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Biomedical subjects

G Kourounis

Publications and source records attributed to G Kourounis.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Endometriosis and ovarian dysgenesis: a case report.

The pathogenesis of endometriosis remains unclear. The latest studies have integrated information which clarify various aspects, but the data remain incomplete. The term "ovarian dysgenesis" represents a wide variety of syndromes, in which Turner syndrome is the most prevalent. The coexistence of endometriosis and Turner syndrome is extremely rare, and therefore poses certain questions on the mechanisms of endometriosis. We present a case of a 33-year-old woman with Turner syndrome, primary amenorrhea and menopausal hormonal profile in which peritoneal endometriosis (white opacification type) was revealed laparoscopically.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The effects of recombinant human erythropoietin given immediately after delivery to women with anaemia.

OBJECTIVE: Anaemia is a common problem during pregnancy and the puerperium. This study was designed to determine the efficacy and safety of giving recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) to anaemic women during the puerperium. METHOD: Thirty-seven women received a single dose of EPO (20 000 IU intravenously) immediately after delivery. A control population (n = 37) matched according to age and haemoglobin concentration was evaluated. All women received oral iron supplementation for 40 days after delivery. Haemoglobin concentrations were measured 4 and 40 days after delivery. Blood transfusions were given depending on clinical condition and haemoglobin level. RESULTS: Patients treated with EPO had a significantly higher mean haemoglobin concentration than control patients at days 4 and 40. No women in the EPO group required a transfusion, compared with six in the control group. No side-effects and fewer anaemia-related symptoms were observed during EPO treatment. CONCLUSION: EPO given at delivery is effective in decreasing the need for blood transfusion and the incidence of problems associated with anaemia during the puerperium.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Immunohistochemical expression of glucose transporter Glut1 and cyclin D1 in breast carcinomas with negative lymph nodes.

All malignant cells appear to have increased needs for glucose in vitro as well as in vivo. The enhanced glucose uptake is mediated through transporters (Gluts), whose action and expression are regulated by oncogenes and growth factors. Cyclin D1 is a nuclear protein that plays an important role in regulating the cell cycle by promoting entry of cells from the G1 to S phase. Increased expression of Glut1 glucose transporter and cyclin D1 have been reported in several neoplasms. In the present study we examined the expression of Glut1 and cyclin D1 in breast carcinomas with negative lymph nodes. We studied 78 infiltrating ductal carcinomas (25 grade 1, 36 grade 2, and 17 grade 3) with negative lymph nodes. Glut1 was expressed in 28% of grade 1, 63.8% of grade 2 and 58.7% of grade 3 carcinomas. Nuclear expression of cyclin D1 was detected in 32% of grade 1, 44.4% of grade 2, and 41.2% of grade 3 carcinomas. From our study it appears that in breast carcinomas with negative lymph nodes Glut1 expression is better correlated to the grade of the neoplasm than cyclin D1.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed2000

Expression of bcl-2 and bax in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Bcl-2 protein together with the pro-apoptotic protein bax, are thought to function by forming homo- and heterotypic dimers which control the progression to apoptosis. In this immunohistochemical study we investigated the expression of bcl-2 and bax apoptosis related proteins in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Twenty-four cervical intraepithelial neoplasias grade 1-2 (CIN I/II), 38 grade 3 (CIN III), and 53 invasive squamous cell carcinomas (ISCC) were investigated by immunohistochemical staining for bcl-2 and bax protein. Bcl-2 immunoreactivity was found in five of the 24 CIN I/II cases (20.8%), 18 of 38 CIN II cases (47.4%) and nine of 53 ISCC cases (17%). The positivity for CIN III was significantly higher than for CIN I/II or ISCC (p=0.0351 and p=0.0018, respectively). The percentage of bax immunopositivity was somewhat higher in CIN III than in CIN I/II but this slight difference was not statistically significant. Correlation of the immunostaining results with tumor grade revealed a significant difference for bcl-2 which was more frequently immunopositive in well-differentiated tumors than in poorly-differentiated tumors. There was no significant relation between bax expression and tumor differentiation. Our results suggest that alterations of bcl-2 and bax expression may occur as a relatively early event in cervical tumorigenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Immunohistochemical analysis of nm23-H1 expression in human cervical lesions.

