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Biomedical subjects

S Jeppsson

Publications and source records attributed to S Jeppsson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Recurrent abdominal pains as the first symptom of a spinal cord tumor.

Recurrent abdominal pains occur in about 11% of children. Of these about 8% have an organic etiology. That a spinal cord tumor, especially the intramedullary type, may present with abdominal pains as the initial symptom is unknown in paediatric circles. To highlight this problem two patients are reported. Early diagnosis is essential. The most important clues to a spinal cord tumor are pain, progressive paralysis, and a sensory level. In children with recurrent abdominal pains of unclear etiology the possibility of a spinal cord tumor must be kept in mind and lead to appropriate investigations.

Abdomen↗

The effect of danazol on the human female urethra.

The urethral pressure profile was recorded, at rest and under stress, from six women in fertile age, before and at the end of an eight-week treatment during which the probands received daily doses of 600 mg of Danazol. Only moderate decrease in maximum urethral pressure was established, at rest, though oestrogen production was markedly reduced. Reduction in transmission of intra-abdominal pressure to the urethra was registered under stress, but urethral closure pressure remained positive in all subjects. Bladder pressure and functional length of the urethra were almost unaffected. Danazol treatment does not seem to jeopardize maintenance of urinary continence in young females.

Adult↗

Hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism with preserved fertility--a new syndrome?

It has been claimed that a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level above approximately 8 microgram/l indicates ovarian failure without functioning follicles in the ovaries. Exceptional cases with elevated FSH levels and a preserved follicular apparatus in the ovaries have been published. But in none of these cases has pregnancy been reported. This paper presents a case, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first case in which pregnancy occurred in a patient with persistent hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism and a histologically verified normal number of primordial ovarian follicles. The finding of menopausal levels of plasma FSH is not sufficient by itself to exclude the existence of functioning follicles in the ovaries in an amenorrhoeic patient.

Adult↗

Clinical trial of a new oral contraceptive pill containing the natural oestrogen 17 beta-oestradiol.

The natural oestrogen, 17 beta-oestradiol, has been shown not to depress fibrinolysis and apparently has less influence on liver function and lipid metabolism than ethinyl oestradiol, the synthetic oestrogen in conventional 'combined' oral contraceptive tablets. A triple-blind study was therefore made of 215 women during 2051 treatment cycles with oral contraceptives containing either (i) 4 mg of micronized 17 beta-oestradiol and 3 mg norethisterone (Netagen 403), (ii) 4 mg 17 beta-oestradiol plus 2 mg of oestriol and 3 mg norethisterone (Netagen 423) or (iii) 50 microgram ethinyl oestradiol and 3 mg norethisterone (Netasyn). There were no pregnancies or thrombotic incidents. The numbers discontinuing treatment were about the same in the three groups, the main reasons being intermenstrual spotting in those on Netagen 423, amenorrhoea and weight gain in those on Netagen 403 and nausea and weight gain in those on Netasyn. The natural oestrogen showed promise as a new and safe component of the 'combined' pill.

Amenorrhea↗

Characterization of specific antisera to native human luteinizing hormone.

Antisera against highly purified native hLH (10 000 IU/mg = 0.5 mg hLH/mg protein) were raised in 4 rabbits. The antisera were invariably of high titre and high avidity. They were purified by affinity chromatography on a column with hCG-Sepharose 4 B. Before and after adsorption the antisera were tested in a double antibody radioimmunoassay. Before adsorption hCG cross-reacted in all antisera, but in none were the inhibition curves identical. No such cross-reaction remained after the affinity chromatography. These purified antisera made it possible to develop highly specific and sensitive assays for measuring native hLH. We conclude from studies of the effect of native glycoprotein hormones and their subunits that there are probably differences in the antigenic sites of the complete hLH molecule and in the isolated beta-subunit of hLH. The investigation also indicates that even highly purified preparations of hTSH may be contaminated with hLH and that the preparations of hLH-subunits may contain a certain amount of the native hormone.

Adsorption↗

Basal and LRH-stimulated secretion of FSH during early pregnancy.

The gonadotropin response to 25 mug of LH/FSH releasing hormone (LRH) intravenously was investigated during the very first weeks of pregnancy. It was found progressively to decrease, and no response in FSH was found for more than 5 weeks. The basal levels of FSH showed the same decreasing tendency, and a few weeks after conception they were often close to the sensitivity limit of the assay. With this report we have continued our description of the changing pituitary responsiveness to LRH from conception to the puerperium. During later stages of pregnancy the plasma levels of FSH were markedly reduced, and the response was inhibited even after 500 mug of LRH intervenously. The return of the response during the puerperium showed a specific pattern with a dissociation of the response in FSH and LH. No such dissociation was found during the period of progressive inhibition during the very first weeks of pregnancy.

