Purpose: To assess the utility of maternal serum calponin 1 level in the prediction of delivery within 7 days among pregnancies complicated with threatened preterm labor. Materials and methods: Eligible women who presented at 24–34 weeks of gestation with threatened preterm labor underwent sampling for serum calponin 1 level and cervical length measurement. They were followed up until delivery prospectively and the perinatal outcomes of the patients were recorded. Results: Of 73 women included in the study, 36 women delivered within 7 days and 37 women delivered beyond 7 days after admission. The maternal serum calponin 1 level was significantly high in women who delivered within 7 days (p: 0.031). The threshold value of 2 ng/mL for maternal serum calponin 1 predicted delivery within 7 days with 61.1% sensitivity and 62.2 specificity (area under curve, 0.658, confidence interval 0.53–0.79). The general accuracy values for maternal cervical length measurement (≤25 mm), serum calponin 1 level (>2 ng/mL) and the combination of two tests to predict delivery within 7 days was found to be 64.4%, 61.6% and 72.1%, respectively. Conclusions: The maternal serum calponin 1 level may be a useful biomarker in short-term prediction of preterm birth among pregnancies complicated with threatened preterm labor, in addition to cervical length measurement.

To determine the factors which affect the perinatal deaths in early and late fetal growth restriction (FGR) fetuses using threshold of estimated fetal weight (EFW) < 5(th) percentile. This retrospective study included singleton 271 FGR fetuses, defined as an EFW < 5(th) percentile. All fetuses considered as growth restrictions were confirmed by birth weight. Fetuses with multiple pregnancy, congenital malformation, chromosomal abnormality, and premature rupture of membrane were excluded. Samples were grouped in early and late FGR. Early FGR fetuses was classified as gestational age at birth ≤ 34 weeks and late FGR was classified as gestational age at birth > 34 weeks. Factors which affect the perinatal deaths were analyzed descriptively in early and late FGR. The perinatal mortality was calculated by adding the number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths. The study included 86 early and 185 late FGR fetuses, 31 resulted in perinatal deaths, 28 perinatal deaths were in early FGR, and three perinatal deaths were in late FGR. Perinatal deaths occurred more commonly in early FGR fetuses with an EFW < 3(rd) percentile. Prior stillbirth, preeclampsia, the degree of increasing vascular impedance of umbilical artery(UA) and uterine artery (UtA) showed significant correlation with perinatal death in early FGR. All three perinatal deaths in late FGR occurred in fetuses with EFW < 3(rd) percentile and severe oligohydramnios. Also, placental abruption and perinatal death was found significantly higher in increased vascular impedance of UtAs whatever the umbilical artery Doppler. Only EFW < 3(rd) percentile and severe olgohydramnios seem to be contributing factors affecting perinatal death in late FGR in comparison with early FGR.

We aimed to evaluate the efficiency of placental elasticity in predicting a placental invasion anomaly with the Virtual Touch Quantification (VTQ) technique. Pregnant women in the third trimester with suspected placental invasion anomaly were enrolled into the research (n = 58). The placenta was evaluated and divided into three equal parts as foetal edge (inner 1/3 of placenta), maternal edge (outer 1/3 of placenta) and the central part (central 1/3 of placenta). Shear wave velocity (SWV) measurements were used in the elastographic evaluation of placentas by VTQ. We performed the measurements at the different regions of placenta for sampling the variety areas of the placenta. Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) Elastography scores were significantly higher in the group in which an invasion was detected during the surgery of patients with preoperative placental invasion suspicion. A significant difference in the measurements of the inner, central and outer third of the placenta between the groups was found (p < .001). In this study, we have shown higher SWV scores of placental measurements of the patients with preoperative suspected anomalies and an invasion detected during their surgery. These findings may reflect an event at the tissue elasticity level and we hope that the use of the VTQ technique may contribute to an early prediction of placental invasions before surgery in the future via new research.

