Biomedical subjects

A Kauppila

Publications and source records attributed to A Kauppila.

311 records · Page 18Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Serial determinations of aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) and prognosis in ovarian cancer; comparison to CA125.

During malignant growth many changes take place in the metabolism of fibrillar type III collagens in the connective tissues. The aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) has been found to be often elevated in ovarian cancer. In the present study the prognostic value of serum PIIINP concentration in epithelial ovarian cancer is evaluated in relation to serum CA125. Fifty-six women were enrolled in the study. Serial venous blood samples were taken preoperatively and 6, 9 and 12 months after operation for PIIINP and CA125 determinations. The results were correlated to the three-year survival. In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis the preoperative (P = 0.0422), 9-month (P = 0.0062) and 12-month (P = 0.0062) serum PIIINP concentration distinguished between the patients with good and poor prognosis while CA125 did so only at 9- (P = 0.0005) and 12-month (P < 0.0001) follow-up. In the multivariate analysis the independent predictors of prognosis were the preoperative PIIINP and 12-month CA125 concentrations. The percentage changes in serum PIIINP concentration did not differentiate the patients with good or poor prognosis at any time point, whereas the changes in CA125 concentration significantly divided the patients into two prognostic groups during the second half of the postoperative year. We found that PIIINP and CA125 are complementary to each other as predictors of prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer as preoperative PIIINP was better than CA125 and 1-year CA125 better than PIIINP in this function.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Low-dose spironolactone in the treatment of female hirsutism.

Twelve women, 11 with hirsutism and one with alopecia areata, were treated with low-dose spironolactone (50 mg daily) from the 4th until the 22nd cycle day over 12 consecutive menstrual cycles. Eight hirsute women observed a favorable effect on hirsutism in 3 to 8 months, and hair loss ceased in the one patient with alopecia areata. No significant side effects occurred. Low-dose spironolactone decreased the concentration of total and free testosterone and elevated the concentration of prolactin on the 10th cycle day, while LH, FSH, estradiol, progesterone, DHEAS, SHBG, and cortisol levels remained unchanged. The plasma aldosterone concentration increased significantly during the treatment, although serum potassium and sodium concentrations remained unchanged. Low-dose spironolactone is, thus, safe and effective in the treatment of hirsutism. It seems to be useful as an initial or alternative treatment.

Acne Vulgaris↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatic impairment during simultaneous administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate and tamoxifen in the treatment of endometrial and ovarian carcinoma.

Simultaneous administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and tamoxifen markedly elevated the serum alanine and aspartate aminotransferase activities in 4 out of 30 patients with endometrial or ovarian carcinoma; and also slightly increased the activities of gamma-glutamyl transferase in 2 of the patients. These pathological changes spontaneously returned to normal in 1 patient, and after the cessation of tamoxifen or tamoxifen plus MPA treatment in 3 patients. This kind of hepatic impairment was thought to be caused by reversible damage of liver cells possibly associated with slight intrahepatic cholestasis. It is suggested that special attention be paid to liver function during simultaneous MPA and tamoxifen administration; in case of adverse liver reaction during the combined treatment, a formula of sequential administration of the drugs could be implemented.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Plasminogen activators and steroid receptor concentrations in normal, benign, and malignant breast and ovarian tissues.

The plasminogen activator (PA) activity and oestrogen and progestin receptor concentrations were determined in normal, benign and malignant tissues of human breast and ovary. The geometric mean of PA activity was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) in malignant than in normal breast tissue specimens. PA activity was also higher in benign breast tumours than in normal tissue, but lower than in malignant tumours. The geometric means of PA activity in normal, benign and malignant ovarian tissue specimens differed even more clearly (analysis of variance: p less than 0.001). There was no significant correlation between PA activity and cytosol oestrogen or progestin receptor concentrations in either breast or ovarian cancer tissues. Our data confirm the finding that increased tissue PA activity is associated with human malignant breast tumours, compared with normal tissue and benign mammary lesions, and show that a similar situation prevails in human ovarian tissues. In addition, they show that the possible female sex steroid dependency of PA activity in human breast and ovarian malignancies cannot be demonstrated by cytosol receptor assays alone.

Breast Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Late silent complications after treatment of uterine cancer.

Forty-one symptom-free women treated by operative and irradiation therapy for gynecological cancer 24-108 months previously were examined by small bowel barium meal, large bowel barium enema, intravenous urography and renography in order to determine whether there were any silent complications present after the therapy. It was possible to demonstrate intestinal or urologic damage by roentgenological examinations in 12 patients. Small bowel changes were found in five and large bowel changes in six patients, while eight had changes in urography and 18 in renography. Two intestinal and four urological changes were moderate or severe. These findings indicate that a careful follow-up programme regarding complications and recurrences is necessary.

Adult↗