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This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to review the optimal timing of delivery at term for neonates with prenatally diagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). We reviewed the literature up to December 19, 2022 using MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library databases. The inclusion criteria were original articles, comparative studies of CDH neonates delivered at an early term (37-38 weeks of gestation) and at full term (39 weeks of gestation or later), and comparative studies investigating outcomes of CDH neonates. Six studies met the inclusion criteria, including 985 neonates delivered at an early term and 629 delivered at full term. The cumulative rate of survival to discharge showed no significant difference between CDH neonates delivered at an early term (395/515; 76.7%) or at full term (345/467; 73.9%) (risk ratio [RR] 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89-1.16; p = 0.85). Furthermore, the number of neonates requiring oxygen therapy at discharge was not significantly different between CDH neonates delivered at an early term (32/370; 8.6%) and at full term (14/154; 9.1%) (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.36-2.70; p = 0.99). Therefore, the optimal timing of delivery at term for neonates with CDH remains unclear., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To assess the association between use of uterine compression sutures (UCSs) and postoperative complications., Methods: In a retrospective analysis, data were reviewed from cesarean deliveries at a medical center in Osaka, Japan, between January 2011 and March 2016. The deliveries were divided into elective and emergency cesarean groups. For each group, data on postoperative complications were compared between patients with UCSs and those without UCSs but at least 1500 mL of blood loss., Results: Data from 158 patients were included in the study. No severe complications were observed. Among the patients who underwent elective cesarean, no differences were observed between the UCS and non-UCS groups in the frequency of postoperative endometritis (3/28 [10.7%] vs 6/54 [11.1%]; P=0.957) or ileus (2/28 [7.1%] vs 3/54 [5.6%]; P=0.776). After emergency cesarean, postoperative endometritis was significantly more common in the UCS than in the non-UCS group (8/39 [20.5%] vs 4/37 [10.8%]; P=0.021), but the frequency of ileus did not differ (1/39 [2.6%] vs 2/37 [5.4%]; P=0.61)., Conclusion: Use of UCSs during emergency cesarean delivery might increase the risk of postoperative endometritis., (© 2017 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Background: S100B protein is a unique calcium-binding protein. Its biological role within the cell populations is not completely defined. Some pathological conditions that develop during pregnancy could affect S100B concentrations in the amniotic fluid, cord blood, and maternal serum. The aim of our study was to assess the correlation between S100B protein expression in the amnion, amniotic fluid and gestational age in the third trimester of uncomplicated pregnancies., Methods: Amnion, amniotic fluid, maternal peripheral and umbilical cord blood samples were collected from healthy women who delivered at 31-36 weeks (n=17), 37-40 weeks (n=22), and 41-42 weeks (n=21). The expression of S100B in the amnion was assessed by immunohistochemistry and real-time (RT)-PCR, and its concentrations in amniotic fluid, maternal and cord blood sera were determined by ELISA., Results: The S100B protein expression in the amnion and its concentrations in amniotic fluid, maternal and cord blood sera of patients in the third trimester were not significantly different at various gestational ages., Conclusions: The S100B protein expression in the amnion and the S100B protein concentrations in amniotic fluid, maternal and cord blood do not vary significantly in the third trimester of uncomplicated pregnancies.

Background: To clarify the differences in angiogenesis between benign and malignant ovarian tumors, the authors examined the immunohistochemical characteristics and the density of tumor vessels in both tumor groups. Intratumoral vascularization was observed preoperatively by transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound., Methods: The authors examined 106 patients with ovarian tumors preoperatively for the presence or absence of intratumoral blood flow and evaluated the blood flow waveforms of tumor vessels in patients showing intratumoral vascularization, using a resistance index (RI). The characteristics of both smooth muscle and endothelial cells in the vessels of each tumor were immunohistochemically assessed, using monoclonal antibodies against smooth muscle actin (SMA) and CD34 (an endothelial cell marker). The microvessel density (MVD) identified by CD34 was also evaluated in each tumor., Results: Intratumoral blood flow was found in 64 of 106 patients (60.4%). The tumors in 44 of these 64 patients were histopathologically benign, and the tumors in 20 were malignant. The malignant tumors showed a low RI (mean, 0.39 +/- 0.09) compared with benign tumors (mean, 0.62 +/- 0.12) (P < 0.001). The vessels of malignant tumors significantly demonstrated poor SMA expression and intense CD34 expression compared with the vessels of benign tumors. However, no significant differences were observed in MVD between the benign and malignant tumors., Conclusions: In this study, immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that low resistance to blood flow in vessels within malignant ovarian tumors may be associated with a poorly developed muscular coat in the tumor vessels, compared with that observed in benign tumors. The difference in the angiogenic natures of benign and malignant ovarian tumors showing intratumoral blood flow may thus be correlated with the endothelial cell activity of the tumor vessels and not the MVD.