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Biography
Alexander O. Shpakov
Alexander O. Shpakov is a Professor of Biochemistry at the I.M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry (IEPB), Russian Academy of Sciences, in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. He was born in 1963 at Leningrad in Russia. He received his Master of Science degree in Bioorganic Chemistry in 1987 from the Leningrad State University, Russia, and his PhD degree in Biochemistry in 1996
  • 864
  • 23 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Maternal and Fetal Intima-Media Thickness Assessment in Perinatology
Intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement is a non-invasive method of arterial wall assessment. An increased IMT is a common manifestation of atherosclerosis associated with endothelial dysfunction. In the course of pregnancy, various maternal organs, including the endothelium, are prepared for their new role. However, several pre-gestational conditions involving endothelial dysfunction, such as diabetes, chronic hypertension, and obesity, may impair the adaptation to pregnancy, whereas vascular changes may also affect fetal development, thus, influencing the fetal IMT. In fact, data indicate that following the delivery, the endothelial dysfunction persists and influences the future health of the mother and the newborn. 
  • 862
  • 16 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Quality of Life Women Suffering from Endometriosis
Quality of life is related to good health, family relations, feeling of self-esteem, and ability to cope with difficult situations. Endometriosis is a chronic condition which affects different areas of life.
  • 861
  • 26 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Pregnancy Complications Foreshadow Future Disease
During gestation, the maternal body should increase its activity to fulfil the demands of the developing fetus as pregnancy progresses. Each maternal organ adapts in a unique manner and pace. In an organ or system that was already vulnerable before pregnancy, the burden of pregnancy can trigger overt clinical manifestations. After delivery, symptoms usually reside; however, in time, because of the age-related metabolic and pro-atherogenic changes, they reappear. Therefore, it is believed that pregnancy acts as a medical stress test for mothers. Pregnancy complications such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus foreshadow cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes later in life. Affected women are encouraged to modify their lifestyle after birth by adjusting their diet and exercise habits. Blood pressure and plasmatic glucose level checking are recommended so that early therapeutic intervention can reduce long-term morbidity.
  • 856
  • 17 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Endometriosis of Canal of Nuck
Endometriosis is a common benign gynecological condition defined as the presence of endometrial tissue in tissues outside the uterine cavity. Apart from the common sites of endometriosis, rare sites other have also been reported including the liver, the thoracic cavity, the muscles, nerves, and more rarely in a patent Nuck canal. We aim to evaluate the clinical presentation, diagnostic features, and management of the Nuck endometriosis. A meticulous search of three electronic databases was performed until May 2020 for articles reporting cases of Nuck endometriosis. A total of 36 patients from 20 studies were analyzed. Median age of patients was 36 years with 33 women being of reproductive age. A right-sided lesion was identified in 30 cases (83.3%), while all patients suffer from a groin mass with cyclic pain in a proportion of 22%. All the patients finally underwent surgery for investigation of the lesion and fixation of the defect. Five cases of malignancy were detected at final pathology. All of them were alive with a median reported overall survival of 37 months. Nuck endometriosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of female patients with groin swelling. An evaluation by a gynecologist is important when endometriosis is suspected.
  • 854
  • 07 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Robotic Surgery in Benign Gynecological Pathology
Since the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval in 2005, the application of robotic surgery (RS) in gynecology has been adopted all over the world. Currently, a minimally invasive approach is suggested in benign gynecological pathologies. RS has comparable clinical outcomes compared to laparoscopy (LPS). RS allowed a growing number of patients to gain access to minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and benefit from a minimally invasive treatment, due to a flattened learning curve and enhanced dexterity and visualization.
  • 851
  • 22 Apr 2022
Topic Review
MicroRNAs Dysregulation for Early Diagnosis of Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a benign chronic disease in women that is characterized by the presence of active foci of the endometrium or endometrial tissue occurring outside of the uterus. The disease causes disabling symptoms such as pelvic pain and infertility, which negatively affect a patient’s quality of life. In addition, endometriosis imposes an immense financial burden on the healthcare system. Laparoscopy is the gold standard for diagnosing the disease because other non-invasive diagnostic tests have less accuracy. In addition, other diagnostic tests have low accuracy. Numerous researchers have suggested miRNAs as potential biomarkers for endometriosis diagnosis due to their specificity and stability.
  • 849
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Placenta of Pregnancy Complicated by Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a glucose intolerance developing or first recognized during pregnancy, leads to a series of short- and long-term maternal and fetal complications, somehow related to placenta structural and functional changes. The placenta has a key role in correct fetal development. A series of factors are related to the correct functioning of the placenta as maternal and fetal blood flow, expression and function of receptors and transporters, and appropriate nutrients.
  • 842
  • 28 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Oviductal Extracellular Vesicles
In this review, we have described characteristics of extracellular vesicles in the oviduct from different species and their role in supporting oocytes, sperm, and embryos.
  • 835
  • 16 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Association between Sodium Channels and Gynecological Cancers
Targeted therapy against cancer plays a key role in delivering safer and more efficient treatments. In the last decades, ion channels have been studied for their participation in oncogenic processes because their aberrant expression and/or function have been associated with different types of malignancies, including ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancer. 
  • 835
  • 13 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Differential Diagnosis of Acute Pelvic Pain
In female patients, acute pelvic pain can be caused by gynaecological, gastrointestinal, and urinary tract pathologies. Due to the variety of diagnostic possibilities, the correct assessment of these patients may be challenging. The most frequent gynaecological causes of acute pelvic pain in non-pregnant women are pelvic inflammatory disease, ruptured ovarian cysts, ovarian torsion, and degeneration or torsion of uterine leiomyomas. On the other hand, spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, and placental disorders are the most frequent gynaecological entities to cause acute pelvic pain in pregnant patients.
