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Biomedical subjects

E Tomás

Publications and source records attributed to E Tomás.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

A novel organotypic culture model for normal human endometrium: regulation of epithelial cell proliferation by estradiol and medroxyprogesterone acetate.

BACKGROUND: A novel organotypic culture system was established for modelling the hormonal responses of the normal human endometrium in vitro. METHODS: Endometrial epithelial cells were cultured as glandular organoids within reconstituted extracellular matrix (Matrigel) in tissue culture inserts and stromal cells on plastic below the epithelial compartment. The effects of estradiol (E2) and E2 together with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on cell proliferation and the expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and progesterone receptor (PR) were studied in 10 epithelial-stromal co-cultures and in three parallel monocultures of epithelial organoids. RESULTS: In co-cultures, E2 was shown to increase the percentage of Ki67-positive cells by approximately 2-fold relative to untreated controls. In the presence of MPA, a significant decrease in cell proliferation was detected. Similar results were obtained when the corresponding percentages of Ki67-positive organoids were calculated instead of individual cells. In the absence of stromal fibroblasts, Ki67 epithelial labelling remained below the control value after both hormonal treatments. Epithelial organoids retained their capacity to express estrogen and progesterone receptors in culture. E2 was shown to markedly increase and MPA to down-regulate the expression of PR. The expression of ERalpha was only slightly affected by either hormonal treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The present organotypic model provides a novel in vitro system in which to study the effects of steroids in the normal human endometrium both in terms of cell proliferation and gene expression. The culture system holds promise as a useful method to screen novel steroid compounds and may help to circumvent problems related to the use of animal models.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗

Diagnostic and therapeutic approach to cholestatic liver disease.

When cholestatic liver disease is present, liver ultrasound should be performed to ascertain if cholestasis is extrahepatic or intrahepatic. If bile ducts appear dilated and the probability of interventional treatment is high, endoscopic retrograde cholagio-pancreatography (ERCP) or trans-hepatic cholangiography (THC) should be the next step. If the probability of interventional therapeutics is low, cholangio-MRI should be performed. Once bile duct dilation and space occupying lesions are excluded, a work up for intrahepatic cholestasis should be started. Some specific clinical situations may be helpful in the diagnostic strategy. If cholestasis occurs in the elderly, drug-induced cholestatic disease should be suspected, whereas if it occurs in young people with risk factors, cholestatic viral hepatitis is the most likely diagnosis. During the first trimester of pregnancy cholestasis may occur in hyperemesis gravidorum, and in the third trimester of gestation cholestasis of pregnancy should be suspected. A familial history of recurrent cholestasis points to benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis. The occurrence of intrahepatic cholestasis in a middle-aged woman is a frequent presentation of primary biliary cirrhosis, whereas primary sclerosing cholangitis should be suspected in young males with inflammatory bowel disease. The presence of vascular spider nevi, ascites, and a history of alcohol abuse should point to alcoholic hepatitis. Neonatal cholestasis syndromes include CMV, toxoplasma and rubinfections or metabolic defects such as cystic fibrosis, alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency, bile acid synthesis defects, or biliary atresia. The treatment of cholestasis should include a management of complications such as pruritus, osteopenia and correction of fat soluble vitamin deficiencies. When hepatocellular failure or portal hypertension-related complications occur, liver transplantation should be considered.

Cholestasis, Extrahepatic↗

Intrauterine 10 microg and 20 microg levonorgestrel systems in postmenopausal women receiving oral oestrogen replacement therapy: clinical, endometrial and metabolic response.

OBJECTIVE: The clinical and endometrial efficacy and lipid response of two different doses of intrauterine levonorgestrel were assessed in comparison with sequential oral medroxyprogesterone acetate in postmenopausal women receiving continuous oral E2-valerate. DESIGN: One-year prospective multicentre randomised control trial. SETTING: Four outpatient clinics in Oulu, Helsinki and Jyväskylä, Finland. POPULATION: A total of 163 healthy volunteer postmenopausal women with climacteric complaints or already using hormone replacement therapy (HRT). INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were randomly allocated to receive a new intrauterine system releasing 10 microg of levonorgestrel daily or an established intrauterine system (Mirena) releasing 20 microg of levonorgestrel daily or sequential oral medroxyprogesterone acetate (5mg/day, 14/30 days). All three regimens were combined with an oral daily dose of 2mg of E2-valerate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Bleeding patterns were assessed by diaries kept by the subjects. Endometrial effects were evaluated by histologic biopsies taken at the baseline and after six and 12 months of therapy. Serum concentrations of total, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein(a) were determined at the baseline and after six and 12 months of therapy. RESULTS: Insertion of the smaller 10 microg levonorgestrel system was easy in 70% and difficult in 4% and that of Mirena was easy in 46% and difficult in 21% of the subjects. After six months of therapy, 43 (95.6%) of the 47 subjects receiving 10 microg levonorgestrel and 54 (98.2%) of the 55 subjects receiving 20 microg levonorgestrel had no bleeding, while the sequential medroxyprogesterone acetate regimen produced typical cyclic withdrawal bleedings. Endometrial hyperplasia was not observed in any of the treatment groups during the 12-month study. After 12 months of therapy, strong endometrial suppression was found in 46/47 and 55/55 of the subjects receiving 10 microg and 20 microg of levonorgestrel, respectively, while the endometrium was proliferative in 18/47 of the subjects in the medroxyprogesterone acetate group. Serum total cholesterol decreased in all treatment groups. HDL cholesterol increased in women receiving medroxyprogesterone acetate or the smaller intrauterine dose of levonorgestrel. CONCLUSIONS: Both intrauterine doses of levonorgestrel provided good endometrial protection in postmenopausal women on oestrogen replacement therapy. The advantage of the 10 microg system with a smaller size is the easier insertion of the system and a minimal attenuation of the favourable effects of oral oestrogen on the serum lipid profile.

