OBJECTIVES: Our purpose was 1) to determine whether elevated maternal serum alpha- fetoprotein(MSAFP) predict increased risk of spontaneous preterm delivery and indicated preterm delivery; 2) to determine whether elevated maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin(MSHCG) predict increased risk of preterm delivery. Methods: Between September 1995 and April 1998, 945 of 2105 pregnant women who received midtrimester MSAFP screening were identified and evaluated. 81 women with MSAFP levels of 2.0 MoM or more were included in the study group while 864 women with levels less than 2.0 MoM served as controls. Pregnancy outcome were obtained from hospital records and statistical analysis were performed. RESULTS: Women with elevated MSAFP levels showed an increased risk for preterm delivery(p<0.05), fetal growth restriction(p<0.05) and hypertensive disorders(p<0.05), but not for preterm premature rupture of membrane, fetal death in utero. There was a strong association between unexplained elevated MSAFP levels and spontaneous preterm delivery(p<0.05) but our study does not support an association between unexplained elevated MSAFP levels and indicated preterm delivery. There was no association between elevated MSHCG levels and preterm delivery regardless of MSAFP levels. CONCLUSION: We concluded that unexplained elevated levels of midtrimester MSAFP were associated with an elevated risk of spontaneous preterm delivery but not with a risk of indicated preterm delivery. Elevated MSHCG levels were not associated with a risk of preterm delivery and spontaneous preterm birth.
alpha-Fetoproteins* ; Chorion ; Extraembryonic Membranes ; Female ; Fetal Development ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnant Women ; Premature Birth* ; Rupture

OBJECTIVES: To compare the diagnostic and prognostic performance of amniotic fluid white blood cell(AF WBC) count and amniotic fluid culture for the prenatal diagnosis of intrauterine infection and the prediction of neonatal outcomes in patients with preterm labor and intact membranes. Methods: Amniocentesis was performed in 75 patients with preterm labor and intact membranes, who delivered preterm neonates within 72 hours after amniocentesis. AF WBC was determined and amniotic fluid was cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria as well as mycoplasma. The relations among placental histologic findings, perinatal outcome, AF WBC count, and AF culture were examined. Student t test, Mann Whitney U test, lamda2 test, Fisher's exact test, modified t test, and logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Microbial invasion of the amniotic fluid was more frequent in the patients with histologic chorioamnionitis than patients without histologic chorioamnionitis (28.9% vs 5.4%, p<0.05), and patients with histologic chorioamnionitis had significantly higher amniotic fluid white blood cell counts than those patients without such lesion (median 99, range 0-3024 cells/mm3 vs median 1, range 0-180 cells/mm3, p<0.01). Amniotic fluid white blood cell count (> or = 50cell/mm3) had a sensitivity of 55.3%(21/38) and a specificity of 94.6%(35/37) for the diagnosis of histologic chorioamnionitis and a sensitivity of 47.5%(19/40) and specificity of 90.9%(30/33) for the prediction of significant neonatal morbidity (defined as neonatal sepsis, respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or necrotizing enterocolitis). These sensitivities were significantly higher than those of amniotic fluid culture (for histologic chorioamnionitis, 55.3% vs 28.9% ; for significant neonatal morbidity, 47.5% vs 25.0%, p<0.01 for each). CONCLUSION: Amniotic fluid WBC count is a more sensitive test for the prenatal diagnosis of intrauterine infection and for the prediction of significant neonatal morbidity than amniotic fluid culture in the patients with preterm labor and intact membranes.
Amniocentesis ; Amniotic Fluid* ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Chorioamnionitis ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukocyte Count* ; Leukocytes* ; Logistic Models ; Membranes* ; Mycoplasma ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Pneumonia ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sepsis

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to analyze the relation between p53 mutation and cervical adenocarcinoma without HPV infection. METHODS: From 1998 to 2002, 54 patients were diagnosed with cervical adenocarcinoma and underwent radical hysterectomy at Seoul National University Hospital. Of them, 50 patients were available for review of medical records and histologic examination. Using ABC method, we performed immunohistochemical staining. If there is 10% or more of staining positive, it was read positive. And we used HPVDNAChip for detection of HPV. RESULTS: Of the 50 patients, 45 (90.0%) patients were positive for high risk HPV and 4 patients (8.0%) were p53 positive. In the patients with negative for p53, there were significantly more patient with HPV positive (p=0.04). Advanced stage of cervical adenocarcinoma was related to high rate of positivity of p53, but it was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: In patients who diagnosed cervical adenocarcinoma without HPV infection, there were over expression of p53. This suggests that abnormality of p53 may be related to pathogenisis of cervical adenocarcinoma without HPV infection.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Humans* ; Hysterectomy ; Medical Records ; Papillomavirus Infections* ; Seoul

PURPOSE: Cervical neoplasias are known to be preventable. But the outcome of our efforts for early detection in Korea is disappointing. This study was undertaken to determine the level of screening participation in Korean women with cervical cancer and how the early detection of cervical cancer might be improved. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and forty-nine women with cervical cancer diag- nosed and treated at Seoul National University Hospital from September 1996 to February 1998 were subjected to this study. Self-reported cervical cancer screening histories, med- ical records obtainable were reviewed and analysed. RESULTS: One hundred forty-seven women (147/249; 59.0%) hadn't got through the screen- ing at proper intervals. Ninety-nine women (39.9%) had never been screened and remain- ing 48 (19.3%) hadn't had their last Pap test 3 years before their diagnosis of nvasive cancer. Of the 150 women (60.1%) who had ever had a Pap test, only 47 (18.9%) had had annual Pap test during recent 5 years and 55 (22.1%) had had routine Pap test with interval between 1-3 years. Among 102 women who had at least one Pap test during recent 3 year, 73 (71.6%) had had a normal Pap report within three years of diagnosis, including 36 (35.3%) whose last normal Pap report was within a year of diagnosis. This results suggest the possibilities of smear-taking and/or reading errors. Women who had had routine Pap with interval less than 3 years had significantfy less chance of advanced tumor (FIGO stage Ib < ) than unscreened population. There was a statistically significant trend for the more younger and educated groups to be participated at the screening program with more shortened interval. All the other factors had failed to show significant correlation with adequacy or regularity of screening interval. CONCLUSIONS: Despite widespread chance of opportunistic cervical cancer screening, non-participants form the main reason for the failure of cervical cancer screening in Korea. So, far much efforts should be aimed at participating more women in cervical cytologic screening program, especially in the old-aged and less-educated groups.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening* ; Nose ; Seoul ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Metastasis to the uterus from extrapelvic malignancy is rare. We experienced a patient who underwent a total gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy due to gastric cancer and subsequently suffered from recurrence at the site of the uterine myoma. This is the first known case report of metastatic adenocarcinoma at uterine myoma from gastric cancer in Korea. We report this case with a brief review of literature.
Adenocarcinoma ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Korea ; Myoma ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Uterus