مجله زنان مامائی و نازائی ایران
سال بیست و هفتم شماره 10 (دی 1403)

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) are immunomodulator molecules that have been the focus of research in lung cancer, melanoma, and renal cell cancer. The present study was conducted with aim to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of PD-1 and PDL-1 in endometrial cancer and its relationship with clinical and pathological findings.

This cross-sectional study comprised 91 patients with endometrial cancer admitted to Qaem Hospital in Mashhad between April 2022 and March 2024. By referring to the medical record and calling the patients, information was collected about age, tumor status and survival of the patients. Expression of markers was assessed by immunohistochemistry method. Data analysis was done using SPSS (version 23) and chi-square, Fisher's exact, t-test and Spearman and Pearson correlation tests. P<0.05 was considered significant.

There was no significant relationship between the expression of the two markers PD-1 and PD-L1 and the characteristics of age, histological type, tumor size, vascular invasion, myometrial invasion, FIGO stage and survival (p>0.05). However, there was a statistically significant correlation between the lack of expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 with the disease grade (p<0.05).

Negative PD-1 and PDL-1 expression correlated with FIGO grade 1. According to the findings of the present study, evaluation of the expression of PD-1 and PDL-1 markers requires further studies with larger sample size and long-term follow-up.

Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common problems during pregnancy and an important risk factor for the health of mother and fetus. Iron deficiency anemia can be caused by lack of iron intake, absorption impairment, and loss of iron or increased need for it. The present study was conducted with aim to investigate the effect of maternal iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy on infants’ anthropometric indices at birth.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018-2019 on 630 mothers referred to the health care centers in Zahedan and their infants. The data collection tool was a researcher-made form which recorded the maternal and infant demographic information, maternal iron deficiency anemia, and infants’ anthropometric indices at birth. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 22) and Chi-square and t-tests. P<0.05 was considered significant.

The prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in the studied mothers was 18.9%. There was a significant relationship between maternal iron deficiency anemia and infants’ birth weight (P<0.05). However, there was no significant relationship between maternal anemia with infant’s length size and head circumference at birth (P>0.05).

Given the clear effects of maternal iron deficiency anemia on the health of infants, it seems necessary to pay more attention to maternal nutrition during pregnancy and to be careful about the timely use of iron supplements in pregnant women.

After screening tests, CVS and amniotic fluid sampling (amniocentesis) are two definitive methods for prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and genetic diseases. The present study was conducted with aim to evaluate the complications caused by chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis in mothers referred to perinatology clinic of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences.

This analytic cross- sectional study was performed during 2016–2018. A total number of 448 pregnant mothers were included in the study, 397 of whom underwent amniocentesis and 51 underwent CVS. Two weeks after the procedures, five complications, including PPROM, IUFD, infection, spotting and spontaneous abortion were assessed. Data analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software (version 24) and t-test and chi-square test. P<0.05 was considered significant.

In amniocentesis, spontaneous abortion occurred in 0.251%, amniotic leakage 0.755%, spotting 0.502%, chorioamnionitis 0.251% within 14 days after the procedure. There was no fetal intrauterine death in this method. In CVS, there were not any complications. There was no significant difference between the two methods in terms of side effects (p=0.98).

Considering the complications, CVS and amniocentesis are low risk methods for prenatal diagnosis.

There are various approaches to improving sexual function and quality of sexual life of women, but there are few studies on complementary medicine. The present study was conducted with aim to determine the effect of acupressure on Sp6 and Liv3 points on improving sexual function and the quality of sexual life of women.

In this randomized controlled trial study conducted in 2019, 126 eligible women referring to the selected health centers of Tehran University of Medical Sciences were included. Acupressure was performed for 8 weeks. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and the Female Sexual Quality of Life questionnaire (SQOL-F). The outcome variables were evaluated before, immediately, and 4 weeks after the intervention. Data analysis was done by SPSS software (version 25) and paired t-test, chi-square test, and repeated measurement. P<0.05 was considered significant.

The results of the analysis of variance test with repeated measurements showed that immediately and 4 weeks after the intervention, the mean score of the total sexual function and its dimensions other than pain during intercourse had a statistically significant difference in the intervention group compared to the control group (p<0.05). The mean score of the total quality of sexual life and its dimensions did not have a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p=0.303).

The results show the effectiveness of acupressure at two points Sp6 and Liv3 on women's sexual performance. It is suggested to conduct more studies to develop the generalizability of the results.

According to demographic policies, it seems necessary to make natural childbirth pleasant and satisfying in order to promote this type of delivery. The present study was conducted with aim to determine the role of husbands on satisfaction of natural childbirth.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted in Zahraye Marzieh Hospital, Isfahan from January 2023 to June 2024. The research population were placed in 3 groups of 28 people (with husband, accompanied and unaccompanied). The tool of data collection was the researcher-made Childbirth Satisfaction Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 20) and chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, one-way analysis of variance and LSD tests. P<0.05 was considered significant.

