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Biomedical subjects

M Batrinos

Publications and source records attributed to M Batrinos.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

The influence of smoking habits on thyroid gland volume: an ultrasonic approach.

The effects of smoking habits on thyroid function, echo-texture (nodules and/or cysts) and thyroid gland volume were determined by using ultrasound and measuring serum Thyroxin (T4), Triiodothyronine (T3), Thyrotropin (TSH) and TPO antibodies (ab-TPO) in 189 healthy smokers and non-smokers, randomly selected (111 females and 78 males) among the employees of our hospital and their relatives. When the entire group of subjects was considered the mean ratio of thyroid gland volume/body weight was found to be significantly higher in male (P < 0.05) and female (P < 0.05) smokers compared with non-smokers. In female smokers, mean serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was lower (P < 0.05) and the degree of smoking was positively correlated with the ratio of thyroid gland volume/body weight (P < 0.05). However, when the subjects with a family history of goitre in first degree relatives were excluded from our study (14 females and 9 males), no significant differences in mean ratio of thyroid volume/weight or TSH between the remaining smokers and non-smokers were detected. In both sexes, the correlation between the degree of smoking and thyroid volume, although positive, did not reach statistical significance. No difference in prevalence of abnormal echogenicity and echo-texture (nodules and cysts) between smokers and non-smokers was detected. It is concluded that smoking habits present a goitrogenic effect only in subjects with a family history of goitre but have no influence on thyroid gland texture.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Menstrual disturbances in thyrotoxicosis.

OBJECTIVES: In thyroid textbooks it is stated that hyperthyroidism in women may be associated in almost 50% of the cases with hypomenorrhoea, oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea and perhaps with reduced fertility. Our experience at a busy thyroid clinic has given a picture which differs from that described in the literature. Most of our female thyrotoxic patients had normal menstruation. This study was performed to define the menstrual abnormalities in hyperthyroidism. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: We investigated the menstrual history, starting 6 months before the discovery of the disease, the smoking habits and the body mass index (BMI), in 214 female, premenopausal thyrotoxic patients and a similar number of normal controls matched for age and weight. MEASUREMENTS: TT4 and TT3 were measured by radioimmunoassay, while BMI was calculated from the ratio of body weight in kg to height in m2. RESULTS: Of the 214 patients, 168 (78.5%) had regular menstrual cycles and 46 (21.5%) irregular cycles. No difference in BMI was found between the patients with or without menstrual abnormalities. Out of the 46 patients with irregular periods, 23 (50%) were smokers, while only 32 out of the 168 patients (19%) with normal periods were smokers (P < 0.001). TT4 levels were higher as a group in patients with menstrual disturbances (mean +/- SD 267.7 +/- 66.9 nmol/l) than in those with normal periods (240.6 +/- 47.6 nmol/l) (P < 0.05). The 23 smokers with irregular periods had higher TT4 levels (280.5 +/- 51.8 nmol/l) than the remaining non-smokers from the same group (241.9 +/- 43.7 nmol/l) (P < 0.01). No such differences were found for TT3 levels. Out of 214 normal controls, matched for age and weight, 196 (91.6%) had normal menstruation and 18 (8.4%) irregular cycles. The latter group included mainly women with oligomenorrhoea. Out of 18 normal controls with irregular periods, 6 (33.3%) were smokers, while 57 (29.1%) out of 196 with normal periods were smokers. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that hyperthyroidism in women is less frequently associated with menstrual abnormalities than was previously believed. Furthermore, no patient presented with amenorrhoea. Smoking and TT4 levels are strongly associated with the occurrence of menstrual disturbances in thyrotoxicosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Are adrenal and testicular androgen levels correlated?

To investigate the reported correlation between adrenal and testicular serum androgen levels, testosterone, DHEAS and androstenedione were measured in the serum of 92 healthy young males. Testosterone and androstenedione were found to have a weak but statistically significant correlation, while no correlation existed between testosterone and DHEAS, or DHEAS and androstenedione. These results indicate that although common steroidogenic pathways lead to androgen synthesis in both adrenals and testes, the regulation of steroid production in these glands is influenced by different factors. The correlation of testosterone with androstenedione can be attributed to their peripheral interconversion as well as to the fact that half of androstenedione is of testicular origin. Various other aspects of the androgen regulation mechanism such as ACTH stimulation and the role of aging, are presented and discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Increased GH response to GHRH in normal tall men.