Administration, Intravaginal↗

Morbidity of 10 110 hysterectomies by type of approach.

BACKGROUND: Since the late 1980s, the option of laparoscopic hysterectomy has raised questions about the most suitable approach to hysterectomy. METHODS: To evaluate the influence of the type of approach, in causing or avoiding certain complaints in hysterectomies a prospective nationwide study was conducted comprising all hysterectomies for benign disease performed in Finland during 1996. The primary outcomes of interest were the operation-related morbidity, common surgical details and post-operative complications. RESULTS: A total of 10 110 hysterectomies, including 5875 abdominal, 1801 vaginal and 2434 laparoscopic operations showed a low rate of overall complications, 17.2, 23.3 and 19.0% respectively. Infections were the most common complications with incidences of 10.5, 13.0 and 9.0% in the abdominal, vaginal and laparoscopic group respectively. The most severe type of haemorrhagic events occurred in 2.1, 3.1 and 2.7% in the abdominal, vaginal and laparoscopic group respectively. Ureter injuries were predominant in laparoscopic group [relative risk (RR) 7.2 compared with abdominal] whereas bowel injuries were most common in vaginal group (RR 2.5 compared with abdominal). Surgeons who had performed >30 laparoscopic hysterectomies had a significantly lower incidence of ureter and bladder injuries (0.5 and 0.8% respectively) than those who had performed < or =30 operations (2.2 and 2.0% respectively). A decreasing trend of bowel complications was also seen with increasing experience in vaginal hysterectomies. CONCLUSIONS: This large-scale observational study on hysterectomies provides novel information on operation-related morbidity of abdominal, vaginal or laparoscopic approach. The results support the importance of the experience of the surgeon in reducing severe complications, especially in laparoscopic and vaginal hysterectomies.

Adult↗

Finnish national register of laparoscopic hysterectomies: a review and complications of 1165 operations.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of laparoscopic hysterectomy over a 2-year period when this new technique was introduced to several hospitals in Finland. STUDY DESIGN: A nationwide register was founded and a prospective multicenter survey of 1165 laparoscopic hysterectomies was carried out from January 1993 to December 1994. The operations were performed because of uterine fibroids (54%), menorrhagia (27%), dysmenorrhea (8%), endometriosis (2%), and other reasons (9%) by 68 gynecologists at 30 hospitals. RESULTS: The mean operation time was 132 minutes. The patients stayed in hospital for an average of 3.3 days, and the mean convalescence period was 17.9 days, half that after abdominal hysterectomy. Complications occurred in 10.2% of the procedures: infections in 5.6%, vascular complications in 1.2%, urinary tract complications in 2.7%, and bowel complications in 0.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic hysterectomy offers a short hospital stay and convalescence time to the patient, but effective teaching is imperative to minimize, in particular, the risk of urinary tract injuries.

Adult↗

Comparison between the effects of tamoxifen and toremifene on the uterus in postmenopausal breast cancer patients.

Antiestrogens have been widely used in the treatment of breast cancer patients. We wanted to compare the uteral and vaginal effects of tamoxifen to those of toremifene. Thirty-one gynecologically asymptomatic postmenopausal breast cancer patients with an intact uterus were randomized to receive 20 mg of tamoxifen (N = 16) or 60 mg of toremifene (N = 15) as an adjuvant treatment. Gynecological examination with vaginal ultrasonography, Pap smear, endometrial biopsy, hysteroscopy, and curettage was performed before the treatment, and at 6 and 12 months of treatment. Endometrial thickness was found to increase significantly during the treatment to the same extent in both groups. Proliferation or other estrogenic effects in the endometrium were observed in 8 of 14 patients in the tamoxifen group and in 3 of 10 patients in the toremifene group. Three polyps occurred and previously present uterine fibroids increased in size in 3 of 10 patients during the study. Estrogenic changes in Pap smear were observed in all patients. There was no significant difference between tamoxifen and toremifene in any of the parameters investigated. Our results suggest that tamoxifen and toremifene produce comparable estrogenic effects in the uterus and vagina.

Adult↗

[The anatomical correction of transposition of the great arteries in the neonatal period].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Anatomic correction of transposition of the great arteries in simple and complex form is theoretically the only procedure which offers the possibility of real cure to the problem. We report there our operative results and mid-term follow-up with this approach. METHODS: From June 1989 to February 1994, anatomical surgical correction was performed in 41 patients in the neonatal period, 31 with simple TGA and 9 patients with transposition associated with ventricular septal defect. We report our preoperative management, anatomic findings and surgical technique. RESULTS: Our initial experience with the arterial repair was associated with a high operative mortality. The actuarial survival rate was 74% at 56 months. Hospital mortality of the last 31 patients was 12.9%. Intermediate-term follow-up was 18 months. No late deaths. One patient underwent reoperation for supravalvular pulmonary stenosis. All survivors are in functional class I. The only significant risk factor of in-hospital mortality was the time of surgery (learning curve). CONCLUSION: The initial experience with arterial repair is associated with a difficult learning curve. Primary repair must be performed during the newborn period in simple and complex transpositions. Mid-term results are very encouraging. Longer follow-up is necessary to secure this technique and to render obsolete all other types of repair.

Aortic Coarctation↗