ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this survey was to compare Korean menopausal women's perceptions of hormone replacement therapy before and after publication of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study. METHODS: This study was conducted through a survey of 713 postmenopausal women, who attended lectures on health to commemorate Korean Menopause Awareness Month, during 2009 in Seoul and the provinces (Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu, Gwangju and Busan). RESULTS: Respondents' knowledge concerning the cause of menopause have been increased to 86.7% in 2009, compared to 56.6% in 2002. Women who required hormone therapy increased to 57.6% in 2009, compared to 56.6% in 2002. As a source of information about hormone therapy, media was about 34.0% in 2009, different from the previous study that doctor's advice was 60.7%. Among the women who stopped hormone therapy, the most common reason was fear of cancer (31.8%), which increased compared to 9.3% in 2002. Women who received regular screening for breast cancer increased to 82.3% in 2009, compared to 35.0% in 2002. Women who checked bone mineral density (BMD) increased to 71.8% in 2009, compared to 40.2% in 2002. CONCLUSION: Menopausal women in Korea have increased their awareness of menopause. They responded that hormone therapy was helpful to manage menopausal symptoms, even after WHI study. They obtained menopause-related information through various sources, and the role of mass media has been greatly increased. But they were concerned about the increased risk for cancer, especially breast cancer.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Bone Density , Breast Neoplasms , Hormone Replacement Therapy , Korea , Lecture , Mass Media , Mass Screening , Menopause , Publications , Republic of Korea , Women's HealthABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To investigate bone responses to hormone therapy (HT) according to basal bone mineral density (BMD) and previous responses to HT, as well as the frequency and clinical characteristics of HT non-responders in Korean postmenopausal women. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a total of 1,836 postmenopausal women who received HT from seven university hospitals. BMD data at the lumbar spine (LS), femur neck (FN), femur trochanter (FT) and total hip (TH) before HT, and at one, two, and three years after HT were collected. All patients were divided into three groups according to basal BMD: normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. RESULTS: Women with a greater loss of BMD during the first year of HT were more likely to gain BMD in the second year at any of the four skeletal sites. Bone responses to HT during the third year were not related to the responses during the first year. Mean BMD changes during the first year were significantly higher in the osteoporosis group, but mean BMD changes during the second year were not different between three groups except in LS. The frequency of non-responder (annual BMD losses more than 3%) during the first year was significantly higher in the normal basal BMD group. Mean basal BMDs were higher in the two-year consecutive non-responder group at LS, FN and FT, but those of the three-year consecutive non-responder group were not significantly higher except in FN. CONCLUSION: Most women who lose BMD after HT are likely to gain BMD during the next year. The frequency of non-responders is higher in the higher basal BMD group, and patients with lower basal BMD will be likely to respond better to HT.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Bone Density , Bone Diseases, Metabolic , Femur , Femur Neck , Hip , Hospitals, University , Osteoporosis , Retrospective Studies , SpineABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in culture release a biologically active human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This effect is detectable during pregnancy with a maximum between the 16th and 19th week. HCG plays an important role for the corpus luteum rescue during the early gestational age and possibly for the immunotolerance. This study was performed to investigate the relationships between the productivity of cultured PBMC of pregnant women and the ability to maintain early pregnancy, and whether 12-o-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) increases hCG sectetion by cultured PBMCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PBMC were obtained from 20 pregnant women between 16th to 19th week of gestation , and cultured with TPA. Culture cells were harvested and hCG mRNA were extracted and RT-PCR were performed. Culture supernatants were collected and hCG concentration were determined by commercial RIA methods. RESULTS: The mean age was 31.0 years old, 19 of 20 (95%) pregnant women's PBMC secereted hCG and expressed hCG mRNA, but in control group exept male hepatitis B patient, none of them produced hCG. TPA activated expression of hCG in PBMC in linear manner. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women's cultured PBMC secreted hCG, but not in non-pregnant or male. We could confirm the mRNA of hCG in PBMC as well in the placental control. The productivity of hCG in PBMC might be closely related with maintenance of early pregnancy.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Pregnancy , Chorionic Gonadotropin , Corpus Luteum , Efficiency , Gestational Age , Hepatitis B , Pregnant Women , RNA, MessengerABSTRACT
