Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Diagnosis and Management

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 237

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, São Paulo Federal University of São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
Interests: obstetrics; high-risk pregnancy; perinatology; prenatal diagnosis; ultrasound
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infectious diseases in obstetrics and gynecology represent a major public health concern worldwide, contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. Regarding fetal health, maternal infections in obstetrics are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, including prematurity, preterm birth, congenital malformations, and fetal death. Regarding women’s own health, infections are associated with various morbidities, including infertility, chronic pelvic pain, cancer, and mortality. Given the importance of this topic, for this Special Issue, we invite clinicians and researchers to submit reviews and original articles on various topics related to the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases in obstetrics and gynecology, such as clinical, laboratory, and imaging diagnostic methods, management, treatment, and follow-up.

Prof. Dr. Edward Araujo Júnior
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • infectious diseases
  • obstetrics
  • gynecology
  • diagnosis
  • management
  • sexually transmitted diseases
  • congenital malformations
  • chronic pelvic pain
  • infertility

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 738 KB  
Article
Evaluation of Cycle Threshold (Ct) Values for Detecting High-Risk HPV in Self-Collected Vaginal Samples as a Triage Method to Colposcopy
by Kimon Chatzistamatiou, Menelaos Zafrakas, Glykeria Gkoliou, Electra Sofou, Konstantinos Pasentsis, Georgios Karakatsoulis, Theodoros Agorastos and Kostas Stamatopoulos
Diagnostics 2025, 15(24), 3205; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15243205 - 15 Dec 2025
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cycle threshold (Ct) values of self-collected vaginal samples as a triage method to colposcopy for high-risk (hr) HPV-positive women. Methods: We analyzed data from GRECOSELF, a nationwide observational cross-sectional study on HPV primary [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cycle threshold (Ct) values of self-collected vaginal samples as a triage method to colposcopy for high-risk (hr) HPV-positive women. Methods: We analyzed data from GRECOSELF, a nationwide observational cross-sectional study on HPV primary cervical cancer screening in Greece. Self-collected vaginal samples were tested with the cobas® HPV test (Roche® Molecular Systems, Pleasanton, CA, USA). The Ct value, i.e., the number of cycles needed until DNA amplification occurs exponentially in a PCR, reflects the viral load, and it was evaluated as a triage method to colposcopy for hrHPV-positive women. Results: For CIN2 and more advanced lesions, the Ct value, as a dichotomous variable at a cut-off of 29.7, had 54.8% (95%CI: 38.7–70.2) sensitivity, 35.4% (23.9–48.2) Positive Predictive Value (PPV), 74.2% (66.8–80.8) specificity, and 86.4% (73.6–91.6) Negative Predictive Value (NPV) for HPV16/18, while for other hrHPV types, sensitivity was 26.7% (12.3–45.9), PPV 6.7% (2.9–12.8), specificity 78.8% (75.1–82.2), and NPV 95.0% (92.5–96.8). For CIN3 and more advanced lesions, the NPV for non-HPV16/18 was 97.9 (96.1–99.1). Conclusions: For self-collected vaginal samples of hrHPV-positive women, the Ct value may be used as a triage method to colposcopy. As Ct values inversely reflect the viral loads, they are lower in high-grade CIN and/or carcinoma. Full article
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19 pages, 2612 KB  
Article
Morphological Changes in the Placenta of Patients with COVID-19 During Pregnancy
by Kseniia Rudenko, Tatiana Roshchina, Irina Zazerskaya, Dmitry Kudlay, Anna Starshinova and Lubov Mitrofanova
Diagnostics 2025, 15(24), 3188; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15243188 (registering DOI) - 13 Dec 2025
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Abstract
Introduction: The contribution of SARS-CoV-2 infection to the severity of placental alterations in preeclampsia remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the morphological changes in placentas of women who experienced COVID-19 during pregnancy, with a focus on the presence or absence of [...] Read more.
Introduction: The contribution of SARS-CoV-2 infection to the severity of placental alterations in preeclampsia remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the morphological changes in placentas of women who experienced COVID-19 during pregnancy, with a focus on the presence or absence of preeclampsia. Materials and Methods: The study included placentas from: (1) patients with both COVID-19 during pregnancy and preeclampsia (n = 20, 2022); (2) patients with COVID-19 during pregnancy without preeclampsia (n = 20, 2022); (3) patients with preeclampsia but without COVID-19 (n = 5, 2019); (4) patients with physiological pregnancies without COVID-19 or gestational complications (n = 5, 2019). Histological and immunohistochemical examinations of the placentas were performed using antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, DPP4 (CD26), and VEGF. Results: Placentas from patients with both COVID-19 and preeclampsia demonstrated the most pronounced stromal and vascular alterations, including pseudo-infarctions and villous fibrosis. Chorangiosis, excessive fibrinoid deposition in the intervillous space, and accelerated villous maturation with an increased number of syncytial knots were more common in the preeclampsia groups, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection. Symptomatic forms of coronavirus infection were associated with more severe manifestations of malperfusion. Expression of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was detected in 78% of syncytiotrophoblast cells and 37% of decidual cells in 28 of 40 placentas from women with previous COVID-19, while its presence in the vascular endothelium, macrophages, and villous fibroblasts was focal, as was CD26 expression. VEGF expression did not differ significantly between patients with and without COVID-19. Conclusions: COVID-19 is associated with more pronounced stromal–vascular alterations in the placenta; however, not all of these changes are directly caused by the virus itself but rather reflect the severe course of preeclampsia. Inflammatory alterations are nonspecific for COVID-19, even though CD26 and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein are detectable in nearly all placental structures, whereas VEGF levels remain comparable to those observed in placentas prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Full article
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