The results of ANOVA showed that the mean score of satisfaction with childbirth in the three groups had a significant difference after the fourth stage of labor (P<0.001) and the LSD test showed that the mean score of satisfaction with childbirth after the fourth stage of labor was significantly higher in the group with husband than the group with a companion (P<0.001), and in the group with a companion it was significantly higher than the group without a companion (P=0.03).

Satisfaction with childbirth can be affected by interventions such as the presence of husband during the stages of labor. It is suggested that medical centers provide the possibility of the presence of husbands by standardizing the physical space of the hospital environment. This can lead to the promotion of childbirth.

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a reproductive disorder that makes an unresolved issue in women. miRNAs may play a role in regulating embryonic growth and sustaining pregnancy. The present study was conducted with aim to investigate the miRNA profile in the chorionic villi of women with recurrent abortion using bioinformatics studies.

In this study, the expression profiles of mRNA and miRNA from chorionic villi cells were obtained from the GEO database. After identifying the differentially expressed miRNAs, the overlap between miRNA targets and the upregulated/downregulated mRNAs was determined. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and KEGG pathways were then conducted for the overlapped genes. Protein-protein interaction networks and key genes were analyzed. Finally, the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed.

A total of 123 miRNAs with differential expression (16 downregulated and 107 upregulated) and 670 genes with differential expression (including 269 downregulated and 366 upregulated) were analyzed. After making the overlap between the miRNA targets and differentially expressed genes, 219 overlap genes were identified. The results of KEGG and GO analysis indicated that these genes are involved in prolactin, oxytocin, B cell receptor pathways, interleukin-6 production processes, and leukocyte differentiation. Additionally, in the miRNA-mRNA network, miR-548ap-5p and miR-320b were identified with the highest scores.

The present study identified differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs, as well as key genes in the chorionic villi cells associated with RSA. This study may suggest new biomarkers for the potential diagnosis or treatment of RSA.

Menopausal hot flashes are a common complaint among postmenopausal women, and the herbal remedy of Vitagnus is often preferred over hormone therapy by many in this population. Therefore, the present study was performed with aim to investigate the effects of Vitagnus on menopausal hot flashes and any associated side effects in Iranian women.

A search was conducted in databases, including Embase, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane, ProQuest, Web of Science, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Iranian databases such as Iranmedex, SID, IranDoc, IRCT, and Magiran (in Persian). The keywords searched included “postmenopausal women,” “menopausal women,” “Vitagnus,” “Vitex agnus-castus L.,” “Vitex,” “hot flashes,” and “chaste tree”. The quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was assessed using the Collaboration Cochrane tool, while non-randomized studies was evaluated based on the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool.

In the five RCTs, Vitagnus significantly reduced hot flash symptoms over eight weeks. In three quasi-experimental studies, Vitagnus significantly reduced hot flashes within four weeks. Adverse events were fully reported in four studies and summarized in two studies. Nausea and itching were the most commonly reported side effects.

While this systematic review indicated that Vitagnus may be effective in alleviating hot flashes in Iranian menopausal women, but the lack of a meta-analysis, there was insufficient data to make definitive judgments regarding its efficacy.

A baby's birth weight is one of the indicators of knowing the hygiene and health status of pregnancy period and greatly impacts the occurrence of neonatal complications as well as his health in adulthood. The present study was conducted with aim to evaluate the relationship between anemia in pregnancy and the risk of low birth weight as systematic review and meta-analysis.

All observational studies published between 2000 and 2024 were searched in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases. The keywords based on the MeSh included “Birth weight,” Pregnancy, “Pregnant Women,” and Anemia, combined with the Boolean operators OR and AND. Finally, the articles were reviewed separately by two independent reviewers to assess their quality (Newcastle-Ottawa scale) and extract their main findings. Meta-analysis was performed with Stata software. The heterogeneity of studies was assessed using the I2 index and Cochrane test. The funnel plot method and Begg & Egger tests were used to evaluate publication bias.

Finally, 22 studies with a total sample size of 321,231 people were included in this study. Most of the studies had a high level of methodological quality in terms of quality assessment. The association between pregnancy anemia and low birth weight based on the adjusted odds ratio with the value OR = 1.59 (95%CI: 1.06 to 2.39) showed that in women with anemia pregnancy, the probability of having a low birth weight baby is 1.59 times higher. Publication bias did not affect the results and no influential studies were found in the sensitivity analysis.

If anemia occurs during pregnancy, the likelihood of having a baby with a low birth weight increases. As a result, monitoring mothers from early pregnancy and diagnosing and treating problems can significantly impact the health of both mother and baby and reduce healthcare costs.