Biomedical subjects

Anna-Maria Andersson

Publications and source records attributed to Anna-Maria Andersson.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Variation in levels of serum inhibin B, testosterone, estradiol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and sex hormone-binding globulin in monthly samples from healthy men during a 17-month period: possible effects of seasons.

To obtain information on the scale of the intraindividual variation in testicular hormone, blood samples for inhibin B determination were collected monthly in 27 healthy male volunteers during a 17-month period. In addition, the traditional reproductive hormones FSH, LH, testosterone, estradiol, and SHBG were measured. The intraindividual variation in inhibin B over the study period was, on the average, 10%, corresponding to the assay variation of the inhibin B assay, indicating that most of the observed day to day variation in inhibin B levels in men could be explained by assay variation. A seasonal variation was observed in LH and testosterone levels, but not in the levels of the other hormones. The seasonal variation in testosterone levels could be explained by the variation in LH levels. The seasonal variation in LH levels seemed to be related to the mean air temperature during the month before blood sampling, but not to the length of daylight or the hours of sunshine. In conclusion, our data showed that day to day levels of inhibin B are relatively constant in men and do not seem to be influenced by seasonal factors. In contrast, we found a seasonal variation in LH and testosterone levels in men. The peak levels of both LH and testosterone were observed during June-July, with minimum levels present during winter-early spring. Air temperature, rather than light exposure, seems to be a possible climatic variable explaining the seasonal variation in LH levels.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Clinical use of serum TRA-1-60 as tumor marker in patients with germ cell cancer.

TRA-1-60 antigen has been related to the presence of embryonal germ cell carcinoma (EC) and carcinoma in situ. Our study further investigated the clinical efficacy of TRA-1-60 as a serum tumor marker for germ cell cancer in the testis. Three groups of patients with germ cell tumors were included: Group 1, 34 patients with disseminated disease (24 nonseminomatous germ cell tumors [NSGCT] and 10 seminomatous germ cell tumors [SGCT]); this group of patients were followed during the course of chemotherapy with measurements of TRA-1-60, HCG and AFP; Group 2, 28 patients with Stage I NSGCT (22 with embryonal carcinoma [EC]-component and 6 without EC-component, median follow-up 15 months); and Group 3, 40 patients with Stage I pure SGCT (median follow-up 15 months). Seventy-eight percent of patients with disseminated EC-positive NSGCT had increased levels of TRA-1-60 before chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, levels of TRA-1-60 had dropped significantly (p < 0.01). Levels of TRA-1-60 did not normalize in 15% of NSGCT and 30% of SGCT patients after chemotherapy. This was not associated with recurrent disease. Approximately one-third of patients with Stage I NSGCT had increased values of TRA-1-60 during follow-up without having a relapse. Contrary to earlier reports TRA-1-60 is not at present useful as a tumor marker in patients with germ cell tumors. Although detecting a few early relapses the rate of false positive elevations in the tumor marker makes it unreliable in the clinical setting. Our study did confirm that elevated levels of TRA-1-60 were present in approximately 80% of patients with disseminated EC-positive NSGCT before start of chemotherapy and chemotherapy induced a significant decrease in levels of TRA-1-60. Thus, the TRA-1-60 antigen might still prove clinically useful provided that the reliability of the assay can be increased.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗

PubMed2002

Inhibin A and B in adolescents and young adults with Turner's syndrome and no sign of spontaneous puberty.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess levels of inhibin A and B, FSH and LH in Turner's syndrome (TS) without signs of spontaneous ovarian activity. METHODS: Twenty-four girls with TS (median age, 14.7 years) without signs of spontaneous ovarian function were included in the study. Sixty prepubertal girls (PPG) (10.3 years) that had not yet experienced menarche (all Tanner stage 1), and 34 pubertal girls (PG) (13.8 years) (Tanner stage 3-4), who were regularly menstruating, served as controls. The levels of inhibin A and B, FSH, LH, and pubertal stage were determined. RESULTS: Inhibin A was not detected in females with TS, or in almost all PPG (59 of 60) (P = not significant), and inhibin B in TS females, while most PPG produced inhibin B (53 of 60, P < 0.0005). FSH and LH were elevated in TS, but with overlapping values. In follow-up samples in TS, three of twenty-four females showed detectable levels of inhibin A and/or B. In one of these, 6 serial samples were available. At 20 years this patient had a high level of LH and FSH, which declined, and concurrently inhibin A and inhibin B rose, only later to decrease, when FSH and LH started to rise again. In comparison with PG baseline levels of inhibin A and B were lower in TS, with inhibin A detectable in 23 of 34, and inhibin B detectable in 32 of 34 PG. Levels of FSH and LH were also different, although with overlapping values. CONCLUSION: The result raises the possibility that functional or partly functional ovaries are present in some females with TS, without apparent menstrual cycling.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

East-West gradient in semen quality in the Nordic-Baltic area: a study of men from the general population in Denmark, Norway, Estonia and Finland.

