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Biomedical subjects

D Lolis

Publications and source records attributed to D Lolis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Radiocesium levels measured in breast milk one year after the reactor accident at Chernobyl.

One hundred-two samples of colostral milk, collected during spring of 1987, approximately one year after the reactor accident at Chernobyl, were measured for radiocesium contamination. The data showed a normal-type distribution with a mean contamination concentration of 16.4 Bq L-1. A weak correlation of the data to the mothers' diet was established by taking into account four of the main staples in the area. The corresponding transfer coefficient was deduced with a value of fm = 0.06 +/- 0.03 d L-1. The resultant effective dose received by breast-feeding infants was estimated, on the average, as 0.012 mrem d-1.

Accidents

Effect of cimetidine on maternal and fetal prolactin secretion during labor.

Cimetidine, an H2 receptor antagonist, is a potent stimulant of PRL secretion in normal women. In the present study, the PRL response to cimetidine was studied in 34 normal pregnant women and their fetuses during labor. Serum maternal PRL levels increased significantly after the acute iv injection of 400 mg cimetidine 30-45 min before delivery (10 women) as compared to 7 control women given saline. However, PRL levels in serum of umbilical vein and artery did not increase. Similar results concerning PRL levels in umbilical vein and artery serum were obtained when cimetidine was injected 10-20 min (8 women), 60-75 min (8 women) and 90-120 min (8 women) before delivery. It is suggested that fetal pituitary lactotrops are not responsive to cimetidine stimulation.

Cimetidine

Treatment of premenstrual mastalgia with tamoxifen.

Thirty-four women with normal menstrual cycles but suffering from severe premenstrual mastalgia were randomly treated with either tamoxifen (10 mg daily) (18 women) or placebo (16 women) from cycle day 5 to 24 for six consecutive cycles. At the end of the treatment, 89% of the tamoxifen-treated patients were free from the symptoms and the remainder experienced partial alleviation. In contrast, six patients treated with placebo showed only partial alleviation (38%) (p less than 0.001). Twelve months after the end of tamoxifen treatment, 53% of the medicated women were still free of symptoms as compared with none of the placebo-treated patients. These results suggest that tamoxifen is highly effective for the management of severe premenstrual mastalgia and should be useful for the treatment of this disorder.

Adult

Histamine H1 receptor participation in the control of prolactin secretion in postpartum.

It has been reported that cimetidine, an H2-receptor antagonist, stimulates PRL secretion in postpartum. In the present study, the PRL response to two H1-receptor antagonists, promethazine and d-chlorpheniramine, was studied in 38 normal puerperal women on day 1 after delivery. Serum PRL levels decreased significantly after a single dose of promethazine (100 mg) given im (5 women) or d-chlorpheniramine (20 mg) given iv (6 women). In contrast, no significant change in PRL levels was observed after only saline infusion (6 women). Promethazine, given concomitantly to an iv bolus injection of TRH (200 micrograms) (6 women) and d-chlorpheniramine, given at the onset of suckling (6 women), did not alter stimulation of PRL release induced by these challenges. These results suggest the involvement of histamine H1 receptors in the regulation of basal PRL secretion in postpartum and would indicate that they do not participate in the mechanisms underlying suckling-induced PRL release.

Adolescent

Carcinoembryonic antigen in high risk pregnancies.

The significance of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) measurement was evaluated in 25 pregnant women with diabetes mellitus, 15 Rh negative sensitized and nine prolonged pregnancies. Another 114 women with normal pregnancy served as controls. Values in maternal and umbilical cord serum and in amniotic fluid did not change appreciably through 24-42 weeks' gestation. No significant difference in maternal serum, cord serum and amniotic fluid CEA values was found between diabetic, Rh negative sensitized and normal pregnancies at the corresponding weeks. Similar findings were obtained in prolonged pregnancies, except the values in amniotic fluid which were significantly higher than in normal pregnancies due to the presence of meconium. These results suggest that the measurement of CEA in high risk pregnancies is not useful in predicting fetal condition.

Amniotic Fluid

Gentamicin in the treatment of lower genital tract infections: level of the drug in menses, cervical mucus and vaginal fluid.

The concentration of gentamicin in serum, menses, cervical mucus and vaginal fluid of 39 women under treatment with this antibiotic (80 mg every 8 hr i. m.) was tested by the agar diffusion method. The levels of the drug in the serum varied from 1.88-5.41 micrograms/ml with a peak one hour after the last dosage. In the menses the levels ranged from 2.06-5.87 micrograms/ml with a peak also one hour after the last dosage. The concentration of gentamicin in the cervical mucus and vaginal fluid varied from 0.67-5.14 micrograms/ml and 0.63-6.43 micrograms/ml with a peak three hours after the last administration of the drug. Results are briefly discussed.

Bacterial Infections

Toxoplasma antibodies and spontaneous abortion.

