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Objective . To analyze the cause of changing maternal mortality ratios (MMRs) in a tertiary women's health center in Turkey in the last eight years. Materials and methods . Charts of patients seen between 1998 and 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test. The results were accepted to be significant when the p value was <50.05. Results. During this period, 27 pregnancy-related deaths were identified via hospital death records. The MMR was found to have decreased in rate by approximately 50% from 822.2/100 000 live births in the previous report including the years 1978–1997 to 412.0/100 000 during the last eight years (p<50.01). Pregnancy-induced hypertension was still the most frequent cause of maternal death. The decrease in MMR was due to the decrease in the ratio of maternal infection (26.4% in 1978–1997 to 7.4% in 1998–2005, p<50.01). Conclusion. Although treatment in the antenatal care and health service has decreased maternal deaths, it was discovered that the MMR has not reached the optimum levels found in developed countries in the last eight years. Also the percentage of direct obstetric deaths (with the exception of those caused by infection) showed no change and was similar to that found in the previous report (1978–1997). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the efficacy of recombinant human interferon α-2b on endometriosis. Study design: The randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind, experimental study was performed on 30 Wistar female rats in the Experimental Surgery Laboratory at Ondokuz Mayis University in Turkey. After the peritoneal implantation of endometrial tissue, rats were randomized to two equal intervention groups: (1) the control group and (2) the interferon group. Six weeks later, after implant volume was measured (volume-1) by performing a second laparotomy, interferon α-2b (100,000IU subcutaneously per rat, three times at 48h intervals) was administered to the interferon group, and saline solution (0.1ml SC, once per week), to the control group, for 8 weeks. At the end of the treatment, a third laparotomy was performed to remeasure implant volumes (volume-2), and implants were totally excised for histopathologic examination. Volume-1 and volume-2 within the groups, as well as stromal and glandular tissues between the groups were compared. Results: In the interferon group, volume-2 was statistically significantly reduced compared with volume-1, whereas there was no significant volume change in the control group. In the interferon group, when compared with the control group, both stromal and glandular tissues had statistically significantly lessened. Conclusions: Interferon α-2b was seen to regress significantly both the size and the histological structure of endometriotic implants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]