Purpose: To investigate the maternal serum thiol/disulfide homeostasis in pregnancies complicated by idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and to compare the results with healthy pregnancies. Materials and methods: This descriptive cohort study included 55 pregnant women complicated by idiopathic IUGR and 57 similar gestational aged healthy pregnant women in the third trimester of gestation. Maternal serum samples were collected at the day of diagnosis and the thiol/disulfide homeostasis was measured by using an automated assay method. The patients were followed up until delivery and perinatal outcomes were recorded. Results: Maternal serum native thiol (308.1 ± 40.7 μmol/L vs. 282.4 ± 60.6 μmol/L) and total thiol (346.8 ± 48.1 μmol/L vs. 324.0 ± 62.2 μmol/L) concentrations were significantly lower in IUGR group compared with healthy controls (p: .010 and p: .032, respectively), whereas disulfide (19.3 ± 8.7 μmol/L vs. 20.8 ± 7.8 μmol/L) concentrations were similar between the groups (p: .350). Maternal serum disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol ratios were higher in IUGR group compared with healthy controls (p: .014 and p: .017, respectively), whereas native thiol/total thiol ratio was significantly lower in IUGR group compared with healthy controls (p: .016). Conclusions: This study suggests that there is an impaired maternal thiol/disulfide homeostasis in pregnancies complicated by idiopathic IUGR during the third trimester of gestation.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the elasticities of fetal placentas with a single umbilical artery using the Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification (VTTQ) technique. Materials and methods: Pregnant women with fetuses with a single umbilical artery (SUA) and pregnant women with fetuses having three vessel cord (3VC) at 18–22 weeks of gestation were enrolled in the research. The placentas were evaluated and divided into three equal parts as the inner 1/3 of the placenta (fetal edge), the outer 1/3 of the placenta (maternal edge) and the central 1/3 of the placenta (central part). Shear-wave velocity (SWV) measurements were used in the elastographic evaluation of placentas by VTTQ. Results: Forty pregnant women were included in the study (n = 20 SUA, n = 20 three vessel cord pregnant women). The placental Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (VTTQ) of the placenta regarding SWV measurement values of the fetal edge of the placenta in the fetuses with SUA and the control group were 0.876 and 0.957 m/sec, respectively. A significant statistical difference was found between the groups regarding the measurement of the stiffness of fetal placenta (p = 0.021). There was no significant difference between the measured stiffness values of the central or outer region of the placentas. Conclusions: In this study, we found lower SWV scores for the fetal edge of the placenta with SUA. This finding may reflect tissue elasticity level, and we hope that the use of the VTTQ technique may contribute to predicting the pregnancy-related morbidities of fetuses with SUA in the future.

Objectives: The exact pathogenesis of neural tube defects (NTDs) is poorly understood. We aimed at evaluating maternal anti-oxidant capacity (ceruloplasmin level, myeloperoxidase and catalase activity) in pregnancies complicated by NTDs. Material and methods: Fifty-four mothers with NTD-affected pregnancies and 61 healthy mothers, matched for gestational age, were recruited. Maternal venous blood samples were obtained after detailed fetal ultrasound examination to measure myeloperoxidase, catalase activity and ceruloplasmin levels. The clinical characteristics of all participants were collected. Results: Maternal blood catalase activity was significantly lower in the study group (117.1 ± 64.8 kU/L) as compared to controls (152.2 ± 110.6 kU/L) (p = 0.044). Maternal blood ceruloplasmin levels were also significantly lower in the study group (180.5 ± 37.7 U/L) as compared to controls (197.9 ± 35.9 U/L) (p = 0.012). Myeloperoxidase activity was similar in both groups (112.6 ± 22.2 U/L vs. 113.6 ± 38.1 U/L) (p = 0.869). Conclusions: In the present study, maternal blood ceruloplasmin level and catalase activity were found to be lower in NTD-affected pregnancies as compared to healthy controls. Thus, it seems safe to conclude that impaired antioxidant capacity may play a role in the development of NTDs during pregnancy, in addition to the genetic, environmental and metabolic factors. Objectives: The exact pathogenesis of neural tube defects (NTDs) is poorly understood. We aimed at evaluating maternal anti-oxidant capacity (ceruloplasmin level, myeloperoxidase and catalase activity) in pregnancies complicated by NTDs. Material and methods: Fifty-four mothers with NTD-affected pregnancies and 61 healthy mothers, matched for gestational age, were recruited. Maternal venous blood samples were obtained after detailed fetal ultrasound examination to measure myeloperoxidase, catalase activity and ceruloplasmin levels. The clinical characteristics of all participants were collected. Results: Maternal blood catalase activity was significantly lower in the study group (117.1 ± 64.8 kU/L) as compared to controls (152.2 ± 110.6 kU/L) (p = 0.044). Maternal blood ceruloplasmin levels were also significantly lower in the study group (180.5 ± 37.7 U/L) as compared to controls (197.9 ± 35.9 U/L) (p = 0.012). Myeloperoxidase activity was similar in both groups (112.6 ± 22.2 U/L vs. 113.6 ± 38.1 U/L) (p = 0.869). Conclusions: In the present study, maternal blood ceruloplasmin level and catalase activity were found to be lower in NTD-affected pregnancies as compared to healthy controls. Thus, it seems safe to conclude that impaired antioxidant capacity may play a role in the development of NTDs during pregnancy, in addition to the genetic, environmental and metabolic factors.