The importance of growth hormone secretion to the growth of an individual raises the question of the role that the secretory capacity of this hormone may play in defining the variations of height within the population. To investigate this problem we studied the response of GH to GHRH in 20 normal tall (mean +/- SD height 190.8 +/- 2.4 cm, range 187-196 cm) adult males of the third decade and in 17 age-matched controls of average height (mean +/- SD height 173.8 +/- 1.6 cm, range 171-177 cm). Synthetic GHRH (1-29) NH2 (Kabi, Vitrum, Sweden) was administered at 0800 h after an overnight fast and blood was drawn for GH assay. In the tall subjects basal GH concentrations at -15 and 0 min were not significantly different from those of the controls. However, the tendency to higher basal GH levels and spontaneous peaks was evident in tall individuals. Only three basal GH values were below 1 micrograms/l (0.8-0.9 micrograms/l; 1 microgram/l = 2mU/l) in the tall individuals while 24 of 33 basal GH values in the controls ranged between 0.25 and 0.87 micrograms/l. At +15 and +30 min after GHRH the rise in GH was significantly greater in the tall subjects. Moreover, the integrated area under the response curves was significantly greater in the tall subjects than the controls (P less than 0.01). No differences in the mean serum testosterone and prolactin levels were found in the two groups. It is postulated that if this enhanced pituitary responsiveness is constant and chronic in tall individuals a definite relation of their stature to the GH secretion is to be anticipated.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Induction of ovulation and pregnancy in a pituitary dwarf.

Females with pituitary dwarfism of the multiple pituitary hormone deficiency form have ovarian failure due to hypogonadotropism which would be expected to respond favorably to human gonadotropin treatment. This is a description of a pituitary dwarf in whom pregnancy was achieved with gonadotropin therapy; its progress was followed regularly by hormone assays.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Cholinergic action of thiopental on the hypothalamohypophyseal axis.

Ten postmenopausal women were divided into two groups. In five patients (group 1) four venous blood samples were collected at 5-minute intervals before and after thiopental sodium, 6 mg/kg IV, for determination of serum levels of prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone. In the other five patients (group 2) the procedure followed was as in group 1, but thiopental administration was preceded by atropine, 0.1 mg/10 kg. Prolactin levels increased significantly after thiopental injection in group 1, but not in group 2. Thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in both groups remained virtually unaltered. The fact that atropine prevented the increase of prolactin due to thiopental suggests that thiopental may have an indirect effect on the hypothalamohypophyseal axis through a cholinergic mechanism.

Atropine↗
PubMed1979

Prolactin levels during labor.

To test the hypothesis that prolactin (PRL) plays a role in the hormonal events of labor, serum PRL levels in 15 normal secundigravidas were measured on 2 occasions 10-15 days before delivery, at the onset of labor, at cervical dilatation of 5 and 10 cm, at the time of delivery, and on the first, second, and fifth days postpartum. The mean level of PRL was 163 ng/ml +/- 26 ng/ml at the onset of cervical dilatation; it typically decreased with the progress of labor, reaching a value of 140 ng/ml +/- 21 ng/ml at the time of delivery. The differences during the various stages of labor, however, were not found to be statistically significant. Postpartum values were significantly lower (P less than 0.01) on the fifth day after parturition. It is therefore unlikely that PRL is involved in or influenced by the hormonal interplay that occurs during labor.

Delivery, Obstetric↗
PubMed1975

Effect of cortisone and an anabolic steroid upon plasma hydroxyproline during fracture healing in rabbits.

The effect of cortisone and an anabolic steroid on plasma hydroxyproline (HOP) was investigated in young male rabbits, following operative fracture of the radius. The action of these hormones was studied in three groups of animals, a cortisone (hydrocortisone sodium succinate 5mg/kg every day), an anabolic (norandronolone-19-phenylpropionate 5 mg/kg every other day) and a cortisone plus anabolic treated group. A fourth group of animals served as controls. Plasma HOP was found to increase during the fracture healing in control animals, particularly in the first week and during callus remodelling. Cortisone produced elevation of HOP level during the first two weeks followed by a decrease to low normal values. Animals treated with the anabolic did not present the initial rise but a sustained increase during callus remodelling. When both the anabolic and cortisone were administered, a curve similar to that of cortisone-treated animals was obtained. The initial increase of HOP is attributed to bone destruction and to a lesser degree to synchronous bone formation at the site of the fracture. This catabolic process seems to be enhanced by cortisone and inhibited by the anabolic. When, however, the two hormones are given together the protective anticatabolic effect of the anabolic is almost abolished.