BACKGROUND: Denmark and Norway have a three-fold higher incidence of testicular cancer than Estonia and Finland. Groups of young men from Denmark, Norway, Finland and Estonia were investigated to elucidate whether semen parameters and other related parameters follow a gradient between these countries, as does the gradient in incidence of testicular cancer. METHODS: In total, 968 young men from the general population in these four countries were investigated according to the same protocol. Possible confounders were evaluated, and included in the statistical analysis when appropriate. Inter-laboratory differences in assessment of sperm concentrations were controlled by an external quality control programme and morphology assessment was centralized to one person. RESULTS: The Finnish and Estonian men had an adjusted median sperm concentration of 54 and 57 x 10(6)/ml, respectively and the Norwegian and Danish men 41 x 10(6)/ml. The corresponding total sperm counts were 185, 174, 133 and 144 x 10(6). The frequency of normal sperm in men from Finland was 8.9%, Estonia 9.2%, Norway 6.9% and Denmark 6.4%. Within all four groups of men, a relationship between increasing levels of inhibin-B and increasing sperm counts was observed. However, inhibin-B levels were not predictive of sperm count differences between countries. CONCLUSIONS: It is believed that the men examined were representative of the normal population of young men in all four countries as they were recruited from groups attending a compulsory medical examination, and not selected for known fertility or semen quality. Moreover, the majority of participants had no prior knowledge of their fertility potential. It appears that an east-west gradient exists in the Nordic-Baltic area with regard to semen parameters, this being in parallel with the incidences of testicular cancer. Further investigations are required to determine whether these findings are due to genetic differences, to different environments, or perhaps to a combination of both factors.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Longitudinal study of serum placental GH in 455 normal pregnancies: correlation to gestational age, fetal gender, and weight.

Placental GH is thought to be responsible for the rise in maternal IGF-I during pregnancy and is considered to be important for fetal growth. In this prospective longitudinal study of healthy pregnant women, we investigated determinants of placental GH in maternal serum. Serum was obtained from 455 women with normal singleton pregnancies at approximately 19 and 28 wk gestation. Serum placental GH concentrations were measured by a highly specific immunoradiometric assay, and fetal size was measured by ultrasound. Data on birth weight, gender, prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), parity, and smoking habits were obtained from medical records. Serum placental GH concentrations were detectable in serum from all women as early as 14 wk gestation and increased during pregnancy in all individuals (P < 0.001). Placental GH levels at second examination were found to be higher in women carrying female fetuses [median, 9.0 ng/ml; 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.7-23.0] compared with women carrying male fetuses (median, 8.2 ng/ml; 95% CI, 3.96-19.4; P = 0.004). Similarly, the increase in placental GH between 19 and 28 wk gestation was significantly larger in female fetus bearers than in male fetus bearers (P = 0.002). Placental GH at second examination was positively correlated with gestational age (P = 0.002) and negatively correlated with prepregnancy BMI (P = 0.039). Placental GH correlated with fetal weight at approximately 28 wk gestation (P = 0.002) but did not predict birth weight at term. Our study supports the role of maternal placental GH in the regulation of fetal growth. In conclusion, we found that 1) placental GH levels correlated significantly with fetal size at 28 wk gestation; 2) GH levels were measurable in serum from all women as early as 14 wk gestation; 3) maternal prepregnancy BMI and smoking were determinants of placental GH levels, although their specific effects on the serum maternal levels of placental GH remain to be seen; and 4) women carrying female fetuses have significantly higher placental GH levels compared with women carrying male fetuses at 28 wk gestation.

Female↗

PubMed2002

Spermaturia and serum hormone concentrations at the age of puberty in boys prenatally exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with possible hormone-disrupting effects is capable of affecting sexual differentiation in boys at the age of puberty. DESIGN: Following analysis for PCB in their umbilical cords, 196 boys from a Faroese birth cohort were examined for the development of puberty at 14 years of age. METHODS: Physical examination included determination of Tanner stages and testicular size. A morning urine sample was centrifuged and examined for the presence of sperm. Serum was analyzed for sex hormones. RESULTS: twenty boys (10.2%) had abnormalities in testicular development, mainly cryptorchidism. only three of them had a positive spermaturia test, but the level of exposure to pcbs in this group had not been increased. occurrence of spermaturia in 58 of the remaining 176 boys was also not associated with pcb exposure but showed highly significant associations with tanner stages and testicular size. serum concentrations of testosterone, fsh and lh were higher in boys with spermaturia, while sex hormone-binding globulin was lower and no difference occurred in inhibin b. serum hormone parameters showed only weak associations with the level of prenatal pcb exposure. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the validity of spermaturia as a useful indicator of puberty, although a substantial rate of false negatives must be taken into account. Despite the wide range of exposure to PCB, the findings did not reveal any definite associations with the development of puberty. However, because of the limited size of the cohort, small effects cannot be excluded.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

CDH1 (E-cadherin) in testicular germ cell neoplasia: suppressed translation of mRNA in pre-invasive carcinoma in situ but increased protein levels in advanced tumours.

E-cadherin (CDH1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein involved in cellular adhesion. In our recent microarray studies of testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) and the common precursor carcinoma in situ (CIS), CDH1 mRNA was highly expressed in CIS and embryonal carcinoma. It has previously been reported that the CDH1 protein is not expressed in CIS. To resolve the discrepancy, we performed a detailed analysis of the expression of CDH1 mRNA and protein in a series of normal and neoplastic testes. High expression of CDH1 mRNA in CIS was confirmed by real-time PCR and in situ hybridisation. At the protein level, however, CDH1 was only detected with one of three tested antibodies, but Western blotting analysis with this antibody showed additional bands, suggesting unspecific staining. The levels of a CDH1 protein fragment in serum samples from 58 patients with TGCTs were analysed by ELISA; we found significantly higher levels in patients with advanced disease (stage II/III) when compared to healthy individuals and patients with stage I TGCT. In conclusion, despite high mRNA levels, the CDH1 protein is not expressed in CIS, suggesting translational suppression of CDH1 protein expression. CDH1 serum levels may be a serological marker for staging of TGCT patients.

Adult↗