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Biomedical subjects

L Starka

Publications and source records attributed to L Starka.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Weight change and androgen levels during contraceptive treatment of women affected by polycystic ovary.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oral contraceptive Diane 35 (ethinylestradiol + cyproteroneacetate EE/CPA) which is widely used in the treatment of PCOS in Europe, on body weight, lipid levels and endocrine parameters in non-obese women with PCOS. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Nineteen PCOS women were examined in the early follicular phase of menstrual cycle, blood samples for the estimation of cholesterol (C), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), testosterone (T), androstenedione (A), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were taken before the start of treatment with Diane 35 and again after 7 +/- 3.8 months of treatment with Diane 35. Body weight (W) was recorded at the time of both examinations. RESULTS: After the treatment with Diane 35 the levels of W (p<0.05), total C (p<0.05), TG (p<0.004) and SHBG (p<0.0001) increased significantly. In addition, significant negative correlation between SHBG levels before treatment and increase of W after Diane 35 was found (r= -0.56; p<0.02). Increase of W correlated negatively with T before treatment (r= 0.58; p< .02) and positively with the change in T level after treatment (r=0.50; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Increase of body weight in a significant number of PCOS-affected women was seen after treatment with Diane 35 and it is assumed to blunt ameliorating effects of this treatment on androgen levels. Considering our findings, we conclude that the treatment with CPA/EE can result in significant weight gain ameliorating positive effects of the treatment on androgen levels. These findings could underline the necessity of the finding new therapeutical options for PCOS, besides contraception. Studies concerning body composition during contraceptive treatment in PCOS would be also useful in the future.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Premature androgenic alopecia and insulin resistance. Male equivalent of polycystic ovary syndrome?

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most frequent endocrinopathy in women with estimated prevalence of 5-10 %, is characterised by a hormonal and metabolic imbalance of polygene autosomal trait. The complexity of symptoms and genetic base started up the hypothesis on the existence of male equivalent of PCOS. Precocious loss of hair before 30 years of age was suggested as one of the male symptoms of this syndrome. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to confirm the association of lower levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and sexual hormone binding globulin (SHBG) or higher free androgen index (FAI) in premature balding men with a reduced insulin sensitivity. PATIENTS/METHODS: The study included 30 men with premature hair loss (defined as grade 3 vertex or more on the alopecia classification scale by Hamilton with Norwood modification) starting before 30 years of age. The hormonal values of the investigated group were compared with those regarded as normal reference values obtained in a group of 256 males in the age of 20-40 years during the Czech population study of iodine deficiency. In all men with premature baldness besides hormonal level determinations insulin tolerance test was carried out. RESULTS: The observed group was divided into two subgroups. The first one showed similar hormonal changes as women with PCOS, namely subnormal SHBG, FSH or increased FAI. The other had either no anomalies in steroid spectrum or only lower SHBG. The groups did not differ either in BMI or in age. The group with hormonal profile resembling that of women with PCOS, showed significantly higher insulin resistance than the group without these changes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that at least a part of the men with premature androgenic alopecia could be considered as a male equivalent of the polycystic ovary syndrome of the women. These premature balding men represent a risk group for the development of impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes mellitus type 2.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Sex hormone-binding globulin as a marker of the effect of hormonal treatment in Turner's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: In girls with Turner's syndrome a positive effect of growth hormone (GH) therapy on statutal growth has been well documented, in spite of the fact that the levels of GH and IGF-I in these patients are usually within the normal range. It is known that plasma levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) are negatively associated with growth hormone (GH) and with [GF-I. Limited data on SHBG levels in these patients and only scarce reports on other than gonadal steroids in these patients are available so far. The major aim of this study was to find out whether SHBG does respond to GH treatment. METHODS: Plasma levels of SHBG, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and the adrenal steroids and their precursors, namely cortisol, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate were determined in 65 patients aged 2-23 years with Turner's syndrome. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to their actual treatment (untreated, sex steroids only, GH only, GH and sex steroids) and the differences between the groups were evaluated. With respect to dependence of SHBG and of steroids studied on age (with exception of cortisol), their values were expressed as per cents of medians of the physiological values. RESULTS: As expected, low levels of sex steroids were found. As to the adrenal steroids, in general, their average levels were lower than in healthy subjects but still within the physiological limits. With one exception (androstenedione), no significant differences were found between the groups. The levels of cortisol were undistinguishable from healthy subjects. Absolute as well as relative SHBG levels in untreated group and in the group treated with estrogens were normal or even lower than those reported for normal subjects of the same chronological age. Significantly reduced absolute as well as relative SHBG levels in comparison to all other groups were found in GH treated children. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that SHBG may serve as a sensitive biochemical marker of the response to the GH administration.

