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Biomedical subjects

M Camus

Publications and source records attributed to M Camus.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Adverse effect of amniofetography on fetal thyroid function.

Amniofetography is a valuable tool for the diagnosis of fetal malformations. This technique is being used routinely in pregnancies carrying a high risk of external fetal malformations. There are very few published data concerning the effect of radiopaque dyes, containing large amounts of iodide, on fetal thyroid function. We have performed serial determinations of serum thyrotropin and thyroxine in seven newborn infants to assess the effect of amniofetogrpahy on fetal thyroid function. This work demonstrates that amniofetography induces a transient impairment of fetal thyroid function.

Amnion↗

Paradoxical modulation of thyrotrope responsiveness to TRH during the treatment of thyrotoxic patients: apparent absence of feed-back regulation.

Eight patients with active thyrotoxicosis have been followed up to one year after the onset of antithyroid treatment. At different time intervals during the investigation period, TRH tests were performed and total T4 and T3 basal levels were measured. The TRH-induced TSH release was delayed in all patients in spite of a normalization of the circulating levels of thyroid hormones. The delay varied according to the patients and lasted, in some cases, for as long as 24 weeks after the normalization of the thyroid hormone levels. Administration of thyroid hormones, together with methimazole, did not seem to prevent the pituitary thyrotropes responsiveness; moreover, it did not provoke an inhibition of the TRH-induced TSH release once the thyrotropes reactivity was fully restored. The feed-back mechanism does not seem to be the main modulator of the pituitary responsiveness to TRH in these circumstances.

Adolescent↗

Should requests for donor insemination on social grounds be expanded to transsexuals?

Donor insemination may provide an answer to transsexuals with female partners who have a wish for a child. Although the follow-up on children born in the context of these families is non-existent and the follow-up on transsexuals after sex reassignment surgery (SRS) is limited, fertility centres might consider accepting the requests of transsexuals with a female partner. Between 1997 and 2001, nine couples presented themselves at the Centre for Reproductive Medicine of the Dutch-speaking Brussels Free University, of whom five couples were accepted. Nevertheless, some caution is called for because transsexualism is socially not accepted. Moreover, transsexualism is still considered to be psychiatric condition. The following recommendations should be taken in consideration. Treatment should be limited to female-to-male transsexuals with a female partner. A multidisciplinary team of specialists should carry out the diagnosis for gender identity. Developmental problems of the gender-disordered child might interfere with socio-economic, psychological and emotional stability in adulthood. The period of sex reassignment should be nearly completed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Counselling lesbian couples: requests for donor insemination on social grounds.

Fertility centres are increasingly involved in dealing with requests from lesbian couples for donor insemination (DI). Data were collected on 95 Belgian lesbian couples who applied for DI. The majority of couples were well integrated in a social environment (family, friends and work) that consisted mainly of heterosexuals. They tended to be open about their homosexuality and most couples considered the social environment to be tolerant towards their homosexual orientation. Couples who considered alternatives to DI would have liked to have had more information on the donor and were more inclined to introduce a 'godfather' who would take special interest in the child. Couples who considered DI to be the best solution considered the absence of a father to be less of a problem for the child and wished to have no information at all as regards the donor. Approximately half the couples considered their family a two-mother unit. For the other couples, the family unit consisted of a mother and her partner who shared parental responsibility for the child equally. The issues that are considered important to cope with and on which lesbian couples should be counselled are presented in the discussion.

Adult↗

Clinical implications of uterine malformations and hysteroscopic treatment results.

Uterine malformations consist of a group of miscellaneous congenital anomalies of the female genital system. Their mean prevalence in the general population and in the population of fertile women is approximately 4.3%, in infertile patients approximately 3.5% and in patients with recurrent pregnancy losses approximately 13%. Septate uterus is the commonest uterine anomaly with a mean incidence of approximately 35% followed by bicornuate uterus (approximately 25%) and arcuate uterus (approximately 20%). It seems that malformed uterus and especially septate uterus is not an infertility factor in itself. However, it may have a part in the delayed natural conception of women with mainly secondary infertility. On the other hand, patients with uterine malformations seem to have an impaired pregnancy outcome even as early as their first pregnancy. Overall term delivery rates in patients with untreated uterine malformations are only approximately 50% and obstetric complications are more frequent. Unicornuate and didelphys uterus have term delivery rates of approximately 45%, and the pregnancy outcome of patients with untreated bicornuate and septate uterus is also poor with term delivery rates of only approximately 40%. Arcuate uterus is associated with a slightly better but still impaired pregnancy outcome with term delivery rates of approximately 65%. Women who have undergone hysteroscopic septum resection and have been reported in the different series comprise a highly selected group of symptomatic patients with term delivery and live birth rates of only approximately 5%. Hysteroscopic treatment seems to restore an almost normal prognosis for the outcome of their pregnancies with term delivery rates of approximately 75% and live birth rates of approximately 85%. It seems, therefore, that hysteroscopic septum resection can be applied as a therapeutic procedure in cases of symptomatic patients but also as a prophylactic procedure in asymptomatic patients in order to improve their chances for a successful delivery.

Female↗

Low levels of lymphocyte MDR1 gene expression during early renal transplantation in patients treated with tacrolimus.

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a membrane efflux pump increasing the transport of drugs such as tacrolimus out of the cells. The aim of the study was to determine the kinetics of lymphocyte P-gp expression in patients treated with tacrolimus during the first 3 months following renal transplantation. Lymphocyte MDR1 gene expression was measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR a few hours before transplantation, 3 weeks and 3 months after the graft. Lymphocyte MDR1 gene expression was low in all the 10 patients compared to 10 healthy volunteers: 0.30 +/- 0.07 arbitrary units (patients) vs. 1.74 +/- 0. 55 (healthy volunteers) (P = 0.0002). MDR1 gene expression decreased among the patients during the study: 0.28 +/- 0.12 (3 weeks later) and 0.12 +/- 0.09 (3 months later) (P = 0.006). We can conclude that lymphocyte MDR1 gene expression among patients before renal transplantation is low and remains low during the first 3 months following the graft.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Lymphocyte P-glycoprotein expression and activity before and after rifampicin in man.

It has recently been shown that P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is inducible by rifampicin in the human gut as shown in intestinal biopsies. The present study was performed in order to test the hypothesis that human peripheral lymphocytes can be used to assess such an inducibility. We also assessed inter- and intra-individual variability of P-gp expression and activity in peripheral lymphocytes. Blood samples from 13 healthy volunteers were collected 1.7, 14 and 19 days after inclusion. Rifampicin treatment (600 mg/day) was administered from day 15 to day 18. Lymphocyte P-gp expression was measured at the messenger RNA level by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and at the protein level by immunostaining flow cytometry. P-gp activity was determined by flow cytometry with rhodamine 123 efflux. Cytochrome P4503A4 (CYP3A4) inducibility was measured by comparing the urinary metabolic ratio of 6beta-hydroxycortisol/cortisol on day 14 and 19, Lymphocyte P-gp expression and activity was not induced by rifampicin, while it increased CYP3A4 activity from 5.0 +/- 4.0 to 22.9 +/- 16.6 (P < 0.001). There was a 3 - 4-fold inter-individual variability and a 3 - 44 % intra-individual variability of lymphocyte P-gp expression and activity. Peripheral lymphocytes are not an appropriate material to assess P-gp inducibility in humans. P-gp shows significant inter- and intra-individual variability in human lymphocytes.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