One hundred and fifty-two women with spontaneous abortion were investigated by hemagglutination (HA) and immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) tests for toxoplasmosis. In 48 cases, quantitive immunoglobulin (Ig) studies and mouse inoculation with gestational material were performed. Positive toxoplasma antibody titers were observed in 62 cases (40.8%) using HA and in 52 cases (38.2%) using IFA. This prevalence was significantly higher than that observed in 80 normal women who served as controls. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated in two cases. No correlation was found between antibody titers and IgG, IgM or IgA levels. We conclude that toxoplasmosis should be considered as the cause of abortion when a patient's antibody titer exceeds 1:256.

Abortion, Spontaneous

Leucocyte alkaline phosphatase activity during high risk pregnancies.

142 determinations of leucocyte alkaline phosphatase (LAP) activity have been done in 103 cases of high risk pregnancy. A statistically significant elevation of LAP score has been found in high risk pregnancies due to diabetes mellitus, toxaemia, renal diseases and third trimester haemorrhage, but not in pregnancies complicated by cardiac disease, chronic hypertension, Rh sensitization or anaemia.

Alkaline Phosphatase

Maternal serums and amniotic fluid levels of human placental lactogen in gestational diabetes.

Human placental lactogen (hPL) levels were measured radioimmunologically in maternal serum and in amniotic fluid between the 37th and 39th weeks of gestation in sixteen gestational diabetic and thirty normal pregnant women. There was no significant difference in maternal serum hPL levels between diabetic (6.1 microgram/ml) and normal pregnant women (6.4 microgram/ml). In contrast, the diabetic group was found to have significantly (P less than 0.001) higher concentrations of amniotic fluid hPL (1.2 microgram/ml) than normal pregnant women (0.8 microgram/ml).

Amniotic Fluid

Amniotic fluid, maternal and fetal blood insulin in overweight pregnant women.

The effect of excessive maternal weight gain on insulin levels during pregnancy (15 cases) was compared with the insulin levels in a control group (20 normal pregnancies) by radioimmunologic determination of insulin in the amniotic fluid and in maternal and fetal blood. The mean values of insulin in the control group were as follows: mother 24.9 +/- 0.51, fetus 10.86 +/- 0.48 and amniotif fluid 6.08 +/- 0.42 muU/ml, and in patients with excessive weight gain during pregnancy, maternal insulin mean values were 39.45 +/- 1.86, fetal 20.99 +/- 3.39 and amniotic fluid 12.25 +/- 1.15 muU/ml. Insulin concentrations in maternal blood (P less than 0.001), fetal blood (P less than 0.001) and amniotic fluid (P less than 0.001) were higher in excessive weight gain pregnancies as compared to the control group.

Amniotic Fluid

Acute appendicitis complicating pregnancy.

Seventeen cases of acute appendicitis complicating pregnancy were analysed. The presenting symptoms were abdominal pain, nausea and anorexia. The usual physical findings were direct abdominal tenderness and rectal tenderness. Correct diagnosis was more difficult when gestation was advanced. This was reflected both by the severity of the disease process found at operation and by the increasing foetal mortality rate. Delay in diagnosis and treatment is the main factor causing high maternal and foetal death rates, especially when pregnancy is advanced.

Acute Disease

Comparative study of amniotic fluid and maternal blood serum human placental lactogen in normal and prolonged pregnancies.

The levels of human placental lactogen (hPL) were measured in maternal blood and amniotic fluid in normal and prolonged pregnancies. Statistical analysis of the hPL levels showed that values rose in both blood and amniotic fluid, reaching maximum levels between Weeks 34 and 36 (6.70 microgram per milliliter in blood serum, 0.85 microgram per milliliter in amniotic fluid). Thereafter, there was a decline, a significant fall occuring between Weeks 40 and 42 and in the prolonged pregnancy group (43 weeks and more) (t = 6.9 and p less than 0.001 in serum levels; t = 3.9 and p less than 0.001 in amniotic fluid levels). There was also a very close correlation (r = 021; p less than 0.005) between maternal blood and amniotic fluid hPL levels in normal pregnancies before labor.

Amniotic Fluid

Ovarian neoplasms and pregnancy.

Sixteen cases of benign cystic ovarian neoplasms (13 serous cystadenomas and 3 dermoids) were discovered among 5,616 pregnancies. The only serious complication was torsion of the ovary containing the tumor in one case.

Abdomen, Acute

Pyometra.

Thirteen cases of pyometra without preoperative diagnosis in which vaginal or abdominal surgery was performed, are analysed in the present paper. The histologic examination revealed endocervicitis in all cases, while positive cultures for bacteria were found preoperatively in only eight of the above cases, thus, pyometra was considered to be a symptom of obstruction of the cervical canal.

Female

[Management of cervical incompetence with cerclage according to Shirodkar. A report on 110 cases].

The authors report a 110 cervical cerclage operations for cervical incompetence. Shirodkar's technique was used and cerclage was carried out between the 9th and 20th week of amenorrhea. Out of 110 patients submitted to the procedure, 98 gave birth to a live infant weighing more than 1000 g which amounts to a success rate of 89%. Duration of pregnancy ranged between 26 and 41 weeks. If only pregnancies having proceeded to 37 weeks of amenorrhea are considered, the success rate amounts to 68%.

Adolescent