摘要:

The present study was undertaken to investigate the opinions of health professionals working in family planning clinics in Italy and Sweden. The comparison of two such different countries seemed of interest both to describe differences and/or similarities between the samples as well as to analyze factors that could influence professionals’ opinions regarding abortion. A questionnaire was distributed to doctors, nurses and social workers in family planning clinics in Rome, Italy and in Gothenburg, Sweden. The opinions of the health professionals in the two countries investigated were similar in many respects, both regarding their attitudes to abortion as well as their considerations concerning the care offered to the woman/couple undergoing an abortion. Fifty-nine percent of the Italian sample and 68% of the Swedish sample considered abortion justifiable on the same indications as those laid down in the laws, while 36% of the Italian and 32% of the Swedish professionals considered it justifiable only on medical grounds and 5% in the Italian sample did not justify abortion at all. In both Italy and Sweden, doctors as well as nurses suggest that the preventive work should be increased and that the psychological care for women undergoing abortion has to be improved.

ISSN:0378-7346    

DOI:10.1159/000293118

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1991

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The relationship between contraction changes and cAMP production under long-term application of ritodrine was investigated using longitudinal muscle strips of pregnant (Day 21) rat uterus. Cellular cAMP gradually increased up to 20 min, then decreased to the control level and fluctuated after 90 min in the presence of 1.5 × 10––7M ritodrine. When the dose was raised to 3.1 ×10––4M, cAMP contents markedly increased. However, it then decreased after 30 min and reached the control level after 180 min. To clarify the actual relationship between the changes in spontaneous contraction and cAMP contents of the same muscle strips, the strips were obtained during control contraction, suppression by 1.5 × 10––7M ritodrine and reactivation after suppression in the presence of the drug. Consequently, the cAMP content of reactivated muscle was significantly lower than that of suppressed muscle (p < 0.01), however it was still higher than the control (p < 0.05). It is speculated that the reactivation of spontaneous contractions might not depend solely on the cellular cAMP level, and that another activating mechanism, such as changes in ion permeability, might be involved in this type of desensitization phenomenon.

ISSN:0378-7346    

DOI:10.1159/000293119

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1991

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

In 15 pregnant women with normal pregnancy at 25–32 weeks of gestation, fetal breathing movements (FBM), fetal body movements and fetal heart rate were continuously and simultaneously recorded over a total period of 180 min. The frequency of successive FBM with a duration < 10 s (apnea period > 3 s) showed a significant decrease (p < 0.01), while the frequency of successive FBM with a duration ≧ 30 s showed a significant increase from 25 to 32 weeks of gestation (p < 0.001). Strong positive correlations were also demonstrated between the frequency of FBM with a duration of ≧ 30 s and the number of fetal heart rate accelerations per hour, acceleration/ fetal body movement ratio, and the value of fetal heart rate long-term variability. These results suggest that the length of the duration of successive FBM represents a useful parameter for the analysis of fetal respiratory patterns, and that a prolongation of the duration of successive FBM of an individual fetus is related to the functional development of the central nervous system.

ISSN:0378-7346    

DOI:10.1159/000293131

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1991

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Twin pregnancy was observed by ultrasonographic examination in the 6th week of gestation. After singleton term delivery a thickening of the membranes opposite to the main placenta showed degenerated chorionic villi embedded between one layer of amnion and chorion; no fetal parts were observed. Villus cells from both placentas were mainly diploid; 2 of 30 were tetraploid. However, 19 of 30 cells from membranes overlying the satellite placenta were tetraploid. Marker analysis was consistent with duplication of a normal conception diploid chromosome complement as the mechanism for tetraploidy. Postconceptional nondisj unction leading to tetraploidy in one twin conceptus may explain demise in early pregnancy. Tetraploidy observed by chorionic villus biopsy must be confirmed by amniocentesis before interruption of the pregnancy is considered.

ISSN:0378-7346    

DOI:10.1159/000293133

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1991

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Gonadal hormones are believed to be involved in the pathophysiology of premenstrual changes (PMC) possibly through their interaction with neurotransmitter systems in the brain. The serotonergic system, an important central modulator of mood and behavior which is involved in the pathophysiology of affective disorders has been suggested to play a role in the genesis of dysphoric PMC. Blood platelet serotonin (5-HT) uptake and imipramine (IMI) binding have been shown to share similarities with serotonergic mechanisms in the brain thus enabling the study of serotonergic mechanisms. In this study, we report on platelet 5-HT uptake and IMI receptor binding which were simultaneously studied in women with PMC. Subjects with PMC showed a large interindividual variability with no consistent typical pattern or change during the late symptomatic as compared to the early nonsymptomatic luteal phase. Their IMI receptor binding, however, was lower compared to controls already during the early luteal phase before they developed symptoms and was similar during the symptomatic phase. This might suggest a preexistent vulnerability to the development of dysphoric PMC that might be related to impaired gonadal hormone modulation of the serotonergic system.

ISSN:0378-7346    

DOI:10.1159/000293135

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1991

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Freeze-fracture replicas were used to study gap junctions in the glandular epithelium of the human endometrium. The junctions were found to be small both in number and size during the early and mid-proliferative phases of the cycle. In the late proliferative phase and later in the cycle, their number and size were significantly increased (p < 0.05). In the late secretory phase, the gap junctions again showed a significant reduction both in number and size (p < 0.05) in comparison with the mid-secretory phase. These findings suggest that the formation and growth of gap junctions might be induced by estrogens, and that they might play a role in the differentiation of the endometrial cells as well as in the coordination of their secretory function.