17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone↗
PubMed2000

The best correlation of the new index of hyperandrogenism with the grade of increased body hair.

OBJECTIVE: Hyperandrogenemia is the most frequent endocrine disorder in fertile women causing a variety of negative metabolic disturbances. Establishing the diagnosis of androgen overproduction has important implications for the follow-up and treatment of patients. The aim of our study was to identify the optimal laboratory marker of androgen production by correlating the markers to the presence or grade of increased body hair as a clinical sign of hyperandrogenism. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. METHODS: A total of 62 women with acne were included into the study. The serum concentrations of testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfate (DHEAS) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) were evaluated. The index of free testosterone (IFT) and a new index of hyperandrogenism (IHA) were calculated. The monitored laboratory markers were correlated to the presence or grade of increased body hair using several statistical methods. RESULTS: The statistical significance of differences between the average levels of laboratory markers between hirsute and non-hirsute women decreased in the following order: IHA, androstenedione and DHEA. Of all the above laboratory markers, only increased IHA was present significantly more often in hirsute women. The significance of correlation between the grade of increased body hair and the tested variables decreased in the following order: IHA, IFT, DHEA, androstenedione, DHEAS and testosterone. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical marker of hyperandrogenism correlates most closely to IHA, reflecting the levels of all commonly determined androgens or androgen precursors and SHBG. Its simple calculation makes IHA a suitable tool for determining total production of androgens in clinical practice, especially in cases with borderline elevations of values.

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed2000

Minireview: 16alpha-hydroxylated metabolites of dehydroepiandrosterone and their biological significance.

16alpha-Hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone is the precursor of fetal 16alpha-hydroxylated estrogens, the main phenolic steroids in pregnancy. For years their serum levels have been used as biochemical markers of well being of the fetus. In adults, however, increased levels of 16-hydroxylated estrogens were put in relation to the risk of cancer and, more recently, to some systemic autoimmune diseases. With respect to immunomodulatory effect of dehydroepiandrosterone and its metabolites, of which 7-hydroxysteroids formed by a concurrent reaction to 16-hydroxylation, are believed to be even the more immunoprotective species, it may be of interest, what is the true role of 16alpha-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone and other 16-hydroxysteroids of 3beta-hydroxy-5-ene series. The present knowledge on the latter metabolite was summarized and discussed.

