The New England journal of medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
A Randomized Trial of a Cervical Pessary to Prevent Preterm Singleton Birth.
Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal and infant death and of disability among survivors. It is unclear whether a pessary inserted around the cervix reduces the risk of preterm singleton birth. ⋯ Among girls and women with singleton pregnancies who had a short cervix, a cervical pessary did not result in a lower rate of spontaneous early preterm delivery than the rate with expectant management. (Funded by the Fetal Medicine Foundation; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN01096902.).
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Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is characterized by late-onset hypogammaglobulinemia in the absence of predisposing factors. The genetic cause is unknown in the majority of cases, and less than 10% of patients have a family history of the disease. Most patients have normal numbers of B cells but lack plasma cells. ⋯ Heterozygous mutations in the transcription factor IKAROS caused an autosomal dominant form of CVID that is associated with a striking decrease in B-cell numbers. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and others.).