Adult↗

Influence of LH/FSH releasing hormone (LRH) on the basal secretion of gonadotrophins in relation to plasma levels of oestradiol, progesterone and prolactin during the post-partum period in lactating and in non-lactating women.

The pituitary responsiveness to LH/FSH releasing hormone (LRH) was studied in the puerperium in lactating and in non-lactating women. The response of both groups of patients to 25 mug LRH iv was tested 8-10 days, 15-17 days, and 29-32 days after a normal delivery at full term. The basal levels of FSH were low during the first 10 days after delivery. A rise was then observed, and about 4 weeks after delivery levels above or in the upper normal range of a normal follicular phase were recorded. The levels were significantly higher in the lactating group. When compared with the normal follicular phase, the relative increase in FSH basal levels was higher than the increase in LH basal levels in both groups of patients. The period of non-responsiveness of the pituitary to LRH was found to be of equal length in the two groups. In both groups the FSH response returned more rapidly than the LH response. About 2 weeks after delivery a reverse pattern of gonadotrophin response to LRH was seen with a FSH response that was greater than the LH response compared with what is generally observed in the various phases of the menstrual cycle in eumenorrhoeic women. This pattern was more pronounced in the lactating group about 4 weeks after delivery. Oestradiol levels were low and roughly equal on the three test occasions in each group, but in the non-lactating group there was a tendency to higher concentrations. Prolactin levels were highest about one week after delivery and then showed a tendency to decrease, and this was more pronounced in the non-lactating group. Progesterone levels were invariably low in both groups.

Adult↗

Pituitary gonadotrophin secretion during the first weeks of pregnancy.

A longitudinal study of basal plasma LH and FSH and their responses to 25 microng LRH iv as well as basal levels of oestradiol, progesterone, prolatin and HCG was performed every week in 3 women, pregnant after heterologous insemination, from conception until the 6th week of gestation. A comparative study was carried out in 7 women in cycles in which no conception occurred after insemination. All hormones were assayed with radioimmunoassay. LH was measured with a specific assay for native HL, which did not cross-react with HCG. A decrease in basal levels of LH and FSH as well as decreasing responses to LRH was found during the first 2 weeks of gestation. These changes did not differ from what was observed during the luteal phase in the non-conception cycles. One week later the basal FSH levels and the FSH response in the pregnant women showed a further decrease, while in the non-pregnant women, now reaching the early follicular phase, a rise in FSH basal levels occurred. The basal levels of LH and the LH response, however, did not differ from that found in the non-pregnant woment at this time. FSH basal levels remained below the lower normal limit in eumenorrhoic women from the 3rd week of gestation. By this time the FSH response was almost completely inhibited. The LH basal levels, however, remained above the lower normal limit in eumenorrhoic women, but the LH response to LRH progressively decrease and was completely inhibited by the 5th week of gestation. In the non-conception cycles the LH response varied with the levels of oestradiol in plasma. This was not found in the pregnant women as the decrease in gonadotrophin response occurred while oestradiol remained at mid-cycle levels during the first 4 weeks of gestation. Rather it seems that the increasing and continuously elevated level of progesterone, in the presence of appropriate levels of oestradiol, might be the main go nadal steroid responsible for the diminishing pituitary secretion. The contribution of HCG to the further decrease in gonadotrophin secretion after the 2nd week of pregnancy cannot be answered by the present studies. Prolactin remained at non-pregnant levels until the 6th week of gestation, and appeared to have no influence on the secretion of gonadotrophins during early pregnancy.

Adult↗

Endometrial histology and circulating levels of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), estradiol, FSH and LH in women with MPA induced amenorrhoea compared with women with secondary amenorrhoea.