Reduced expression of the metastasis suppressor gene nm23-H1 has been previously correlated with high tumor metastatic potential and fatal clinical outcome in several types of human carcinomas. The aim of the study was to identify the expression of nm23-H1 in a variety of premalignant and malignant cervical lesions. The study comprised 106 cervical biopsies obtained from 106 women ranging in age from 23 to 68 (median 42) years. Histologic slides stained with H&E were evaluated blindly by two pathologists and a consensus diagnosis was established for each case. In addition, immunohistochemical stain was employed and a monoclonal antibody against nm23-H1 (YLEM Rome, Italy) was used. Twenty-five of the cervical biopsies showed changes of mild dysplasia (CIN I), whereas 28 demonstrated features of moderate dysplasia (CIN II) and 28 severe dysplasia (CIN III). In 25 cases infiltrating squamous cell carcinoma was identified. Expression of nm23-H1 was evident in 9/25 (36%) CIN I, 13/28 (46%) CIN II, 22/28 (78.5%) CIN III and 17/25 (68%) infiltrating carcinoma biopsies. Statistically significant differences were observed between CIN II and CIN III (p=0.003), and CIN II and infiltrating carcinoma (p=0.002) groups. Expression of the nm23-H1 gene in premalignant and malignant cervical lesions indicates that this gene may play a substantial role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Cord blood alpha-fetoprotein concentrations in term newborns of smoking mothers.

UNLABELLED: To investigate the toxic effect of tobacco smoke on the fetus, we measured in cord blood the concentrations of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), the principal serum protein in early ontogenic development, and erythropoietin (EPO), as an index of chronic fetal hypoxia. A total of 103 consecutively enrolled term newborns of smoking mothers and 103 term infants of nonsmoking parents were studied. The mean +/- SD AFP concentrations in the newborns of the mothers who smoked 1-50, 5-50, and 10-50 cigarettes/day were 86.4 +/- 88.9, 96.3 +/- 91.9 and 118.7 +/- 103.7 ng/ml, respectively. The difference of all three groups from the control neonates (57.7 +/- 37.2) was significant. The EPO concentrations in the newborns of the mothers who smoked 1-50 (53.9 +/- 64.6 mU/ml) and 5-50 (56.3 +/- 68.5) cigarettes/day were significantly greater than in the control neonates (29.5 +/- 16.1). In the newborns of the smoking mothers there was a significant positive correlation between AFP concentrations and number of cigarettes smoked per day, and a negative correlation between AFP and birth weight or length. There was no correlation between AFP and EPO concentrations, as well as between EPO and birth weight, length or number of cigarettes smoked per day. CONCLUSION: The absence of a correlation between erythropoietin and birth weight or length and the negative correlations between alpha-fetoprotein and these anthropometric parameters suggest that the intra-uterine growth retardation caused by maternal smoking is not due to tissue hypoxia, but that both growth retardation and elevated alpha-fetoprotein result from the direct or indirect toxic effect of a factor(s) present in tobacco smoke.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1999

Treatment results of liquid nitrogen cryotherapy on selected pathologic changes of the uterine cervix.

One hundred and eighty-two women treated with cryotherapy were included in the study. In cases of chronic cervical inflammation full recovery was observed in 86% of subjects. In cases of Naboth cysts full recovery was observed within 6 to 8 weeks in 89% of women. In cases of cervical erosions full recovery was observed within 6 to 9 weeks in 84.9% of women. In women, with cervical epithelium dysplasia full recovery was observed within 7 to 11 weeks in treated subjects. Renewal of the pathology was observed in 15% of the women with treated cervicitis and in one of the women with cervical dysplasia within 2 to 5 years of follow-up.

Colposcopy↗
PubMed1998

Gynecologic cancer and surgical infectious morbidity.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the surgical infectious morbidity in gynecologic cancer. We examined 1,180 gynecologic oncology patients: 608 women had carcinoma of the endometrium, 510 cancer of the cervix, 48 ovarian cancer and 14 vulvar cancer. Thirty-five (6%), 92 (18%), 7 (15%) and 2 (14%) were complicated by infection in carcinoma of the endometrium, cancer of the cervix, ovarian cancer and vulvar cancer, respectively. Our conclusion is that the highest surgical infectious morbidity occurs in patients with cervical cancer and the lowest in patients with carcinoma of the endometrium.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Postmenopausal uterine bleeding.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of the etiologic factors of postmenopausal uterine bleeding and the recurrence rate of uterine bleeding before total hysterectomy. Six hundred and twenty-eight patients (mean age 52.2) with postmenopausal uterine bleeding were studied. Atrophic endometrium was found in 522 cases (83.1%), carcinoma of the endometrium in 70 cases (11.1%), proliferative endometrium in 29 cases (4.6%) and secretory endometrium in 7 cases (1.1%). The recurrence rate of uterine bleeding was very high in carcinoma of the endometrium, moderate in proliferative endometrium and low in secretory and atrophic endometrium.

