Biomedical subjects

J Vegelius

Publications and source records attributed to J Vegelius.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1982

Serum levels of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, estrone and prolactin after surgical trauma in postmenopausal women.

Changes in serum hormone concentrations induced by surgical trauma were studied by determination of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHAS), estrone (E1) and prolactin in 25 postmenopausal women. Blood samples were collected before, during and after mastectomy (14 women) and cholecystectomy (11 women). A slight peroperative increase in DHA preceded a marked postoperative decrease whereas no significant changes were seen concerning DHAS. The posttraumatic increase in cortisol values was delayed in relation to that of DHA, reaching its maximum on the first postoperative day. There was a pronounced postoperative increase in estrone which was only slightly (r = 0.3) correlated to the concomitant changes in the serum levels of DHA and cortisol indicating that other factors than increased availability of precursor steroids might influence this change. Prolactin levels showed an about fourfold peroperative increase and were normalized on the first day after surgery. No significant differences in preoperative values were seen between the groups although generally more pronounced and retarded changes were seen after cholecystectomy than after mastectomy.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

PubMed1979

Analysis of reproducibility of subjective grading systems for breast carcinoma.

The inter- and intra-observer reproducibility of three grading systems for breast cancer has been analysed: those of the World Health Organisation, of Black, and of Hartveit. In addition, the components forming the basis of these grading systems were analysed separately with regard to reproducibility and interrelationship. In this analysis, degree of differentiation was also included as a parameter. The grading systems of WHO and of Black gave a stratification of the material into three categories of tumours, but that of Hartveit did not. All three systems had a low inter- and intra-observer reproducibility. Truncated component analysis indicated that the grading systems of WHO and of Black are closely related to each other and to the 'nuclear lobulation' component of Hartveit's system. The components 'pleomorphism', 'mitotic frequency', and 'hyperchromasia' of the WHO system were closely interrelated. Descriptors such as 'differentiation' and 'tubule formation' were interrelated but acted in a different direction from the others.

Breast Neoplasms↗

PubMed1979

Serum concentrations of estrone, androstenedione, testosterone and sex-hormone-binding globulin in postmenopausal women with breast cancer and in age-matched controls.

The concentrations of estrone (E1), androstenedione (A), testosterone (T) and sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in the serum were determined in 122 postmenopausal women, unselected with respect to age and stage of disease and with a newly diagnosed breast cancer. The results were compared with those in 122 age-matched women without breast cancer, selected from the population register. The patients were found to have a significantly higher mean level than the controls of E1 (132 and 108 pmol/l), A (2.5 and 1.6 nmol/l) and T (1.54 and 1.38 nmol/l) and a lower level of SHBG (40.2 and 47.3 nmol/l) in the serum. A multiple regression analysis revealed in the control group that the serum level of E1 was significantly correlated to A (r = 0.48, p less than 0.001) and T (r = 0.45, p less than 0.001). In the patient group E1 was only slightly correlated to T (r = 0.25, p less than 0.01) and not to A (r = 0.10, p greater than 0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between SHBG and weight in both groups. Otherwise no significant correlations were found between any of the hormone levels and age, stage of disease of weight. It was concluded that an increased availability of A and T, leading to an increased androgenic stimulation--and therefore decreased SHBG--and an increased E1 level, is the most reasonable explanation for the findings. The lack of correlation between E1 and A in the patient group is however difficult to explain and the results do not seem to fit into a definite hypothesis.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1978

Reproductive history and risk of breast cancer: a case-control study in an unselected Swedish population.

Variables in reproductive histories were studied in 179 consecutively detected, unselected breast cancer patients and age-matched controls selected from a computerized population register. The comparison between patients and controls showed no significant difference in age at meanarche, age at first birth, age at menopause or number of children. A subdivision into pre- and post-menopausal women yielded no further information. These results are at variance with most earlier reports, possible because the controls here were selected from the whole female population instead of hospitalized patients. Our data do not support the view that it is possible to define groups at high risk for breast cancer on the basis of productive histories.

