The initial hypothesis was that the follicular fluid prorenin concentration was higher in women with polycystic ovaries (PCO) compared to normally cycling women stimulated by gonadotrophins. In a ...controlled prospective study, 47 women undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) were enrolled: 20 women with PCO represented the study group and 27 normally cycling women the control group. Plasma prorenin, active renin, serum oestradiol, and androstenedione concentrations were measured on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration and 36 hours after HCG administration. Follicular fluid prorenin, active renin, oestradiol, and androstenedione concentrations from the dominant follicle and pooled follicles were measured 36 hours after HCG administration. Plasma prorenin concentration 36 hours after HCG administration was significantly higher in the PCO group (1867 microU/l; range 1137-3162 microU/l) than in controls (860 microU/l; range 433-1763 microU/l) (p = 0.007). The follicular fluid prorenin concentration in the dominant follicle and in the pooled follicles was lower in the PCO group (20190 microU/l; range 11130-25955 microU/l) than in controls (46930 microU/l; range 20671-66171 microU/l) (p = 0.003). We conclude that plasma prorenin concentrations in gonadotrophin-stimulated PCO cycles are augmented due to numerous follicles. Lower follicular fluid prorenin concentrations in women with PCO show that the synthesis of prorenin in theca cells starts later after HCG administration than in normally cycling women.
Background: In vitro studies demonstrated that proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) modulates bone metabolism.
Objective: The aim of our study was to confirm the ability of ...TNF‐α to induce osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption in an in vivo experiment, with the use of calvarial model in mice.
Materials and methods: Twenty C57‐Black mice were divided into four groups with five animals in each. The first group was infused subcutaneously on their back with recombinant mouse (rm) TNF‐α via osmotic minipumps for 3 d, the second group was similarly infused with phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS), the third group was infused with rmTNF‐α to the region above the parietal bone and the fourth group with PBS in the same manner. Number of osteoclasts on parietal bone was determined morphometrically. Serum calcium and phosphates were monitored colorimetrically.
Results: Serum calcium level and number of osteoclasts on parietal bone were significantly greater after infusion of rmTNF‐α above the parietal bone, whereas after subcutaneous delivery these parameters were similar to the control group.
Conclusion: We are concluding that TNF‐α has the ability to change the bone metabolism in a paracrine manner only.
Neopterin is elevated in infections, autoimmune diseases and post-transplant. Recently neopterin elevation was linked to stress response and malignancy. To determine early changes of serum neopterin ...caused by surgical stress and to investigate their association with other inflammatory markers and with malignancy, we measured neopterin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels at four predefined time-points within 24 hours in 27 patients admitted for liver resection. Our results show that neopterin increased during operation and the increase was not related to preoperative neopterin levels. On the first day after surgery neopterin level was not significantly different from postoperative levels. In patients with malignant disease neopterin concentration before operation was higher than in patients with non-malignant disease, however, the increase in neopterin concentration during operation was not different between both patient groups. During surgery CRP and PCT did not increase significantly. On the first postoperative day CRP and PCT were elevated and their levels correlated with neopterin (Pearson's correlation coefficient r=0.51 and r=0.76, respectively). We conclude that neopterin elevation during liver resection contributes major part to the increased levels observed on the first postoperative day. Perioperative neopterin release can/may be related to stress response and hypoxia produced during operation. Using this marker, hypoxic reperfusion damage could be detected earlier and more accurately.
Salivary free testosterone in hirsutism Osredkar, J; Vrhovec, I; Jesenovec, N ...
Annals of clinical biochemistry,
11/1989, Letnik:
26 ( Pt 6)
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
A sensitive, specific and accurate direct radioimmunoassay of testosterone in human saliva is described. A single salivary testosterone result is shown to be of greater diagnostic use in hirsutism ...than any of the currently used serum androgen assays. Thus, of 50 hirsute patients, salivary testosterone (Sa-T) was elevated in 34 patients, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) was decreased in 30 women, serum testosterone (S-T) elevated in 13, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) was elevated in 14, and androstenedione in three of the investigated group.
The growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) axis seems to play an important role in ovarian responsiveness. Recently IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) serum concentrations have been ...reported to be a good marker of GH/IGF-I axis activity. In view of this finding, we measured IGFBP-3 serum concentrations in 29 women undergoing in-vitro fertilization. We found a significant correlation among IGFBP-3 serum concentrations and markers of ovarian stimulation including efficacy index, serum oestradiol concentrations and the number of follicles on the day of human choriomc gonadotrophin (HCG) administration. The results of our study add additional evidence to the importance of the GH/IGF-I system in regulating ovarian responsiveness to gonadotrophin stimulation.
Cortisol After "Ecstasy" Ingestion Brvar, M; Kozelj, G; Osredkar, J ...
Journal of toxicology. Clinical toxicology,
06/2004, Letnik:
42, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Ecstasy (3,4 methyldioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is a recreational drug. The volunteer studies did not give a clear answer to the dynamic of cortisol after MDMA poisoning. We report a case of ...intentional MDMA ingestion in which we obtained serial measurements of serum cortisol and MDMA levels.
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