Autoimmune Diseases↗
PubMed1999

Genetic variant of luteinizing hormone in Czech Republic.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency of luteinizing hormone (LH) variant in males and females in West region of the Czech Republic. This species of mutated LH concerns borderline alterations in pituitary-gonadal function, including higher risk for the development of more aggressive forms of prostate carcinoma in males. METHODS: The examined normal population consisted of randomly selected 82 males and 175 females (age range of 14 to 72 years). Variant LH was determined by immunofluorimetric method using two pairs of monoclonal antibodies, one of which detecting both wild-type (w+) and variant LH, while the other detecting only w+-LH. RESULTS: The carrier frequency of the variant LH allele in the population sample was 17.5 % (12.2 % in males and 20.6 % in females) which was within the range of the European prevalence. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of the common variant of LH in the investigated region of West Bohemia was close to that of other Middle-European and North-European populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Serum Levels of Neurosteroid Allopregnanolone in Patients with Premenstrual Syndrome and Patients after Thyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether altered levels of progesterone and its main neuroactive metabolite allopregnanolone do occur in premenopausal women. The second part of this study deals with allopregnanolone levels in thyreoidectomized women. METHODS: Allopregnanolone, a neurosteroid acting by its allosteric interaction with GABAA receptors and progesterone, were determined in two groups of patients which have in common certain psychic disorders generally characterized by the depression and anxiety, namely in 23 women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and in 52 women after total thyreoidectomy. The control groups consisted of women of the same age without premenstrual complaints and with normal thyroid function, respectively. RESULTS: Significantly lower values of allopregnanolone in PMS patients than in controls have been found in the follicular phase, indicating the lower peripheral activity of 5alpha-reductase of C21-steroids detectable at low progesterone levels only. In the thyroidectomized patients significantly higher values of allopregnanolone have been found in the luteal phase. CONCLUSION: The increase of allopregnanolone level in thyroidectomized patients may represent one of the counterregulatory mechanisms protecting the organism from some consequences of hormonal disbalance after thyroid ablation.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

MINIREVIEW 7-HYDROXYLATED DERIVATIVES OF DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE: WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?

In the late fifties and early sixties our group has found that 3beta,7alpha-dihydroxy-5-androsten-17-one (7alpha-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone) is a natural constituent of human body fluids. Later, the enzyme activity responsible for its formation has been demonstrated in many animal and human tissues including the foetal ones. The physiological role of this and related steroids has not been understood well for decades. As late as in 1994 Morfin and his group have shown that 7alpha-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone may be a locally active metabolite, responsible for recently discovered immunostimulatory or immunomodulatory effects of dehydroepiandrosterone.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Sex hormone-binding globulin in endocrine regulation. (Minireview).

Evidence has been accumulated that sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) does not act only as a regulator of bioavailability of sex steroids, but represents an important factor in various endocrine regulatory systems. As documented by both clinical and in vitro studies, SHBG biosynthesis in the liver and also in other tissues is under the control of various hormones and other regulatory factors as estrogens, thyroid hormones, insulin, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). In addition to its effect on transport and uptake of sex hormones by their target cells, SHBG may act as a true hormone through its membrane receptors of the latter targets. The recent data on the over-all role of SHBG in endocrine regulations are critically reviewed here.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Antirenotropic action of antiandrogens cyproterone acetate, casodex, flutamide and epitestosterone.

The antirenotropic activities of three antiandrogens which are frequently used in the clinical praxis (cyproterone acetate, flutamide and casodex) and of natural endogenous antiandrogen epitestosterone were compared. The substances were administered in oil intraperitoneally to intact male mice. The weight of kidneys was decreased most effectively by casodex and epitestosterone, though the antiandrogenic activity expressed by the decreased weight of seminal vesicles was confirmed in all preparation tested, except for flutamide. Only epitestosterone significantly reduced the level of plasma testosterone, whereas casodex increased testosterone level in plasma. LH level was decreased by testosterone propionate and epitestosterone significantly, but about 50 percent increase in the mean LH level in casodex treated animals did not reach the statistical significance.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

The effect of epitestosterone on spermatogenesis in rats.

The effect of 3-week treatment with increasing doses of endogenous steroid with antiandrogenic properties, epitestosterone (ET), on the spermatogenesis was studied in adult male rats by flow cytometry and correlated with the effect on gonadotropin gene expression and secretion, on testosterone and dihydrotestosterone plasma levels and on the weight of testes and prostates. Epitestosterone was administered to the rats by means of silastic capsules of different lengths filled with the steroid. A decrease of the number of total spermatides in the epitestosterone treated animals was observed. In the group with the lowest dose of ET the number of elongated spermatides was significantly reduced. The number of germ cell types and their relative proportions were correlated with the endocrine parameters reported previously. Significant negative correlation between the pituitary content of LH and total number of germ cells per 1 g of testicular tissue and of the number of spermatides/g and between testosterone level in serum and the number of diploid cells in the animals treated with higher doses of ET was found. In the group with highest ET dose a negative correlation of diploid cells and serum dihydrotestosterone was observed, too. The naturally occurring antiandrogen epitestosterone can be considered as one of the endogenous factors influencing spermatogenesis.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

The effect of epitestosterone on gonadotrophin synthesis and secretion.

