No abstract

Implementing a HPV vaccination program is currently under evaluation by the Turkish health ministry. For screening and vaccination programs to be successful, the cooperation of nurses is essential. We aimed to evaluate (1) basic knowledge of nurses and nursing interns regarding HPV infection and cervical cancer, (2) their attitudes towards smear testing and HPV vaccination, and (3) their viewpoint on vaccination of school age children. This cross-sectional study was undertaken at Bezmialem Vakif University. The survey was designed to assess knowledge about HPV infection, Pap smear testing, cervical cancer, HPV vaccine, attitudes towards HPV vaccination, and school-based vaccination programs. Validity content was determined by expert gynecologists, and a pilot study was performed on 10 nurses. A total of 550 questionnaires were handed out; 499 were completed. Our response rate was 90.7%. Fifty-nine participants answered all the knowledge questions correctly. The calculated knowledge score of the female participants was 6.99 ± 2.22, the male participants was 5.89 ± 2.92. Female participants were more knowledgeable (p < 0.0001). Out of the 353 female participants, 18.6% (n = 66) had undergone smear testing. There were 20 (5.6%) female and 6 (4%) male participants who were vaccinated against HPV. The leading answer for not having a HPV vaccine was "I'm not at risk for a HPV infection" (n = 106, 34.9%). There was a statistical relationship between "HPV knowledge score" and answering "Yes" to "Do you want your children/future children to be vaccinated? (p = 0.001) and "Do you think including the vaccine in the Turkish immunization program is necessary?" (p = 0.001). Nurses in our cohort seem to have satisfactory basic knowledge regarding HPV infection; however, their viewpoints on vaccination were not favorable. Strategies and intervention materials for HPV vaccination will be necessary if a national immunization program will be initiated.

The prevalence of amniotic fluid sludge is 19,6% and "sludge" is an independent risk factor for spontaneous preterm delivery among asymptomatic patients at high-risk for spontaneous preterm delivery. PTB is by far the leading cause of infant mortality, and prevention of PTB has been an elusive goal. When sludge added to screening, we can catch more PTB.

Endometrial polyps are benign pathologies originating as localized overgrowths of basal endometrium. Risk factors include endogenous and exogenous estrogen excess and tamoxifen (TAM) exposure. Our main objective was to investigate the role of an apoptosis-inhibiting protein, survivin, in endometrial polyps. We performed a cross-sectional, analytical study; our samples were obtained from the archives of the Department of Pathology. Sixty samples were included, comprising 20 TAM polyps, 20 simple endometrial polyps, and 20 cases of simple endometrial hyperplasia without atypia not associated with TAM use. Immunohistochemical staining with rabbit monoclonal anti-human survivin, clone EP 119, was performed. Survivin staining score was highest in the endometrial polyp group and lowest in the TAM polyp group (P<0.001). There was no correlation between survivin staining score and the age of patient (r=0.09), TAM exposure (r=-0.02), nor endometrial thickness (r=0.25). Endometrial polyps are frequently associated with TAM. The low expression of the antiapoptotic marker survivin in TAM polyps but high expression in other polypoid endometrium illustrates that different mechanisms are responsible in the pathogenesis of endometrial polyps. It is possible that there is a direct effect of TAM on apoptosis or indirect effect through a progesterone-related mechanism.