The mechanism of apoptosis was first discovered at the end of the 19th century, but it was only recently that its importance was recognized. Not only in a pathologic environment but also in a normal environment, apoptosis has an important role in homeostasis. The number of cells is restricted by apoptosis which is controlled by several SlgBS lll VlVO. In pregnancy, the placenta regulates the maternal-fetal exchange of molecules and functions as a barrier for the protection of the fetus. As the pregnancy proceeds, changes occur in the number and components of placental cells. Observing the placental tissues, apoptosis was found in the syncytiotrophoblasts of early and late pregnancy. In particular, the fact that apoptosis observed in the placenta of late pregnancy supports the hypothesis that pmgrammed cell death is a normal sequence. Pregnancy-induced hypertension is usually accompanied by abnormal placenta and intrauterine growth restriction. In this study, using the TdT-FragEL DNA fragmentation detection kit, the changes in the nucleus by apoptosis in the placental tissues of 23 to 40 gestational weeks in preeclampsia and eclampsia were compared with normal placenta. Apoptosis was observed in the normal term placenta and in pregnancy-induced hypertension patients, regardless of whether vasculopathy was observed in Doppler ultrasound or confirmed by pathology, more apoptoses were observed aside from the number of gestational weeks.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Apoptosis , Cell Death , DNA Fragmentation , Eclampsia , Fetus , Homeostasis , Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced , Maternal-Fetal Exchange , Pathology , Placenta , Pre-Eclampsia , Trophoblasts , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
Recently, the ovary is known to be a center of paracrine and autocrine rehulating factors. IGF-I is a local regulator of follicular function and a poten stimulator of ovarian cell proliferation and differentiation, in synergy will the gonadotrophins, whilst GH may exert its effect by changing intra-ovarian IGF-I concentration. Inbiological fluids, IGFs are bound to specific, high affinity binding proteins(IGFBP). The IGFBPs are considered paracrine modulators of the action of IGF-I in the ovary. The aim of the study is to elucidate relationships amongst IGF-I, IGFBP-3, GH and estadiol in mature follicular fluids or serum. Thirty-six infertility patients who underwent ovulation induction program by GnRH agonist short or long protocol for in vitro fertilization (IVF) were examined to investigate the correlations amongst the concentration of IGF-I, IGFBP-3, GH and estradiol in follicular fluid or serum. These hormones were quantitatively anayzed by radioimmunoassay(RIA) or Immunoradiometric assay(IRMA). There were statistically significant correlations between the concentration of IGF-I and GH, IGFBP-3 in follicular fluid. Therefore, GH tends to increase IGF-I levels in follicular fluid and IGF-I may functions as an important regulator of IGFBP-3 synthesis in follicular fluid, but IGFBP-3 is not likely to be under the direct control of GH in follicular fluid.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Cell Proliferation , Estradiol , Fertilization in Vitro , Follicular Fluid , Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone , Growth Hormone , Infertility , Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 , Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins , Insulin-Like Growth Factor I , Ovary , Ovulation Induction , OvulationABSTRACT
No abstract available.
ABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Humans , Mice , Body Fluids , Embryonic Structures , Endometriosis , FertilizationABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Estrogen Replacement Therapy , Estrogens , Lipid MetabolismABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Female , Growth Hormone , Ovulation Induction , OvulationABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Estrogens , Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone , Leiomyoma , Progesterone , Receptors, ProgesteroneABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Epidermal Growth Factor , Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone , Myoma , ErbB ReceptorsABSTRACT
To investigate the effect of hyperprolactinemia (HPLN) on bone mineral density (BMD), 21 previously treated hyprolactinemic amenorrheic women and 16 healthy, normally menstruating women were studied. Dualphoton absorptiometry was employed to specifically measure BMD at several sites in each of these women. Serum prolactin (PRL) along with LH, FSH, and estradiol (E2) had been measured by radioimmunoassay before treatment. Although all measured sites (vertebral body femur neck, Ward's triangle, and trochanter) showed lower BMDs in the study control group, only BMD at Ward's traingle, but no at the three other sites, was noted to be statistically significant in the study group compared with the control. There was no significant correlation between BMD and the patient's age, duration of amenorrhea, E2, and prolactin levels. Difference in BMD according to therapeutic modality was analyzed in these patients after treatment: transsphenoidal adenodectomy (TSA) with or without subsequent bromocriptine (Bx) (TSA +/- Bx) proved better in preserving BMD than TSA combined with postoperative radiotheraphy (RT) and Bx (TSA+RT+Bx), or Bx alone.