Background: Placental heart development and embryonic heart development occur in parallel, and these organs have been proposed to exert reciprocal regulation during gestation. Poor placentation has been associated with congenital heart disease, an important cause of infant mortality. However, the mechanisms by which altered placental development can lead to congenital heart disease remain unresolved. Methods: In this study, we use an in vivo neutrophil-driven placental inflammation model through antibody depletion of maternal circulating neutrophils at key stages during time-mated murine pregnancy: embryonic days 4.5 and 7.5. Pregnant mice were culled at embryonic day 14.5 to assess placental and embryonic heart development. A combination of flow cytometry, histology, and bulk RNA sequencing was used to assess placental immune cell composition and tissue architecture. We also used flow cytometry and single-cell sequencing to assess embryonic cardiac immune cells at embryonic day 14.5 and histology and gene analyses to investigate embryonic heart structure and development. In some cases, offspring were culled at postnatal days 5 and 28 to assess any postnatal cardiac changes in immune cells, structure, and cardiac function, as measured by echocardiography. Results: In the present study, we show that neutrophil-driven placental inflammation leads to inadequate placental development and loss of barrier function. Consequently, placental inflammatory monocytes of maternal origin become capable of migration to the embryonic heart and alter the normal composition of resident cardiac macrophages and cardiac tissue structure. This cardiac impairment continues into postnatal life, hindering normal tissue architecture and function. Last, we show that tempering placental inflammation can prevent this fetal cardiac defect and is sufficient to promote normal cardiac function in postnatal life. Conclusions: Taken together, these observations provide a mechanistic paradigm whereby neutrophil-driven inflammation in pregnancy can preclude normal embryonic heart development as a direct consequence of poor placental development, which has major implications on cardiac function into adult life.

The pathogenesis of endometriosis is still controversial, although it is known that the inflammatory immune response plays a critical role in this process. The resolution of inflammation is an active process where the activation of endogenous factors allows the host tissue to maintain homeostasis. The mechanisms by which pro-resolving mediators (PRM) act in endometriosis are still little explored. Thus, this integrative review aims to synthesize the available content regarding the role of PRM in endometriosis. Experimental and in vitro studies with Lipoxin A4 demonstrate a potential inhibitory effect on endometrial lesions’ progression, attenuating pro-inflammatory and angiogenic signals, inhibiting proliferative and invasive action suppressing intracellular signaling induced by cytokines and estradiol, mainly through the FPR2/ALX. Investigations with Resolvin D1 demonstrated the inhibition of endometrial lesions and decreased pro-inflammatory factors. Annexin A1 is expressed in the endometrium and is specifically present in women with endometriosis, although the available studies are still inconsistent. Thus, we believe there is a gap in knowledge regarding the PRM pathways in patients with endometriosis. It is important to note that these substances’ therapeutic potential is evident since the immune and abnormal inflammatory responses play an essential role in endometriosis development and progression.

Objective The purpose of this study was to perform the translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale (TPDS) in the Brazilian cultural context and to verify its psychometric properties. Design Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of a distress scale. Setting The study was carried out in a prenatal clinic of a reference maternity hospital in southern Brazil. Participants 160 childbearing women. Methods The adaptation of the TPDS to the Portuguese language in its Brazilian version met the methodological criteria proposed by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. To validate the proposed Brazilian version, the questionnaire was applied to 160 childbearing women from the prenatal clinic of a reference maternity hospital in southern Brazil on two occasions between February and May 2018. The stability of the instrument, its internal consistency through Cronbach's alpha and the construct validity were all evaluated through exploratory factorial analysis. The extraction of main components by rotation of Varimax enabled definition of the communalities of the items of the proposed Brazilian version. The study was approved by the local Ethics Committee. Findings The test-retest technique demonstrated strong stability, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.93 (p < 0.001) and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.92 (p < 0.001). The general Cronbach's alpha was found to be 0.73. All items presented a factorial load > 0.44 populations in the factorial analysis. Through the method of extracting components, three domains were obtained among the 16 issues of the proposed tool: (1) affection and involvement of the partner, (2) feelings about childbirth and (3) feelings about the future. Key Conclusions The proposed Brazilian version of the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale to evaluate stress and anxiety in pregnancy maintained the original context of the instrument while adding features specific to Brazilian reality. Implications for Practice This is an easily understood scale that is reliable, valid and adequate to the Brazilian social context; it will aid in the assessment of anxiety and stress in childbearing women during prenatal care.

