PI3K, AKT, and P-AKT levels in thin endometrium

The aim of this study was to explore the expression of PI3K, AKT, and P-AKT, and to investigate the role of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in thin endometrium. We included 40 women treated in affiliated Shenzhen Nanshan People's Hospital of Guangdong Medical University for endometrial conditions between August 2013 and January 2015, 20 with a normal endometrium, and 20 with thin endometrium. The expression of PI3K, AKT, and P-AKT was evaluated by the immunohistochemical S-P method. The expression of PI3K, AKT, and P-AKT proteins was significantly lower in the thin endometrium group than in the normal endometrium group (P < 0.05). The expression of PI3K and AKT was positively correlated with the expression of P-AKT. The expression of PI3K, AKT, and P-AKT proteins in the thin endometrium decreases during the proliferative phase, and this process could be associated with PI3K/AKT signaling.

Clinical analysis of 95 cases with ovarian pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Ovarian pregnancy (OP) is a rare ectopic pregnancy, in which it is very difficult to achieve preoperative diagnosis. Ovarian blood supply in OP increases which will lead to intra-abdominal bleeding, hazarding women's lives. Surgical exploration should be conducted once cases of OP are suspected.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and therapy of OP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted in 95 patients with OP admitted to the present hospital from January 2005 to June 2014.

RESULTS

OP accounted for 1.79% of ectopic pregnancy over the same period, of which 68.4% had a history of artificial abortion, 6.3% was treated with intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD), 87.4% had abdominal pain, 84.2% had a history of menopause, and 51.6% had vaginal bleeding. All patients had no preoperative diagnosis and underwent laparoscopic wedge resection of ovary or lesionectomy and were all were cured.

CONCLUSION

Since the cause of OP is still unknown and it has no typical clinical manifestations, the present authors adopt blood P-hCG combined with B-ultrasound to improve the preoperative diagnosis. They prefer laparoscopic wedge resection of ovary or lesionectomy, which induce higher rate of intrauterine pregnancy and lower rates of ectopic pregnancy and infertility in re-pregnancy after surgery.

Association of the estrogen receptor-β gene RsaI and AluI polymorphisms with human idiopathic thin endometrium

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential correlation between polymorphisms of the estrogen receptor (ER)-β gene (RsaI and AluI) and ethnic Han Chinese human idiopathic thin endometrium. A total of 120 patients with idiopathic thin endometrium and 120 sterility patients with normal endometrium thickness (controls) were included in the study. RsaI and AluI polymorphisms of the ER-β gene were analyzed with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The distribution of polymorphisms, genotype, allele, and haplotype was compared between the 2 groups. A significant difference in the RsaI genotype was observed between idiopathic thin endometrium patients and controls. The distribution of the R allele of the RsaI polymorphism in idiopathic thin endometrium patients was 37.1% compared with 48.3% in controls. The odds ratio was 0.630 (95% confidence interval = 0.438 to 0.907, P = 0.013). No significant difference in the genotype of the AluI polymorphism was found between the two groups. The linkage disequilibrium between RsaI and AluI haploids was not significant in either group, with D' values of 0.2036 and 0.0685 in the idiopathic thin endometrium patients and controls, respectively. The results of this study suggest a potential role of the ER-β gene polymorphisms in the etiology of idiopathic atrophic endometrium and the R allele as a potential protective factor in ethnic Han Chinese.