Adult↗

PubMed1978

A discriminatory analysis based on dichotomized Rorschach scores of diabetic children.

16 diabetic children and 16 non-diabetic children were tested with the Rorschach. 183 dichotomized items were obtained. From the scores of these items a discriminant anlysis based on the weighted H index was obtained and applied to a new group. This group also consisted of 16 diabetic and 16 non-diabetic children. Using the discriminant analysis, all but one of the children in the new group were correctly classified. It is interesting to notice that "penetration" a Rorschach item indicating a disturbed body-image, has the highest absolute value of the D-estimate. A disturbed body-image development is a common feature in the diabetic group.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1978

Thyroid disease and function in breast cancer patients and non-hospitalized controls evaluated by determination of TSH, T3, rT3 and T4 levels in serum.

Investigations concerning a possible influence of thyroid disease and function on the risk for breast cancer have given contradictory results--although a slight hypothyroidism was repeatedly suggested and supported by increased thyrotropin concentrations and exaggerated TRH-responses. The selection of proper controls was stressed and in this study 179 consecutively diagnosed breast cancer patients were compared with 179 age-matched controls chosen from a computerized population register. The prevalence of thyroid disease and thyroxine treatment showed no differences between the groups. Slight but significant differences were found in the patient group--with a higher mean value for thyrotropin, reverse triodothyronine and T3-resin uptake and a lower mean value for triiodothyronine. No difference was found concerning thyroxine. This pattern of changes was inconsistent with a hypothyroidism, but has recently been found in many non-thyroidal diseases. It is suggested that it may represent a secondary and probably extrathyroidal metabolic change, most likely due to an altered peripheral conversion of the thyroxine.

Adult↗

PubMed1978

A method for estimating bias introduced into epidemiological investigations by those who refuse to participate.

Several methods have been suggested for estimating the error introduced into epidemiological investigations by potential participants who decline participation. As these could not be applied to our present epidemiological case-control breast cancer study, a new and simple method was developed based on information gathered from those controls who participated only relunctantly. A formula is given for calculating an adjusted mean for the sample and corresponding p-value. Our own data were used to illustrate the method. The calculations then indicated that those who declined participation were slightly selected in some aspects, but not to such a degree as to obscure or cause any significant differences between patient and control groups.

Adult↗

PubMed1978

Computerized nuclear morphometry as an objective method for characterizing human cancer cell populations.

A new method for measuring differences in nuclear detail in chrome alum gallocyanin-stained nuclei of cells from human breast cancers was compared with conventional subjective grading and classification systems. The new method, termed computerized nuclear morphometry (CNM), gives a multivariate numerical score that correlates well with nuclear atypia and gives a higher reproducibility of classification than do subjective observations with conventional histological preparations. When 100 individual nuclei from each of 137 breast cancers were examined by CNM, there was a broad CNM score variation between patients but a good reproducibility for each tumor. When different parts of the same tumor were sampled, there was good reproducibility between samples, indicating that some breast cancers at least are "geometrically monoclonal." When these cancers were compared by the grading systems of WHO and Black, correlations of 0.43 and 0.48, respectively, were found. There was a poor correlation between CNM and classifications of tumor type, but in general there were high values for CNM in medullary tumors and low values in mucous tumors. Correlations between CNM and tumor progression and prognosis await future study of patients participating in the study.

Breast Neoplasms↗

PubMed1977

Influence of height, weight and obesity on risk of breast cancer in an unselected Swedish population.

A number of recent studies have shown an association between breast-cancer risk and height, weight and dietary habits, especially fat consumption. In the present study, height and weight were determined for 179 consecutive, unselected, breast-cancer patients and age-matched controls selected from a computerized population register. Height and weight for these two groups were compared, including two different indices for overweight (Quetelet's index and Broca's index). Comparisons were repeated after subdivision into pre- and postmenopausal women. In all calculations, the mean values of patients and controls were very similar and without significant difference. It therefore seems improbable that increased height and weight or obesity constitute risk factors for breast cancer. Earlier studies may have shown differences as the result of selection mechanisms not present in this study.

Body Height↗