Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Bergant.
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There is no valid method in the German literature for assessing premenstrual disorders. This study was undertaken to translate into German, validate and test the reliability of the "Premenstrual Syndrome Tension Observer/Self-Rating Scale" and the "Visual Analogue Scale for Premenstrual Disorders". PATIENTS AND METHODS: 55 patients diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder took part in the study. After fullfilling the inclusion criteria, sociodemographic and medical data were studied. The self-assessment by PMTS-SR and VAS-PmD was done two days premenstrual and nine days postmenstrual by all 55 patients. The objective assessment (done by a clinical interview and the PMTS-O as the reference standard) was obtained afterwards without knowing the self-assessment. RESULTS: The average age of the tested women was 35 years. The average increase of 85 % in premenstrual symptoms (PMTS-O and PMTS-SR scale) indicates a group with severe premenstrual disorders. The correlation coefficient between PMTS-O and PMTS-SR scale, pre- and postmenstrually, was 0.83 and 0.84, respectively (p < 0.0001 for both). The correlation coefficient between PMTS-O and VAS-PmD, pre- and postmenstrually, was 0.5 and 0.69, respectively (p < 0.0001 for both). This was calculated at 0.64 and 0.67, respectively (p < 0.0001 for both) between PMTS-SR and VAS-PmD. Reliability analysis for PMTS-O was, pre- and postmenstrually, 0.71 and 0.29, respectively, for PMTS-SR 0.77 and 0.78, respectively, and for VAS-PmD it was 0.79 and 0.87, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The German version of the PMTS-O and the PMTS-SR scale are "application friendly" as well as proven to be a valid and reliable method for supporting the diagnosis, course of disease and research aspects concerning premenstrual disorders. Initially VAS-PmD should be used in combination with PMTS-O and PMTS-SR scale.
BACKGROUND: Melanotic lesions of the vagina are very rare; clinically, most are suspected to be malignant melanomas. Occasional benign cases, however, require differential diagnostic consideration. We report a case of multiple (benign) blue nevi of the vagina. CASE: A 51-year-old woman presented with bluish black macules irregularly distributed throughout the vagina. Biopsies revealed pigmented cells in the dermis that proved to be melanocytes. The patient received no therapy. The lesions remained unchanged in the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Multiple blue nevi could be a differential diagnosis for malignant melanoma of the vagina. Our patient showed no malignant transformation over a 29-year period. Therapy for blue nevi in the vagina does not require complete excision.
Two recent papers demonstrate that prolactin plays an important role in the induction and progression of mammary tumours. Retinoids have been shown to be potent inhibitors of breast carcinogenesis. We studied expression of prolactin receptor mRNA in human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, SKBR-3, T47D and BT-20 treated with and without retinoids using Northern blot and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. In all cell lines, all-trans- and 9-cis-retinoic acid, as well as the retinoic acid receptor gamma (RAR-gamma) selective agonists CD2325 and CD437 (1 microM), were able to down-regulate prolactin receptor. After 1 h, a significant reduction was detectable and maximal effect was achieved after 24 h of treatment. Pretreatment with retinoic acid also reduced the prolactin-/prolactin receptor-dependent signal transduction and activation of transcription 5 (STAT-5) activation in T47D cells. Cycloheximide failed to abrogate the retinoic acid-induced decline in prolactin receptor mRNA levels, indicating that this effect was not dependent upon continuing protein synthesis. Similarly, no change in the stability of prolactin receptor mRNA was observed during 12 h of retinoic acid treatment. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that retinoids are able to inhibit the expression of prolactin receptor message, which encodes an important growth factor receptor in breast cancer cells. This action could be responsible for the anti-tumour effects of retinoids.
BACKGROUND: Neopterin, produced by human monocytes/macrophages upon stimulation by interferon-gamma, is a sensitive marker for monitoring Th1-cell immune response in humans. In malignant diseases, the frequency of increases in neopterin in the serum and urine of patients depends on tumor stage and type. METHODS: In a retrospective study comprising 129 females with breast cancer, urinary neopterin/creatinine ratios were measured at the time of diagnosis. Tumor characteristics were determined concomitantly. RESULTS: Urinary neopterin was increased in 18% of the patients. It did not correlate with tumor size or lymph node status, but it was influenced by the presence of distant metastases (P <0.05) and by tumor differentiation (P = 0.01). When product-limit estimates were calculated after follow-up for up to 13 years (median follow-up, 56 months), the presence of distant metastases (P <0.001), neopterin (P <0.001), tumor size (P = 0.001), and lymph node status (P <0.01) were significant predictors of survival. By multivariate analysis, a combination of the variables presence of distant metastases (P <0. 001), neopterin (P <0.01), and lymph node status (P <0.05) was found to jointly predict survival. In lymph node-negative patients without distant metastases, the relative risk of death associated with increased neopterin concentrations was 2.5 compared with patients with neopterin concentrations within the reference interval. CONCLUSION: Urinary neopterin provides additional prognostic information in patients with breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE: The aims of this investigation were to detect the prevalence and influencing factors of early postpartal depressive disorders in a large hospital sample. METHODS: By means of an interview we acquired information on sociodemographic data, physical and psychiatric anamnesis, obstetric and psychological variables. The German version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) served to determine the depressive disorder of our patients. The interview was carried out on 1,250 women at the maternity ward 5 days after delivery. RESULTS: According to the results of the German validation of the EPDS, 254 (20.3%) women at the maternity ward had an at least mild depressive disorder. A comparison between nondepressed women (n = 996, 79.7%) and depressed women (n = 254, 20.3%) revealed the following risk factors for the development of an early postpartal depressive disorder: higher subjective burden of childbirth, higher trait anxiety, poorer couple compatibility, lower job satisfaction and lower social status. Of all the obstetric variables previous abortions, elevated pregnancy risks, low weight of the newborn at delivery and cesarean section were of significant influence. CONCLUSIONS: Early postpartal depressive disorder appears in 20% of all women 5 days after delivery. According to previous studies this group seems to be at highest risk for developing a later postpartum depression. Considering the psychosocial and obstetric risk factors, preventive psychotherapeutic interventions at the maternity ward are indicated.
