Accumulating evidence indicates the potential correlation between the vaginal microbioma and the acquisition and persistence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This study has as intention to demonstrate the potential relationship through a systematic review of the current literature. A search was conducted on the following medical databases: PubMed and Scopus. Nineteen studies were meeting our inclusion criteria and, finally, incorporated, in the present review. A total of 12,204 patients and their demographic characteristics were studied. Commercially available DNA tests and PCR were used for the detection of different HPV subtypes, while the identification of the microbiomes was performed through specific diagnostic methods and PCR assay. The most frequently encountered species were classified based on their protective or detrimental impact on the progression of HPV infection. The beneficial role of some types of Lactobacillus (Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus jensenii, Lactobacillus crispatus) is generally supported. On the other hand, high microbial diversity and specific microorganisms such as Sneathia, Anaerococcus tetradius, Peptostreptococcus, Fusobacterium and Gardnerella vaginalis were found to be implicated with higher frequency and severity of disease, potentially resulting in pre-cancerous and cancerous cervical lesions. The role of vaginal microbiota seems to play a -yet not fully understood- role concerning the susceptibility to HPV infection and its natural history.

The development of leiomyomas on the grounds of an aplastic/hypoplastic uterus in patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKHS) has been rarely described. We report the first case of development of multiple leiomyomas in a patient with MRKHS complicated with pulmonary valve stenosis, and we present a narrative review of the existing literature. A 44-year-old patient with MRKHS attended our clinic because of pelvic pain, which was attributed to a pelvic mass found on ultrasound. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a multinodular mass, indicating either ovarian pathology or the presence of leiomyomas. Exploratory laparotomy was performed, and multiple solid masses on the grounds of two rudimentary uterine buds were observed. Histological analysis revealed multiple leiomyomas arising from parametrial or paratubal tissue. We searched medical databases for articles relevant to leiomyomas and MRKHS. We present a review of the current literature and summarize the clinical manifestation, diagnosis, management, and histopathological findings of all the cases described. We underline that it is important for gynecologists to be aware of this rare clinical entity, and symptomatic leiomyomas cannot be excluded in patients with MRKHS.

Aim: The study aimed to provide an overall view of current data considering the presence of microRNAs in amniotic fluid. Methods: The available literature in MEDLINE, regarding the role of the amniotic fluid in pregnancy and fetal development, was searched for related articles including terms such as “microRNA”, “Amniotic fluid”, “Adverse outcome” and others. Results: The amniotic fluid has an undoubtedly significant part in fetal nutrition, with a protecting and thermoregulatory role alongside. MicroRNAs have proven to be highly expressed during pregnancy in many body liquids including amniotic fluid and are transferred between cells loaded in exosomes, while they are also implicated in many processes during fetal development and could be potential biomarkers for early prediction of adverse outcomes. Conclusion: Current knowledge reveals that amniotic fluid microRNAs participate in many developmental and physiological processes of pregnancy including proliferation of fibroblasts, fetal development, angiogenesis, cardioprotection, activation of signaling pathways, differentiation and cell motility, while the expression profile of specific microRNAs has a potential prognostic role in the prediction of Down syndrome, congenital hydronephrosis and kidney fibrosis.

In this retrospective cohort study, primigravidas with normal pregnancies and women who developed preeclampsia (PE) were assigned to complete sleeping disorder questionnaires. The Crown-Rump length (CRL) of the first prenatal screening was used to determine the gestational age and the participants were assigned to complete the following questionnaires according to their everyday life before pregnancy: (1) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), (2) Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and (3) Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Women were also asked to evaluate their stress before pregnancy with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The results of the women developing preeclampsia were analyzed to test the primary hypothesis that women with pre-existing to pregnancy sleep disorders are more likely to develop preeclampsia. Statistically significant differences were found between women who developed preeclampsia and women in the control group concerning sleeping disorder features before pregnancy of all three research tools, namely AIS (p<0.001), PSQI (p<0.001), and ESS (p=0.012<0.05). The results support that there is a possible statistical effect of pre-existing to pregnancy sleep disorders on the development of preeclampsia and women with pregestational sleep disorders request strict monitoring during pregnancy, however, further investigation with larger studies is needed to reach safe conclusions.

Endometriosis is a benign, estrogen-dependent gynecological condition with an uncertain exact pathogenetic mechanism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential differential expression of Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) isoforms in deeply infiltrating endometriotic (DIE) lesions, in ovarian endometriomas, and in the eutopic endometrium of the same endometriosis patients and to compare their expression with that in the eutopic endometrium of women without endometriosis. A total of 39 patients were included: 28 with endometriosis, of whom 15 had endometriomas only, 7 had DIE nodules only, and 6 had both DIE and endometriomas, and 11 without endometriosis served as controls. We noticed a similar pattern of expression between IGF-1Ea and IGF-1Ec, which differed from that of the IGF-1Eb isoform, possibly implying differential biological actions of different isoforms in DIE subtypes. We observed a tendency of lower expression of IGF-1Ea and IGF-1Ec in endometriomas without DIE compared to endometriomas with concurrent DIE or in DIE nodules. In conclusion, differential expression of IGF-1 isoforms may indicate that DIE with its associated ovarian lesions and simple ovarian endometriosis should be considered as two forms of the disease developing under different molecular pathways.