Endothelin-1 and nitric oxide in normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia

Nitric oxide [NO] is a vasorelaxant agent, while endothelin-1 [Et-1] is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide. In this study, maternal venous plasma nitrite [N02] + nitrate [N03], stable metabolites of NO and ET-1 were measured in 20 non-pregnant cases, 20 normal pregnancy and 20 preeclamptic pregnancy. There was a significant increase in N02 + N03 and a significant decrease in ET-1 in normal pregnancy. In preeclampsia, N02 + N03 was significantly lower, while ET-1 was significantly higher than in normal pregnancy. There was a significant negative correlation between N02 + N03 and ET-1 in preeclamptic cases. Neither NO nor ET-1 correlated with mean arterial pressure. These data indicated that preeclampsia may reflect a state of impaired NO syntheses and increased ET-1 production. The pathophysiologic mechanism is a failure of vasodilatation and decreased vascular reactivity characteristic of normal pregnancy together with enhancement of vasoconstriction. Although the changes in NO and ET-1 are related to hypertension in preeclampsia, other mechanisms are probably activated

Clinical value of epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] and proliferating cell nuclear antigen [PCNA] in cases of endometrial hyperplasia

The material of t he present study comprised 140 cases of perimenopausal bleeding, 30 casses [21.5%] proved to have endometerial hyperplsia by histopathological examination of, araffin embedded section examined. The hyperplastic endometerium were further classified to cystic glandular hyperplasia 15 cases [50%] adenometous hyperplasia 5 cases [16.7%] while glandular hyperplaia with architectured atypia and glandular hyperplasia with cellular atypia 7 casses [23.3%] and 3 cases [10%] respectively. The aim of the present work is to determine the clinical value of proliferating cell nuclear antigen [PCNA] and epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] in cases of endometrial hyperplaia. The result revealed that their was a very highly statistical significant difference between PCNA index in endometrial hyperplasia with architectural and cellular atypia and the control group of endometrial carcinoma. Endometrial hyperplasia with architectural and cellular atypia showed EGFR marked expression. So it is probable that inactivation of anti-oncogen and disappearance of normal inhibitor genes occur in the process of development of endometrial hyperplasia particularly those with cellular atypia. PCNA and EGFR immunopositivety of endometrial hyperplasia especially if associated with atypia is of clinical value in determining the state of tumorgenesis process