Catestatin can inhibit catecholamine release from chromaffin cells and adrenergic neurons. Catestatin can also have a strong vasodilator effect. This may be useful in understanding the pathophysiology of preeclampsia and its treatment. In this study, we investigated the serum catestatin levels in pregnant women with and without preeclampsia. Fifty consecutive women with mild preeclampsia, 50 consecutive women with severe preeclampsia, and 100 consecutive pregnant women with a gestational age-matched (±1 week) uncomplicated pregnancy were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. Mean serum catestatin was significantly increased in the preeclampsia group compared to the control group (290.7 ± 95.5 pg/mL vs. 182.8 ± 72.0 pg/mL). Mean serum catestatin was comparable in mild and severe preeclampsia groups (282.7 ± 97.9 pg/mL vs. 298.7 ± 93.4 pg/mL, p = .431). Serum catestatin levels had positive correlations with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, urea, uric acid, and creatinine. In conclusion, serum catestatin levels are increased in preeclamptic pregnancies compared to gestational age-matched controls.

Aims: This study aimed to characterize tumor types and clinicopathological features of synchronous tumors in women operated for gynecologic malignancies. Methods: This retrospective, single-center study included 20 consecutive patients with a pathological diagnosis of synchronous tumors. Patient demographics, HPV/cytology findings, surgical procedures, histopathological features, treatment modalities, and early outcomes (recurrence and mortality) were collected and analyzed. Results: Mean age was 60.3 years and mean BMI was 31.6 kg/m². Hypertension and diabetes were each present in 35%. Most were HPV-negative (90%); cytology was negative in 65% (abnormalities: ASC-US 20%, ASC-H 5%, HSIL 10%). Synchronous endometrial and ovarian carcinoma (SEOC) was observed in 80% of the patients. The majority of patients had endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC). Among SEOC patients, 62.5% had stage I–II tumors. In these cases, histological concordance between synchronous tumors was 62.5%, while staging concordance was 75%. Conclusion: SEOC predominated with high histologic concordance between synchronous tumors. Although SEOC is typically detected at an early stage, there was significant concordance between synchronous tumors in terms of both histology and staging.

Background/Objectives: Distinguishing invasive cervical cancer from high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) before histopathology remains difficult. We evaluated routine blood-based parameters for this distinction and developed and internally validated a parsimonious prediction model, testing its incremental value over age. Methods: In this retrospective diagnostic accuracy study with two-gate (case–control) sampling, we analyzed 137 unique patients with histopathologically confirmed cervical cancer and 238 with high-grade CIN after duplicate removal. A four-variable model (age, CEA, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and hemoglobin) was developed and internally validated by bootstrap optimism correction, calibration, and decision-curve analysis, with age-matched and subgroup sensitivity analyses. Results: The strongest single discriminators were age (AUC 0.826), C-reactive protein (0.805), and albumin (0.772). The continuous model showed an apparent AUC of 0.859 (optimism-corrected 0.853; calibration slope 0.962; Brier 0.136). The gain over age alone was statistically significant but modest (ΔAUC +0.027; DeLong p = 0.015). After 1:1 age matching, age no longer discriminated (AUC 0.49), whereas the model retained moderate discrimination (AUC 0.686), with NLR independent. Performance was lower for CIN 3 versus early-stage cancer (AUC 0.759). Conclusions: The model may provide adjunctive risk-stratification information, but clinical implementation requires external validation in prospectively assembled cohorts; the findings are hypothesis-generating.

Background/Objectives: To evaluate whether complete metabolic response (CMR) on 18F-FDG PET/CT after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is associated with complete cytoreduction at interval debulking surgery (IDS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced high-grade serous tubo-ovarian carcinoma. Methods: This retrospective single-center cohort included 87 patients with FIGO stage III–IV high-grade serous carcinoma undergoing 18F-FDG PET/CT before and after NACT. Metabolic response was classified as CMR or non-CMR using criteria adapted from PERCIST. The primary outcome, complete cytoreduction (R0), was assessed using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, FIGO stage, and number of NACT cycles. PFS and OS were analyzed from the interval debulking surgery (IDS) landmark using the Kaplan–Meier method, and PFS was further evaluated with Cox regression. Results: CMR was observed in 34 patients (39.1%). Complete cytoreduction was achieved in 62 (71.3%) and was more frequent with CMR (85.3% vs. 62.3%; p = 0.025). CMR was independently associated with R0 (adjusted OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.18–10.75; p = 0.024; sensitivity 46.8%, specificity 80.0%, PPV 85.3%). In the IDS-landmark analysis, median PFS was longer in the CMR group (12.9 vs. 9.1 months; p = 0.027), but this association was attenuated and no longer significant after adjustment for R0. OS did not differ significantly between the groups (p = 0.259). Conclusions: Post-NACT CMR was independently associated with complete cytoreduction and may support preoperative risk stratification. However, given its limited sensitivity, CMR should not be used as the sole determinant for IDS.