Atrophy↗
PubMed1997

Tibolone in the treatment of psychosomatic symptoms in menopause.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of tibolone in the treatment of psychosomatic symptoms in menopause. Forty-two menopausal women (aged 46-63, mean 53.9) with nightly perspiration, vasomotor flushes, disturbance of libido, dyspnea and other psychosomatic symptoms were assigned to one of two treatment groups for three months: 1st group) 21 users of tibolone; 2nd group) 21 users of placebo. At the end of the trial disturbance of libido was observed in 4 (19.0%) cases tin the 1st group and 11 (52.4%) cases in the 2nd (p < 0.05) and nightly perspiration was observed in 3 cases (14.3%) in the 1st group and 9 cases (42.9%) in the 2nd (p < 0.05). Although vasomotor flushes were observed in only 3 (14.3%) cases in the 1st group and 7 cases (33.3%) in the 2nd group, this difference was not significant (p > 0.05). There was no significant effect of tibolone or placebo in dyspnea, vertigo and headache. From the results it can be concluded that tibolone can have a beneficial effect on some psychosomatic symptoms in postmenopausal women.

Anabolic Agents↗
PubMed1993

Women with HIV presenting at three London clinics between 1985-1992.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the changing patterns of HIV infection in women in three units in London. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and fifty seven HIV seropositive women who have attended outpatient clinics between 1984 and 1992. METHODS: A retrospective review of data obtained from a computerised database and supplemented by direct inspection of the notes. RESULTS: The number of newly identified women with HIV has risen steadily over the period of study with a significant shift towards a heterosexual mode of transmission. This is a reflection of increasing numbers of women from Sub-Saharan Africa rather than a rise in the incidence of HIV in women born in the UK. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in women infected by HIV remains predominantly restricted to women in "high risk" groups. Although encouraging, our data should be interpreted with caution since it suffers from the inherent bias of selective testing. Safer sex education and epidemiological surveillance should continue despite the apparent low risk to women born in the UK.

Africa South of the Sahara↗
PubMed1991

Reduction of hospital cost and administration of prophylactic antibiotherapy in gynecological surgery.

The present study attempts to evaluate the efficacy and safety of three of the most popular third-generation cephalosporins, and demonstrates the reduction in cost resulting from their use. Our study included 223 women admitted for abdominal hysterectomy (mean age 54), 200 of whom were assigned randomly to one of four groups. The first group did not use an antibiotic prophylaxis. The second group used ceftriaxone, the third cefotaxime and the fourth ceftazidime. In the three treatment groups one 2-g dose of the antibiotic was provided 60 min before the operation. Additional doses were given only if post-operative infection was established. Our results indicated that one dose of antibiotic prophylaxis with third-generation cephalosporins reduces the morbidity in gynecological surgery. Cefotaxime proved to be the most cost-effective of these three cephalosporins, with low morbidity and a low rate of hospitalization.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

The red cell acid phosphatase polymorphism in Greek b-thalassemia patients.

Red cell acid phosphatase polymorphism was studied by starch gel electrophoresis in 70 b-thalassemia patients and in 310 healthy Greeks. Our results gave the following gene frequencies; b-thalassemia patients: pa 0.321, pb 0.643, pc 0.036; healthy Greeks: pa 0.302, p b 0.653, pc 0.045. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessment of angiogenesis in human cervical lesions.

Angiogenesis has been extensively studied in several types of invasive carcinomas and has been correlated-with tumor growth and metastasis. In some of these studies it has been shown that angiogenesis preceeds neoplastic transformation. A correlation is evident between microvessel density and conditions that exist much before the onset of tumor formation (i.e. dysplastic lesions). In this study, tumor vascularity was quantified in a series of cervical lesions: 92 dysplasias (31 mild, 24 moderate and 36 severe) and 11 infiltrating squamous cell carcinomas. Microvessels were visualized by a polyclonal antibody against factor VIII-related antigen (DAKO), using a streptavidin-peroxidase immunohistochemical method. Vessel density was quantified in 3 high power fields (hpf) of the most vascular areas, by two independent observers. Mean vascular counts were 13 +/- 5 vessels per unit area in CIN I lesions, 17 +/- 4 in CIN II, 20 +/- 6 vessels in CIN III and 17 +/- 5 in infiltrating carcinomas. There was a progressive increase of vascularity in the dysplastic lesion in the samples with increasing atypia in relation to controls. No significant differences were noted between severe cervical dysplasias and infiltrating carcinomas. Our findings suggest that angiogenesis may be an important event in tumor initiation and the conversion of the normal epithelium into cancer.

Carcinoma in Situ↗