Anabolic Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Incidence of gynaecomastia in 954 young males and its relationship to somatometric parameters.

The incidence of gynaecomastia was evaluated in 954 healthy young men aged 18-26 years, and was correlated with several somatometric parameters (height, weight, testes size, eye colour, scalp hair colour, scalp hair density, acne, density and extent of body hair). Gynaecomastia (> 2 cm breast tissue) was found in 40.5% (bilateral 85%, left 7.8%, right 7.2%) of the subjects. Highly statistically significant differences were found between subjects with or without gynaecomastia in their weight (79.7 +/- 10.7 kg versus 69.1 +/- 7.8 kg respectively; p < 0.001) and in their body hair (subjects with gynaecomastia had more dense and extensive body hair than those without; p < 0.001). When the density and extent of body hair was analysed separately for each age, it was found that subjects with gynaecomastia had completed the development of body hair earlier, since 80% of them had completed their body hair by the age of 23 years versus only 45% of those without gynaecomastia. This observation leads to the assumption that obesity and/or an earlier maturation of the subjects with gynaecomastia may play a role in the development of breast tissue, although the possibility of an increased tissue sensitivity to hormonal action cannot be excluded.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The diagnostic significance of parabasal cells. II. Rate of their disappearance and reappearance under estrogen administration and withdrawal.

The rate of disappearance of parabasal cells under estrogens and their reappearance following the cessation of treatment was studied in 22 patients. In ten patients with complete atrophic cell type, parabasal cells disappeared within 6 to 15 days under the influence of estradiol dipropionate (1-0.5-0.05 mg. daily for five days). In these patients parabasal cells reappeared promptly (within 20 days) after discontinuation of estrogen administration. In 12 patients receiving replacement therapy for long periods of time (2 to 10 years) there was a marked variability (10 days to 8 months) in the rate of reappearance of parabasal cells after cessation of treatment. These findings document the sensitivity and reliability of the atrophic cell type as an index of estrogen lack in the organism.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The diagnostic significance of parabasal cells. I. Correlation with the clinical diagnosis in 209 patients.

The diagnostic significance of parabasal cells was investigated by studying the correlation of their presence in the smears with the clinical diagnosis of the patients. Out of a total of 2,193 patients examined for various endocrine disorders during a period of seven years, parabasal cells were found in 209 patients of the reproductive years. In all these patients the presence of parabasal cells in the smears was related with two endocrine states: a) either the complete absence of estrogens (173 patients or 82.7 percent), or b) the presence of excess amounts of androgens (36 patients or 17.3 percent). In both instances the cytologic findings indicated accurately the severeness of the underlying endocrine disturbance which had necessitated a battery of laboratory tests and assays to be established.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vaginal cytology in endocrinopathies.

In order to evaluate the diagnostic significance of vaginal smears in endocrinopathies associated with menstrual disorders, the cytologic pattern of vaginal smears was examined in 703 patients who had a well-established diagnosis of the disorder's origin. The patients were classified into four groups according to their menstrual disorders: primary amenorrhea (159 patients), secondary amenorrhea (116 patients), primary oligomenorrhea (214 patients) and secondary oligomenorrhea (214 patients). Using the maturation index and the maturation value, three cytologic patterns of vaginal smears were distinguished: parabasal cell pattern, intermediate cell pattern and superficial cell pattern. The frequency with which the cytologic patterns occurred in the groups of patients and their subdivisions are presented. As a whole, the 703 patients showed 25.2% with a parabasal cell pattern, 58.3% with an intermediate cell pattern and 16.5% with a superficial cell pattern. Although the cytohormonal pattern of vaginal smears in endocrinopathies with associated menstrual disorders is not diagnostic of a specific endocrinopathy, the cellular patterns may prove helpful in suggesting a range of diagnoses or in excluding some possibilities.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Postmenopausal vaginal cytohormonal pattern in 597 healthy women and 301 patients with genital cancer.

Cytohormonal evaluation was made on vaginal smears of three groups of women, all over 50 years of age and menopausal for at least one year. The first group consisted of 597 control healthy women, and the second and the third groups consisted of 134 patients with squamous cervical cancer and 167 patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma, respectively. It was found that 4% of the 597 healthy women had vaginal smears with an unequivocal estrogenic effect as compared with a 6% incidence in patients with squamous carcinoma of the cervix and a 12% incidence in patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma. It is concluded that increased estrogenic activity in a woman more than one year after menopause should lead to a thorough clinical investigation to exclude an asymptomatic carcinoma of the cervix or endometrium.

Aged↗