Circulating levels of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), estradiol, progesterone and gonadotropins were determined in 11 women on long-term treatment with depot-MPA (Depo-Provera DMPA) 150 mg i.m. every 12th week as a contraceptive. The women had amenorrhoea due to the treatment. Endometrial biopsy was performed one week after injection and at the end of the 12 week period. Blood samples were taken on the same occasions. The findings were compared with those in 12 untreated women having secondary amenorrhoea. MPA was still detectable in serum and the end of the 12 week period. Endometrial biopsies showed gestagenic effects in the second as well as in the first biopsy. No MPA was detectable in the untreated women with amenorrhoea, and no gestagenic effects could be demonstrated in their biopsies. The estradiol levels in the DMPA group were in the range of the early follicular phase of a normal menstrual cycle and showed a significant rise at the end of the 12 week period. On the last sampling occasion the estradiol levels did not differ from those in the untreated women with secondary amenorrhoea. The levels of progesterone and gonadotropins were in the range of the early follicular phase in both groups. These observations support that DMPA 150 mg i.m. every 12th week is a depotpreparation with prolonged effect, and inhibits ovulation and produces endometrial changes by means of biologically active serum concentrations throughout the 12 week period.

Adult↗

Studies on the gonadotropin response after administration of LH/FSH-releasing hormone (LRH) during pregnancy and after therapeutic abortion in the second trimester.

The gonadotropin response to synthetic LH/FSH-releasing hormone (LRH) was found to be suppressed in the second trimester of pregnancy. The basal levels of plasma FSH were very low and no detectable increase occurred after injection of up to 500 mug LRH intravenously. Five of the women were then tested with 25 mug of LRH intravenously on three occasions during the first month after therapeutic abortion in the second trimester. A rapid normalization of the basal plasma levels of FSH and LH and of the response to LRH occurred. This is in contrast with the pattern after term pregnancy. The possible role of different hormones and of the duration of pregnancy (duration of inhibition) as an explanation for this discrepancy are discussed.

Abortion, Therapeutic↗

Effect of oral 17-beta-oestradiol on the liver in women with intrahepatic cholestasis (hepatosis) during previous pregnancy.

The effects of 17-beta-oestradiol in 14 women who had had intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (hepatosis) were studied. This natural oestrogen was given orally in a daily dose of 5 mg for two 20-day periods with a 7-day interval between courses. The bromsulphthalein (BSP) retention rose during the treatment, but only occasionally to levels above the upper limit of normal. Other conventional liver function tests did not usually become abnormal. In a previous investigation in the same type of patients, we studied the effects of mestranol (a synthetic 17-alkylated oestrogen) in a daily dose of 0.1 mg with the same dose-schedule as the present investigation and 17-beta-oestradiol appeared to impair liver function less than mestranol. It might thus be safer to use 17-beta-oestradiol as a therapeutic agent.

Alanine Transaminase↗

Production of specific antisera for radioimmunoassay of human luteinizing hormone (LH) in the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

A specific radioimmunoassay for LH, which measures plasma LH in the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is described. Rabbits were immunized with highly purified native LH. One of the antisera with a difference in its reactivity against LH and hCG was further purified by affinity chromatography on a column with hCG coupled to Sepharose 4B. The adsorbed antiserum and 125I-LH was used in a double antibody assay. The LH standard (MRC 68/40) efficiently inhibited the binding of 125I-LH, and the standard curve showed a sensitivity of 0.5 ng/ml in the sample. hCG up to 10 000 ng/ml did not inhibit the binding of 125I-LH. The plasma level of LH in pregnant women in the first trimester was low (1.3 +/- 0.1 ng/ml). When LH was measured in fertile or menopausal women with or without stimulation with LH/FSH releasing hormone (LH-RH)X the results agreed to those found with our conventional LH-assay based on antiserum against hCG.

Animals↗

Influence of suckling and of suckling followed by TRH or LH-RH on plasma prolactin, TSH, GH and FSH.

Ten women were studied during the first post-partum week. Suckling for 20 min induced a marked increase in plasma prolactin, reaching a maximum within 0-25 min after the end of suckling and then returning to pre-suckling levels after 120 min. Suckling induced no changes in plasma thyrotrophin (TSH), growth hormone (GH) or follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). The iv injection of 200 mug of thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) immediately after suckling resulted in an additional increase in plasma prolactin and a rise in TSH. When given 120 min after suckling TRH was followed by increased plasma levels of prolactin and TSH, which for both hormones were of a magnitude comparable to the TRH induced increment seen immediately after suckling. Thus, suckling did not inhibit the effect of TRH on the release of TSH. These studies indicate that TRH is probably not involved in the suckling induced increase in prolactin secretion. The mean plasma FSH level was below the limit of detection before and after suckling. Neither plasma FSH nor prolactin showed any appearant changes following the iv injection of 25 mug of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LH-RH), when given immediately after and 120 min after suckling. When given after suckling as indicated above, TRH induced no changes in plasma GH or FSH and similarly LH-RH was without influence on plasma GH and TSH.

Adult↗