Objective To evaluate the association between hormonal contraception and the appearance of human papillomavirus HPV-induced lesions in the uterine cervix of patients assisted at a school outpatient clinic - ObGyn outpatient service of the Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina. Methods A case-control study, with women in fertile age, performed between 2012 and 2015. A total of 101 patients with cervical lesions secondary to HPV were included in the case group, and 101 patients with normal oncotic colpocytology, in the control group. The data were analyzed through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, IBM Corp. Armonk, NY, US) software, version 24.0, using the 95% confidence interval. To test the homogeneity of the proportions, the chi-square (χ²) test was used for the qualitative variables, and the Student t-test, for the quantitative variables. Results When comparing the occurrence of HPV lesions in users and non-users of combined oral contraceptives (COCs), the association with doses of 0.03 mg or higher of ethinylestradiol (EE) was observed. Thus, a higher probability of developing cervical lesions induced by HPV was identified (odds ratio [OR]: 1.9 p = 0.039); and when these cases were separated by the degree of the lesion, the probability of these patients presenting with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion was 2.1 times higher (p = 0.036), but with no impact on high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and the occurrence of invasive cancer. No significant differences were found in the other variables analyzed. Conclusion Although the results found in the present study suggest a higher probability of the users of combined hormonal contraceptives with a concentration higher than 0.03 mg of EE to develop low-grade intraepithelial lesions, more studies are needed to conclude causality. Objetivo Avaliar a associação entre a contracepção hormonal e a presença de lesões induzidas pelo vírus do papiloma humano (HPV) no colo uterino de pacientes do serviço de ginecologia e obstetrícia do ambulatório de especialidade médicas da Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina - AME/UNISUL. Métodos Estudo observacional do tipo caso-controle, com mulheres no menacme, no período compreendido entre 2012 e 2015. Foram incluídas 101 pacientes com lesões cervicais secundárias ao HPV, no grupo caso, e 101 pacientes com colpocitologia oncótica normal, no grupo controle. Os dados foram analisados por meio do programa SPSS 24.0, utilizando-se o intervalo de confiança de 95%. Para testar a homogeneidade de proporções foram utilizados o teste do qui-quadrado (χ²) para as variáveis qualitativas e o teste t de Student para as variáveis quantitativas. Resultados Ao comparar-se a ocorrência das lesões pelo HPV em usuárias de contraceptivos orais combinados (COCs) com a em não usuárias, observou-se a associação com doses de 0.03 mg ou superiores de etinilestradiol (EE), na qual se identificou 1.9 vezes mais probabilidade destas desenvolverem lesões cervicais induzidas pelo HPV (p = 0.039); ao separar-se esses casos pelo grau da lesão, a probabilidade destas pacientes apresentarem lesão cervical de baixo grau foi 2.1 vezes maior (p = 0.036), porém sem impacto nas lesões cervicais de alto grau e na ocorrência de câncer invasor. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas nas outras variáveis analisadas. Conclusão Embora os resultados encontrados no presente estudo sugiram maior probabilidade das usuárias de contraceptivo hormonal combinado, com concentração superior a 0.03 mg de EE, desenvolverem lesão cervical de baixo grau, mais estudos são necessários para concluir causalidade. Volpato L. K., Siqueira I. R., Nunes R. D. and Piovezan A. P. contributed with the project and data interpretation, writing of the article, critical review of the intellectual content, and final approval of the version to be published.

This study aimed to analyze the effects of Foley catheter combined with misoprostol in the labor induction process. This is a nonblinded, block randomized, controlled trial that compared the association between transcervical Foley catheter/vaginal misoprostol 25 μg combination and vaginal misoprostol 25 μg alone in normal-risk and healthy pregnant women undergoing labor induction in the south of Brazil. A total of 230 patients with indications for labor induction were evaluated and classified into the "combined" group (Foley catheter plus misoprostol), consisting of 107 patients, and the "misoprostol" group (misoprostol only), consisting of 123 patients. The "combined" group was observed to have a shorter labor induction time (p=0.008). In addition, there was a lower need for misoprostol use for overall cervical ripening (p<0.001) and a lower relative risk of needing a second, third, or fourth misoprostol tablet in the "combined" group (risk ratio [RR] 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71-0.91; RR 0.41; 95%CI 0.31-0.56; and RR 0.29, 95%CI 0.17-0.52, respectively) (p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was found in induction failure rate, cesarean section rate, or perinatal outcomes. A combination of methods leads to shorter labor induction, lower need for misoprostol doses, and lower risk of cesarean section, with no increase in the rate of perinatal complications. REBEC number is RBR-7xcjz3z.