ISSN:0378-7346    

DOI:10.1159/000293137

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1991

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

An assumption that ABO, Lewis, or P blood group phenotypes are associated with recurrent pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in a similar way as with recurrent urinary tract infection has been tried to establish. Of 20 patients with PID 9 (45%) had blood type A, 6 (30%) type B, 1 (5%) type AB and 4 (20%) type O; 14 (70%) had Le(a––b+), 5 (25 %) had Le(a+b––), and 1 (5 %) had Le(a––b––). Of the 20 controls 10 (50 %) had blood type A, 3 (15 %) type B, 1 (5%) type AB and 6 (30%) type O; 12 (60%) had Le(a––b+), 4 (20%) had Le(a+b––), and 4 (20%) had Le(a––b––). The difference in the proportions of the A, B, AB, and·phenotypes as well as the proportion of combined recessive and nonsecretor phenotype Le(a+/––b––) between patients with recurrent PID and controls was not statistically significant. The distribution was consistent with that in the general population. 2 of the patient group (10%) and 6 (30%) of the controls had positive blood type Pi (Fisher’s exact probability = 0.0958). The distribution of Pi between the patients and controls was opposite to that in the general population. We could not demonstrate association of ABO, Lewis or P blood groop phenotypes with recurrent PID.

ISSN:0378-7346    

DOI:10.1159/000293139

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1991

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), its isozymes and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBD) were examined in 57 patients with primary carcinoma of the ovary and compared to those in 220 patients with benign ovarian tumor. Serum LDH, LDH-4, LDH-5 and HBD in patients with ovarian carcinoma were significantly higher than those in patients with benign ovarian tumor. Except for the percent fraction of LDH-5, LDH activity, LDH-4 activity, percent fraction of LDH-4, LDH-5 activity and HBD activity in patients with ovarian carcinoma correlated significantly with stage of disease. The positive result of ovarian carcinoma was highest at LDH-4 activity (43.6%), followed by LDH activity (42.1 %), HBD activity (34.6%), LDH-5 activity (32.7%), percent fractions of LDH-4 and LDH-5 (20.0%). On the other hand, the false-positive rate in patients with benign ovarian tumor was highest at LDH activity (12.7%), followed by HBD activity (10.0%), LDH-5 activity (8.6%), percent fraction of LDH-5 (8.2%), LDH-4 activity (6.8%) and percent fraction LDH-4 (3.6%). The detection rate for early ovarian carcinoma (stages I and II) was elevated from 4.5 % by HBD activity alone to 50.0% by a combination assay of LDH, LDH-4, LDH-5 and HBD, while that for advanced ovarian carcinoma (stages III and IV) was elevated from 50.0% by HBD alone to 79.4% by the combination assay. LDH and LDH-4 activities in the serum of patients with endometrioid carcinoma were significantly higher than those in the serum of patients with serous cystadenocarcinoma, while percent fraction of LDH-4 in the serum of patients with endometrioid carcinoma was significantly higher than that in the serum of patients with mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, suggesting a correlation with the histological type of the tumor.

ISSN:0378-7346    

DOI:10.1159/000293141

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1991

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Binding sites of peanut agglutinin (PNA), Ulex europaeus (UEA-1), wheat germ agglutinin, concanavalin A, and Ricinus communis were localized in 46 common epithelial ovarian tumors. Binding pattern of serous cystad-enomas showed significant similarity with the pattern seen in the epithelium of fallopian tubes. Lectin affinity of endometriosis and endometrioid tumors was similar to normal endometrium in secretory phase. Binding pattern of clear cell carcinomas was similar to gestational endometrium, with PNA and UEA-1 showing strong affinity. This pattern is in contrast to clear cell carcinomas of the kidney, that do not bind PNA and UEA-1. Mucinous cystade-nomas exhibited binding patterns identical with cervical epithelium. Malignant counterparts of the described tumors were characterized by the partial loss of lectin binding and uneven distribution of the binding reaction.

ISSN:0378-7346    

DOI:10.1159/000293143

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1991

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Abortion, primarily as a measure of population control, certainly continues to be an emotional, frustrating and stressful event. In continuation of our work on stressful situations in the female life span and biochemical parameters, serum lipid peroxide levels in terms of malondialdehyde (nmol/ml) have been determined in females undergoing abortion [suction curettage (n = 30), Emcredil-induced abortion (n = 30) and spontaneous abortion (n = 40)] and were compared with appropriate gestational controls. Irrespective of the type of abortion, the serum lipid peroxide levels before abortion [mean malondialdehyde concentrations (nmol/ml): suction curettage 2.67, Emcredil-induced abortion 3.22, and spontaneous abortion 3.49] were found to be significantly elevated in comparison with those after abortion (suction curettage 1.91, Emcredil 1.97 and spontaneous abortion 1.95), indicating a maximum at peak time of stress and a minimum at the end of stress. The levels of serum lipid peroxide encountered before abortion were found to be significantly elevated in case of Emcredil-induced abortion and spontaneous abortion when compared with controls (second trimester mean levels 1.82 and first trimester 2.4) whereas the levels before suction currettage were found to be nonsignificant in comparison with controls, indicating a lesser degree of stress. It is felt that monitoring of serum lipid peroxide levels in serum and tissues (placenta), backed by scavenging enzyme superoxide dismutase, can be more helpful for corroborating safety and the risk of free radical toxicity in pregnancy and abortion.

ISSN:0378-7346    

DOI:10.1159/000293145

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1991

数据来源: Karger