A 31 year-old man with adrenocortical carcinoma is presented. Clinically he had a recidiving gynecomastia. The levels ddhydro-épi-androstérone (D.H.E.A.) and his ester Sulfate (D.H.E.A.S.), delta-4-androsténédione (A), estrone (Et), estradiol (E2) in urines, serum and tumor were very high. The cortisol production rate was in normal values. The serum levels or cortisol, D.H.E.A., D.H.E.A.S. and A were not increased by A.C.T.H. injection. In vitro, steroidogenesis in the tumor cells was not influenced by A.C.T.H. or prostaglandin E1, but stimulated by dibutyryl cyclic 3'5' adenosine monophosphate. Unresponsiveness of A.C.T.H. was related to an alteration of cells membranes receptors.

Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Measurement of biological activity of hLH. Multicenter study].

This report describes the results of a multicentric study of biological methods for luteinizing hormone (hLH). The production of testosterone by animal Leydig cells is used by five laboratories with different methodologies including rat, mouse and pig cells. Dose-response curves of testosterone production, quality criteria and results on a physiological population of men and women, are reported and discussed. It is concluded that the bioactive determination of hLH must be considered as a reference method used in discordances between clinic and immunological methods.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Pregnancy and perinatality: biological follow-up].

Blood and urinary tests which are necessary for pregnancy diagnosis and follow-up, for newborn and mother medical supervision, during the month following birthday, are today described in reglementary texts, laws, and recommendations such as advised medical references (RMO). These documents specify the nature of obligatory tests, the checking rhythm and the list of useless tests. hCG research remains necessary for pregnancy diagnosis, but hCG dosage is essential only in case of programmed medical assistance or pathological pregnancy (extrauterine pregnancy, hydatiform mole, choriocarcinoma). The obligatory follow-up of a pregnant woman includes determination of blood groups, research of infectious agents responsible for diseases (toxoplasmosis, rubeola, hepatitis B, syphilis), proteinuria and glycosuria research and blood count according to a given calendar. When the mother's condition is bad and reminiscent of a pathological pregnancy, when a genetic risk exists for the fetus or when fetal growth is abnormal as indicated by echographic control (intra-uterine growth retardation), laboratory tests are used to follow the maternal pathological course (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, anemia, bacterial, viral or parasitic disease), to verify the existence of a genetic disease, to know about the fetal functional state (by amniocentesis or cordocentesis), to identify an erythrocyte fetomaternal incompatibility. Since last trimester pregnancy accidents are able to endanger mother's and fetus lives, the feto-maternal follow-up must be adjusted to pathological diagnosis types and requires a particular supervision of the delivery. Finally mother and child must undergo a post-natal follow-up during the four weeks after birthday (perinatality control).

Female↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Acid-base equilibrium and oxygenation of the human fetus. Study of 73 samples obtained by cordocentesis].

Acid-base state and oxygenation of fetal blood were evaluated in a group of 73 appropriate for gestational age fetuses between 17 and 41 weeks of gestation; fetal blood was obtained by cordocentesis. We measured, on umbilical venous blood, pH, pCO2, bicarbonates and total CO2, pO2 and percent oxygen saturation; we obtained following results: pH = 7.309 +/- 0.054; pCO2 = 5.99 +/- 0.85 kPa; HCO3 = 22.16 +/- 1.90 mmol/l; total CO2 = 22.53 +/- 1.97 mmol/l; pO2 = 6.02 +/- 1.68 kPa; SaO2 = 0.71 +/- 0.18. In comparison with adult normal values, our results report in fetuses a frequent state of mild and mixed acidosis (in about 80% of cases), rather gazeous; pH is significantly correlated with pCO2 (r = -0.799), moreover there is also a metabolic origin in acidosis. We observed progressive modifications of acid-base state and oxygenation in fetal blood with advancing gestational age: decrease of pH and pO2, increase of pCO2 and bicarbonates; these changes appear mainly from 35th week of gestation, except for bicarbonates, which increase regularly during gestational period we have studied. Fetal acid-base state may be explained by physiological differences due to fetal life conditions, in comparison with adult life conditions. Results obtained in this population of normal fetuses can be considered as reference values for studied parameters.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