The clinical implications of abnormal cervical cytology during pregnancy are unclear. Therefore, we performed the present study to determine the role of cervical cytologic screening during pregnancy in association with placental abnormalities and preterm birth. A review of 2,480 cases during 11 years revealed significant correlation of reactive, infectious, atypical, and dysplastic cytologic changes during pregnancy with abnormal placental findings. Also, all but dysplastic cytologic changes were significantly associated with preterm birth. Furthermore, we observed significant association of the presence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA with preterm birth and placental abnormalities. These findings indicate that cervical infection of HPV is a risk factor for preterm birth and that cervical cytology is an effective tool for screening women for infection and inflammation during pregnancy and predicting pregnancy outcome.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are mesenchymal neoplasms with a spectrum of histologic appearances and biologic activity. The morphologic classification of these lesions has evolved over time, and molecular analysis has led to a better understanding of their nature. The histologic differential diagnosis for these lesions is broad and includes many spindle cell lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, including neoplasms of true smooth muscle and neural origin, proliferating fibrous lesions, metastatic neoplasms, and primary sarcomas of vascular and adipose origin. Immunohistochemical studies that include CD117 have become invaluable in the classification of mesenchymal lesions arising in the gastrointestinal tract. Treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors has historically been involved surgery, but the use of the chemotherapeutic agent imatinib mesylate for advanced disease has made accurate classification even more important. The molecular features have not only allowed us to understand the pathogenesis of these tumors but also have proven to be associated with response to kinase inhibitors.

To determine the clinical significance of Kluyvera isolates at our institution, we retrospectively analyzed clinical microbiology data from January 1999 to September 2003. We identified 11 isolates classified as Kluyvera ascorbata, 7 of which were considered clinically significant pathogens: 3 cases represented urinary tract infections; 2, bacteremia; 1, a soft tissue infection of the finger; and 1, acute appendicitis with a subsequent intra-abdominal abscess. The age distribution of patients was wide, ranging from 2 months to 73 years. Antimicrobial susceptibility studies of the clinically significant and non-clinically significant Kluyvera isolates showed susceptibility patterns similar to those reported in the medical literature, namely trends of resistance to ampicillin and first- and second-generation cephalosporins. Of the 4 non-clinically significant isolates in our study, 1 was resistant to ciprofloxacin, a finding reported in only 1 other isolate of Kluyvera in the medical literature. Patient outcome after treatment with third-generation cephalosporins and aminoglycosides in the 7 clinically significant cases was good, with no long-term sequelae. The potential virulence of K ascorbata highlights the need for heightened scrutiny of its antimicrobial susceptibility patterns for adequate clinical treatment.

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