimester (>13 weeks of gestation), which is after the period of maximal organogenesis. Women and their partners whose ethnic background, race, or personal or family history places them at increased risk of having a fetus with a genetic disease should receive appropriate counseling. Furthermore, certain laboratory tests of the infection status of couples may be helpful in assessing the risk for and preventing some complications during pregnancy. Preconception evaluation and appropriate counseling permits parents to make informed reproductive decisions and provides reassurance.
Continental Population Groups ; Counseling ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Fetus ; Genetic Counseling ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Morphogenesis ; Organogenesis ; Parents ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnant Women ; Prenatal Care

No abstract available.
Female ; Fetal Heart* ; Heart Rate, Fetal* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy*

OBJECTIVE: Although marker chromosome is defined as an abnormal chromosome in which no part can be identified, derivative chromosomes with structural abnormalities of unknown origin are also called as marker chromosomes conventionally. The clinical significance of a marker chromosome is determined according to the origin of marker chromosome. In this study reverse painting fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) methods were employed to elucidate the origin of marker chromosomes in 5 clinical cases. METHODS: Reverse painting probes were generated from five copies of each marker chromosomes microdissected with micromanipulator, amplified with DOP-PCR, and labeled with fluorochromes. The probes were hybridized to normal metaphases. For CGH, normal control and patients' DNA were directly labeled with spectrum-red-dUTP and spectrum-green-dUTP by CGH nick translation kit, and hybridized to normal reference metaphases. The CGH images were captured with a computer controlled fluorescence microscope equipped with a CCD camera and analyzed by Cytovision workstation. RESULTS: Five marker chromosomes were identified as follows (1) derivative chromosome 15 inducing partial trisomy of 15pter->q21, (2) isochromosome of 18p causing 18p tetrasomy, (3) short arm of chromosome 5 causing 5p trisomy (4) small accessory chromosome originated from centromeric region of chromosome Xq11->q12 (5) der(17) with inverted duplication of the short arm of chromosome 17. In all cases the origin of each marker chromosomes were identified successfully with reverse painting FISH, and these results were concordant with the CGH profiles. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that combined reverse painting FISH and CGH is a rapid, convinient and powerful tool to identify the origin of marker chromosomes and derivative chromosomes caused by various chromosome abnormalities such as translocation, duplication, deletion.
Arm ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 15 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5 ; Comparative Genomic Hybridization* ; DNA ; Fluorescence* ; Fluorescent Dyes ; In Situ Hybridization* ; Isochromosomes ; Metaphase ; Paint* ; Paintings* ; Tetrasomy ; Trisomy

Placenta increta is a life threatening complication of pregnancy, causing severe post-curettage bleeding. It is usually presented in the postpartum period with hemorrhage during difficult placental removal. It is especially rare in the 1st and 2nd trimesters, which is not easy to find and diagnose. We have confirmed a case of placenta increta after emergency hysterectomy due to severe vaginal bleeding following the dilatation and curettage during the 1st trimester of her pregnancy. So we report it with a brief case history and review of the concerned literatures.
Dilatation and Curettage ; Emergencies ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Placenta Accreta* ; Placenta* ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First* ; Uterine Hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE: This study was organized to find out whether there are differences between pregravid weight, body mass index, weight gain during pregnancy and birth weight in 1989 and 1999. Also it was designed to find out the factors which influenced the birth weight changes. METHODS: A total of 725 (313 in 1989, 412 in 1999) pregnant women who had term delivery in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hanyang University Hospital were recruited for the study. Pregravid weight, body mass index, weight gain during pregnancy, body weight at the time of delivery and birth weight were examined through medical records retrospectively. RESULTS: Pregnant women in 1999 were older (29.7 +/- 3.7 yr vs 28.3 +/- 3.2 yr, p=0.0001), pregravid weight (54.0 +/- 7.5 kg vs 50.7 +/- 5.5 kg, p=0.0001), height (159.6 +/- 4.8 cm vs 158.5 +/- 4.7 cm, p=0.002), body mass index (21.2 +/- 2.8 kg/m2 vs 20.2 +/- 2.1 kg/m2, p=0.0001), weight gain during pregnancy (13.6 +/- 4.8 kg vs 12.8 +/- 4.6 kg, p=0.016) and birth weight (3103 +/- 652 gm vs 2993 +/- 843 gm, p=0.025) compared with those in 1989. The frequency of overweight (BMI>26) in pregravid was significantly higher in 1999 (9.4%) than in 1989 (1.9%) (p=0.0001). Weight gain during pregnancy were lower in over-weight pregravid than in normal or under-weight pregravid in both year, but birth weight was not different according to pregravid weight in both years. Compared to the weight gain during pregnancy less than 16 kg, women who gained weight more than 16 kg during pregnancy were significantly taller and weighed more at the time of delivery, and showed increased birth weight than those who gained weight during pregnancy less than 16 kg in both years. Weight gain during pregnancy was higher in over-weight pregravid than normal or under-weight pregravid in 1999 (p=0.012). The gain of body weight at the time of delivery in 1999 compared to those in 1989 is the most important factor for the birth weight change between two years. The increased pregravid weight, greater weight gain during pregnancy, and increased BMI also had an impact on the increasing birth weight in 1999. CONCLUSION: It is considered that physical characteristics of pregnant women in 1999 have been changed compared to those in 1989, and this change might be responsible for a birth weight increase.
Birth Weight ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Obstetrics ; Overweight ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Retrospective Studies ; Weight Gain ; Weights and Measures*