The presence of several neuropeptides (neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), galanin (GAL), enkephalin (ENK), somatostatin (SOM) was established in the early pregnant human cervix using indirect immunofluorescence immunohistochemistry. Several peptides (VIP, NPY, CGRP, GAL) were present both in free nerves among smooth muscle cells and around blood vessels. Others (SP, SOM) were only seen as single varicosities among smooth muscle cells. Randomized treatment of patients with RU 486 (mifepristone) prior to surgical sampling revealed no clearcut differences in peptide immunoreactivities. After RU 486 treatment, however, there was a tendency towards a decrease of NPY- and VIP-immunoreactivity, and an increase of CGRP-immunoreactivity.
The purpose of this study was to establish the frequency of complications following legal abortion at our hospital, and also to examine the use of contraceptives among these patients. All women who requested abortion in the first or second trimester up to week 15 during an 8-month period (n = 1000) were included in the study. The patients were characterized with regard to age, parity, previous abortion, contraceptive technique before and after the abortion, presence of endocervical/urethral Chlamydia trachomatis and frequency and type of somatic complications following the abortion. The overall frequency of complications (infection, bleeding, recurettage) was 5.4%, and 2.7% were readmitted to the hospital. No certain relation between complication rate and gestational length, age or parity was seen, possibly related to selective prostaglandin pretreatment of the cervix and doxycycline treatment of patients with positive cultures for Chlamydia trachomatis. In contrast to previous Scandinavian studies, we found a smaller proportion of young patients, a low percentage of Chlamydial infections, and an unchanged high rate of failure to use contraceptives.