The effects of 3-week treatment with increasing doses of epitestosterone (ET) on gonadotrophin gene expression and secretion, on testosterone and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels, and on the weight of testes and prostates, were studied in intact adult male rats. The hormones were delivered by means of silastic capsules of different lengths filled with the steroid. One group of rats received testosterone (T) instead of ET, to compare the results with previous studies concerning the testosterone effect. The controls were given capsules with glucose only. Treatment with ET, as well as with T, significantly reduced the weights of prostates. When the data from ET-treated rats and controls were combined, a significant negative correlation (P < 0.001) was found between the weight of prostates and serum ET. T, in contrast to ET, also decreased significantly the weights of testes, ET treatment caused a significant reduction of serum T levels but only an insignificant decline of DHT levels, independent of the dose. Serum and pituitary (p) luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in the ET-treated rats did not change. Pituitary mRNA contents for the beta LH subunit (beta LH-mRNA) showed a dose-dependent significant increase, up to 170% (P < 0.01), with ET treatment. pFSH decreased with the lowest ET (2 cm) dose (P < 0.05), but no change was observed with the other doses. The mRNA for the common alpha-subunit also increased with the ET load. In conclusion, ET acts at several sites in the regulation of gonadotrophin formation and release. It enhances the steady-state mRNA levels of both gonadotrophins in the pituitary.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Recidivous offence in sadistic homosexual pedophile with karyotype 48, XXXY after testicular pulpectomy. A case report.

The case of recidivous sexual offender with genetically caused mental retardation and primary hypogonadism (Klinefelter's syndrome with karyotype 48, XXXY) is described. He was examined after sadistic abuse of a boy aged 13 that he had committed 19 years after performed testicular pulpectomy. Plasmatic level of testosterone was found 4x higher than mean level in men after orchidectomy. Histological examination of residual scrotal tissues proved that the source of androgens were hyperplastic nodules of extratesticular Leydig cells.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1976

Plasma testosterone values in hypopspadiacs.

The plasma testosterone values were determined by radioimmunoassay in a group of 42 patients with a severe form of hypospaida, in one case of epispadia, in a control group of 69 boys with an adequate development of sex organs, and in 48 well fertile men. It was found that the beginning of pubescence started in both groups at the same age but that already from 13 years onwards the level of male sex hormone in the blood was lower in hypospadiacs than in the individuals of the control group. The difference is statistically significant in the subgroups from 19 years of age onwards. It is assumed that the function of gonads was insufficient in these patients not only in the period of intrauterine life, but that it often remains reduced even in puberty and adulthood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Plasmatic testosterone values in 105 Klinefelters.

Clinical, spermiologic and karyologic examinations and determinations of plasmatic testosterone were performed in a group of 105 chromatin-positive patients aged 16 to 45 years. A comparison with a control group of 108 somatosexually well developed and fertile men at the age of 21 to 55 years has established that in the Klinefelter's syndrome the male sex hormone level in the blood was highly significantly lower. Whereas in the control group the male sex hormone values in the blood were dependent on age, it was not possible to prove any dynamic changes in the process of ageing between 21 and 45 years in chromatin-positive patients. A comparison of some phenotypical and laboratory findings in the various chromosomal variants of Klinefelter's syndrome shows that comparatively the least changes were found in patients with a mosaic of 46,XY/47,XXY.

Adolescent↗