10 years after the Chernobyl disaster gamma radioactivity from Cs-137 was determined in 53 breast milk samples from Tyrol, as well as 9 samples from Tibet and 2 from Nepal by means of a gamma-spectrometer with a germanium detector. In contrast to the values obtained within a few days, and again 1 year after the nuclear plant catastrophe, all samples from Tyrol showed gamma radioactivity levels (median 0.07 nCi/l; range 0.02-0.20 nCi/l) which were now below the limit laid down for baby food in Austria (0.3 nCi/l-11.1 Bq). The samples from Tibet and Nepal registered a slightly higher level of gamma radioactivity (median 0.16 nCi/l; range 0.16-0.41 nCi/l).
The tumour and cytoskeleton protein tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) was determined in maternal serum taken during the second stage of labour and on the 4th postpartum day. Pregnant women at term (weeks 38-42) served as a control group. TPA levels of women during parturition (median 169 U/l) were higher than those of the control group (median 108.5 U/l) and those of women on the 4th postpartum day (median 66.5 U/l); p < 0.0001 in each case. The correlation between duration of labour and TPA concentration was positive and significant (rs = 0.3; p = 0.03). A significant negative correlation was found between placental weight and maternal serum TPA levels during parturition (rs = -0.3; p = 0.03). The decline of TPA after delivery indicated a serum half-life for TPA of less than 4 days.
The influence of dopamine on the central nervous system and on the circulation in humans is broadly investigated. As many biogene amines have an effect on the uterus too, this fact was investigated for dopamine. A highly significant (p < 0.001) increase of uterine strips activity could be observed after the application of dopamine 10(-6)M.
The effect of amlodipine, a recently developed calciumantagonist on 21 uterine strips was investigated. Uterine activity, expressed by the area under the curve was depressed from 504 (51 to 1056) mm2 to 0 (0 to 130) 10 min after the application of amlodipine. After 20 and 60 min, the values were 0 (0 to 1310) and 0 (0 to 317) (median, 10th and 90th percentile). The decrease of uterine activity was highly significant (p < 0.0001). In summary, amlodipine exhibits a prompt and excellent relaxation on the spontaneous contractions of uterine strips.
OBJECTIVE: A serological assay for genital HPV infection would provide important additional information to HPV DNA diagnostic methods, since it would evaluate prior exposure to the viruses, detect significant systemic immunologic response to virus infection, and could be performed in most clinical laboratories. METHODS: Serum samples from three groups of patients attending a gynecology clinic were analysed by direct ELISA for specific IgG antibodies to baculovirus-expressed HPV-6 and BPV-1-L1-VLPs. RESULTS: Positive IgG reactivity to HPV-6-L1-VLPs were 4/72 (6%) in a control group, 28/73 (38%) in a condyloma group and 17/62 (17%) in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia patients. Individual IgG ELISA values of condyloma and CIN patients for HPV-6-L1-VLPs demonstrated no correlation to results with BPV-1-L1-VLPs. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that HPV-6-L1-VLPs are effective antigens for serological studies and can detect species specific antibodies with important implications for diagnosis, epidemiology, insights to natural course of disease, prognosis and evaluation of vaccination.
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Nitrates are in use now for more than 100 years for the treatment of coronary heart disease. We were able to demonstrate, that nitroglycerin induces an immediate and highly significant (p < 0.0001) reduction of the spontaneous active uterine strip preparation. The mechanism of the molecular-biologic level (stimulation by NO of cGMP) is explained.
Adenoma of the nipple is a rare benign tumour of the nipple ducts. Clinically, it simulates the Paget's disease. Histologically, papillary adenocarcinoma and intraductal papillary carcinoma must be differentiated in order to avoid excessive or inadequate therapy. Two cases are discussed.
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The influence of histamine, a biogenic amine known for many years, on the contractility of uterine specimens, was investigated. A highly significant (p > 0,0001) increase of uterine activity after the application of histamine 10(-6) M was observed, caused by a similar increase of frequency, duration and amplitude of the contractions.