  • 834
  • 26 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Placental Methylation in Pregnancies
The placental methylation pattern is crucial for the regulation of genes involved in trophoblast invasion and placental development, both key events for fetal growth. We investigated LINE-1 methylation and methylome profiling using a methylation EPIC array and the targeted methylation sequencing of 154 normal, full-term pregnancies, stratified by birth weight percentiles. LINE-1 methylation showed evidence of a more pronounced hypomethylation in small neonates compared with normal and large for gestational age. Genome-wide methylation, performed in two subsets of pregnancies, showed very similar methylation profiles among cord blood samples while placentae from different pregnancies appeared very variable. A unique methylation profile emerged in each placenta, which could represent the sum of adjustments that the placenta made during the pregnancy to preserve the epigenetic homeostasis of the fetus. Investigations into the 1000 most variable sites between cord blood and the placenta showed that promoters and gene bodies that are hypermethylated in the placenta are associated with blood-specific functions, whereas those that are hypomethylated belong mainly to pathways involved in cancer. These features support the functional analogies between a placenta and cancer. 
  • 820
  • 22 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Telocytes in the Female Reproductive System
Telocytes (TCs) have been described in the ovary, uterine tubes, uterus, vagina, mammary gland, and placenta. Their morphological features, immunophenotype, physiological functions, and roles in disease have been thoroughly documented in both animal models and human subjects. TCs, with their extremely long cytoplasmic processes called telopodes, play a pivotal role in the morphological and functional interconnection of all the components of the interstitial compartment, but also with constituents of the parenchyma.
  • 819
  • 07 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Ultrasound as a Screening Test for Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the seventh most common malignancy diagnosed among women, the eighth leading cause of cancer mortality globally, and the most common cause of death among all gynecological cancers. Even though recent advances in technology have allowed for more accurate radiological and laboratory diagnostic tests, approximately 60% of OC cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage. The role of ultrasound (U/S) is well documented in the primary diagnosis of OC and is potentially useful in the detection of OC associated with endometriosis. 
  • 816
  • 03 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Causes of Infertility in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Infertility has been recognized as a civilizational disease. One of the most common causes of infertility is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Closely interrelated immunometabolic mechanisms underlie the development of this complex syndrome and lead to infertility. The direct cause of infertility in PCOS is ovulation and implantation disorders caused by low-grade inflammation of ovarian tissue and endometrium which, in turn, result from immune and metabolic system disorders. The systemic immune response, in particular the inflammatory response, in conjunction with metabolic disorders, insulin resistance (IR), hyperadrenalism, insufficient secretion of progesterone, and oxidative stress lead not only to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, autoimmunity, and lipid metabolism disorders but also to infertility. Depending on the genetic and environmental conditions as well as certain cultural factors, some diseases may occur immediately, while others may become apparent years after an infertility diagnosis. Each of them alone can be a significant factor contributing to the development of PCOS and infertility. 
  • 816
  • 11 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Total/Subtotal Hysterectomy for the Treatment of Endometriosis
Hysterectomy is associated with risks; the risk of complications is greater in women with endometriosis. The majority of hysterectomies include removal of the cervix, but the rate of subtotal hysterectomies with retention of the cervical stump has increased in the last few decades.
  • 814
  • 07 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Ion Transport System in Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is a significant gynecological cancer and causes cancer-related deaths worldwide. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is implicated in the etiology of cervical malignancy. However, much evidence indicates that HPV infection is a necessary but not sufficient cause in cervical carcinogenesis. Therefore, the cellular pathophysiology of cervical cancer is worthy of study. 
  • 812
  • 06 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Lynch Syndrome and Gynecologic Tumors
Lynch syndrome (LS) is a genetic condition predisposing to a variety of tumors, including endometrial (EC) and ovarian cancers (OC), with cancer lifetime risk depending on the specific LS-mutation involved. Universal Screening is the standard for LS detection. Prophylactic surgery is a risk-reducing option that may be considered, and the age at hysterectomy and recommendation for bilateral oophorectomy depend on the mutated variant and offspring desire. Besides surgery, chemoprevention via contraceptives combination or progestin-alone is a viable option, and vaccination with tumor-specific antigens has shown promising results in mouse models.
  • 809
  • 18 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Pregnant and Postpartum Women Requiring Care for COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus classified in the same subgroup as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Both can cause a variety of respiratory illnesses ranging in severity from a common cold to severe pneumonia, inflammatory response, acute lung injury, and death.  Research on COVID-19 revealed that SARS CoV-2 does not only affect the respiratory tract but can also lead to endothelial inflammation, cardiomyopathy, multi-organ dysfunction, neurological syndromes, and hypercoagulability. Progression of COVID-19 is rare in pregnant and postpartum women treated in the ICU. Preterm birth rate is high and COVID-19 requiring respiratory support increases the risk of poor maternal and neonatal outcome. 
  • 808
  • 09 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Molecular Advances in Preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome
Preeclampsia (PE) constitutes one of the principal reasons for maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The circumstance typically implicates formerly healthful normotensive women, after 20 weeks of gestation, typically withinside the third trimester, without regarded threat elements or past deliveries. PE can be further complicated with hemolysis and thrombocytopenia, leading to the emergence of HELLP syndrome (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, Low platelets). Both conditions are classified as hypertensive diseases of pregnancy (HDP), and their pathogenesis has been linked to an excessive maternal inflammatory response, accompanied by enhanced endothelial activation. 
  • 806
  • 15 Apr 2022
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