American journal of obstetrics and gynecology
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Despite decades of attempts to link infectious agents to preterm birth, an exact causative microbe or community of microbes remains elusive. Nonculture 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing suggests important racial differences and pregnancy specific changes in the vaginal microbial communities. A recent study examining the association of the vaginal microbiome and preterm birth documented important findings but was performed in a predominantly white cohort. Given the important racial differences in bacterial communities within the vagina as well as persistent racial disparities in preterm birth, it is important to examine cohorts with varied demographic compositions. ⋯ In a predominantly African-American population, a significant decrease of vaginal microbial community richness and diversity is associated with preterm birth. The timing of this suppression appears early in pregnancy, between the first and second trimesters, suggesting that early gestation may be an ecologically important time for events that ordain subsequent term and preterm birth outcomes.
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Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. · Sep 2017
The association among cytochrome P450 3A, progesterone receptor polymorphisms, plasma 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate concentrations, and spontaneous preterm birth.
Infants born <37 weeks' gestation are of public health concern since complications associated with preterm birth are the leading cause of mortality in children <5 years of age and a major cause of morbidity and lifelong disability. The administration of 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate reduces preterm birth by 33% in women with history of spontaneous preterm birth. We demonstrated previously that plasma concentrations of 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate vary widely among pregnant women and that women with 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate plasma concentrations in the lowest quartile had spontaneous preterm birth rates of 40% vs rates of 25% in those women with higher concentrations. Thus, plasma concentrations are an important factor in determining drug efficacy but the reason 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate plasma concentrations vary so much is unclear. Predominantly, 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate is metabolized by CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 enzymes. ⋯ The frequency of recurrent spontaneous preterm birth appears to be associated with trough 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate plasma concentrations. However, the wide variation in trough 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate plasma concentrations is not attributable to polymorphisms in CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 genes. Progesterone receptor polymorphisms do not predict efficacy of 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate. The limitations of this secondary analysis include that we had a relative small sample size (n = 268) and race was self-reported by the patients.
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Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. · Sep 2017
Randomized Controlled TrialDecreasing postoperative narcotics in reconstructive pelvic surgery: a randomized controlled trial.
Postoperative pain control is crucial to any successful recovery plan. Many currently used medication regimens are narcotic-focused. ⋯ A multimodal pain regimen in pelvic reconstructive surgery was found to decrease postoperative opioid requirements, while providing equivalent pain control.
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Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. · Sep 2017
Randomized Controlled TrialRandomized controlled trial of intravenous acetaminophen for postcesarean delivery pain control.
Cesarean delivery is a common surgery in the United States, with 1.3 million performed during 2009.1 Obstetricians must balance the growing concern with opioid abuse, dependence, and side effects with optimal postoperative pain control. Intravenous acetaminophen may represent an additional method to decrease the reliance on opioid medications and improve postoperative pain following cesarean delivery. ⋯ Intravenous acetaminophen in the postoperative period following cesarean delivery resulted in a significant decrease in oral narcotic consumption for pain control.
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Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. · Sep 2017
Multicenter StudyBRCA mutational status, initial disease presentation, and clinical outcome in high-grade serous advanced ovarian cancer: a multicenter study.
In the last decades, there have been several efforts to clarify the role of BRCA mutational status in women with advanced ovarian cancer, demonstrating its role in cancer development, as well as the prognostic significance of BRCA genotype. ⋯ Women with BRCA1/2 mutations show at diagnosis higher peritoneal tumor load and increased frequency of bulky lymph nodes compared to patients without germline BRCA mutations. Primary debulking surgery seems to ensure a longer progression-free survival in women with BRCA wild type genotype compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. BRCA testing might be a reliable tool to personalize treatment in patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer, thus giving novel points of discussion to the ongoing debate regarding the best initial treatment approach.