Ectopic pregnancies: rising incidence rates in Northern California.
(73/100)
In a population of about 300,000 Northern California women aged 15--44, the age-adjusted incidence of ectopic pregnancy rose from 55.5 to 84.2/100,000 women, 1972--1978. The ratio of ectopics to 1,000 deliveries-plus-spontaneous abortions rose from 9.4 to 14.8. The change occurred mainly in women under age 30, and was observed in seven of the eight hospitals in the area. There was no alteration in the frequency of hospitalized pelvic inflammatory disease (PID); salpingitis decreased over the years studied; and tubal sterilization events remained constant at around 0.9 per cent per year of women aged 15--44. (+info)
Pathogenesis of tubal pregnancy.
(74/100)
A review was made of 706 ectopic pregnancies treated at Howard University Hospital over a 20-year period. Comparison of two 10-year periods was made with special regard to the association of an inflammatory process in the involved tube. It is not the intention of this study to deny chronic pelvic inflammatory disease as a factor in the etiology of ectopic pregnancy, but it is not considered the main cause.An inflammatory process was associated in 40.1 percent of cases during the first 10 years, and 16.7 percent of cases in the second 10 years. Further study is necessary to elucidate the cause of ectopic pregnancy, probably in the direction of functional disturbances rather than structural defects. (+info)
Effect of estradiol on chlamydial genital infection of female guinea pigs.
(75/100)
Female guinea pigs were treated daily with 1 mg of beta-estradiol-3-benzoate intramuscularly beginning 14 days before intravaginal inoculation with the chlamydial agent of guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis and continuing during the course of the infection. Treatment with estradiol was found to markedly influence the course of genital infection with the chlamydial agent of guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis, producing infections of greater intensity and longer duration than those in control animals. Moreover, pathogenesis was altered in that ascending infection was observed, resulting in endometritis, cystic salpingitis, and cystitis. Infection in the controls was limited to the cervix and vagina. Estradiol treatment increased the apparent number of infected cells in the cervix and vagina as detected by histopathology and immunofluorescent staining. Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to the chlamydial agent of guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis were comparable in estradiol-treated and untreated animals. These data indicate that hormonal manipulation may have profound effects on the course of chlamydial genital infections. (+info)
Pelvic actinomycosis and usage of intrauterine contraceptive devices.
(76/100)
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is one of the most commonly encountered serious infectious disease entities in gynecology. The past decade has witnessed many advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of PID. It is now evident that such pelvic infections are largely polymicrobial in origin, with major involvement by anaerobic organisms. Salpingo-oophoritis is a part of the spectrum of PID. Included among this group of infections are tubo-ovarian abscesses, traditionally referred to as either gonococcal or non-gonococcal in origin. Within the latter group of infections the importance of anaerobic organisms has also been elucidated. Of particular interest is the reported observation of an increased frequency of salpingo-oophoritis among users of intrauterine devices (IUDs). These reports have noted the specific occurrence of serious pelvic infections due to Actinomyces species, and this will be the topic of the infectious disease conference. Our patient presented with a chronic illness characterized by lethargy, back pain, fever, and anemia; subsequently evaluation disclosed the presence of a large pelvic mass which was confirmed as a tubo-ovarian abscess at surgery. Histological evaluation demonstrated involvement by Actinomyces species. This patient's illness is discussed as a complication of chronic IUD usage with reference to specific management for this emerging problem. (+info)
Attempts to produce gynaecological disease in grivet monkeys with Ureaplasma urealyticum.
(77/100)
Attempts were made to infect grivet monkeys with Ureaplasma urealyticum, including strains freshly isolated from patients with infection of the genito-urinary tact, laboratory reference strains and simian strains. The organisms were inoculated directly into the uterine tubes exposed at laparotomy, or through the cervical canal into the uterine cavity before endometrial curettage; but only colonisation, of up to 5 months' duration, was achieved, without evidence of inflammation in the genital tract or elsewhere, and without an antibody response. (+info)
Experimental infection of the upper genital tract of female grivet monkeys with Mycoplasma fermentans.
(78/100)
Mycoplasma fermentans inoculated directly into the uterine tubes of female grivet monkeys produced a self-limiting acute salpingitis and parametritis. The inflammation was accompanied by a significant rise in titre of specific indirect haemagglutinating antibodies. Inoculation of M. fermentans into the uterine cavity through the cervical canal without dilatation of the cervix produced practically no signs of inflammation and no antibody response. However, when the intrauterine inoculation of mycoplasmas was followed by currettage of the endometrium, in animals whose uterine tubes had been closed by ligatures, pronounced upper genital-tract inflammation developed, together with a significant antibody response. (+info)
Experimental bovine genital ureaplasmosis. II. Granular vulvitis, endometritis and salpingitis following uterine inoculation.
(79/100)
Twenty-three virgin Holstein heifers received uterine inoculations with ureaplasma and were necropsied one to thirteen days later. Three heifers inoculated intracervically were necropsied on days 3, 5 and 11.Granular vulvitis was produced on average by 3.6 days in fourteen of sixteen uterine inoculated heifers monitored for four or more days. Two cervically inoculated heifers monitored for over four days also developed granular vulvitis by the fourth day. At necropsy, ureaplasma was recovered from 94% of uterine horn cultures for the first four days postinoculation and 50% during days 5 to 7. Thereafter all uterine cultures were negative. The percentage of positive ureaplasma recoveries from uterine tube flushings was lower than for uterine horns but remained positive for a longer period. By day 7, three of four uterine tube flushings were still positive. No bacterial pathogens were isolated from the uterine horns or uterine tube flushings. On histopathology 50% of uterine inoculated heifers had endometritis up to six days postinoculation and a slightly higher percentage (58%) had salpingitis. Endometritis was not found in any heifers after day 6. Residual salpingitis was present in one heifer on day 7. Endometritis was present in cervically inoculated heifers necropsied on days 3 and 5 but not on day 11. Salpingitis was not found in any of the three cervically inoculated animals. The study concluded that some strains of ureaplasma are pathogenic for the upper reproductive tract of the cow and should be considered significant when isolated from cases of granular vulvitis, endometritis or salpingitis. (+info)
A peptide of Chlamydia trachomatis shown to be a primary T-cell epitope in vitro induces cell-mediated immunity in vivo.
(80/100)
Chlamydiae are a major cause of infertility and preventable blindness and there is currently no effective vaccine in humans or rodents against these organisms. We have previously shown that a peptide of 12 amino acids (termed TINKP) from a conserved region of the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) is a primary T-cell epitope in humans. Here we showed that when dendritic cells (DC) from C3H or BALB/c mice were pulsed in vitro with the peptide they stimulated proliferation of syngeneic T cells in vitro indicating that the peptide is also a primary T-cell epitope in mice. Since the skin is a rich source of DC, we immunized mice from each strain with an intradermal injection of the peptide. Humoral and cell-mediated immunity to peptide, MOMP or whole elementary bodies (EB) of C. trachomatis (F/NI1/GU) were assessed. No antibody response to TINKP was observed. However, immunized mice showed recall responses to all three chlamydial antigens. T-cell-mediated immunity in the absence of antibody was induced by a single injection of the peptide intradermally. C. trachomatis isolated from the human genital tract causes salpingitis in mice. Preliminary studies in susceptible C3H mice indicated that intradermal injection of peptide conferred some protection against the development of salpingitis. Thus, a primary T-cell epitope identified by in vitro stimulation using DC can also initiate cell-mediated immunity in vivo and this approach may be useful in the development of vaccines. (+info)