ABSTRACT
Two-hundred ninety five patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) were studied for the presence of antibodies against six anti-beta2GPI-related peptides Abs. The prevalence of a wide spectrum of clinical and laboratory parameters of APS was evaluated in all patients, and correlated with the presence of each anti-beta2GPI peptide antibody. The rates of the various antipeptides Abs ranged from 18.0 to 63.7%. Altogether, 87.1% of the patients had antibody reactivity against at least one of the six beta2GPI-related peptides. A high degree of simultaneous reactivity against several beta2GPI-peptides was found. Positive and negative correlations were found between several antipeptides Abs and the rates of thrombosis and fetal loss. Our results point to a heterogeneous activity of antiphospholipid Abs in APS patients, directed, often concurrently, against various epitopes of the beta2GPI molecule. Evaluation of APS patients for the presence of specific antipeptides Abs may be of a value in predicting the risk for future thrombotic and obstetrical complication, as well as for specific therapeutic purposes.
Subject(s)
Antibodies/immunology , Antiphospholipid Syndrome/immunology , Glycoproteins/immunology , Peptides/chemistry , Peptides/immunology , Adolescent , Adult , Amino Acid Sequence , Antiphospholipid Syndrome/etiology , Glycoproteins/chemistry , Humans , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/complications , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/immunology , Middle Aged , Molecular Sequence Data , beta 2-Glycoprotein ISubject(s)
Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/therapySubject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/drug therapy , Head and Neck Neoplasms/drug therapy , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Mitolactol/therapeutic use , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/radiotherapy , Combined Modality Therapy , Female , Head and Neck Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Male , Middle AgedSubject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Mammography , Mastectomy , Adult , Aged , Breast Neoplasms/secondary , Female , Humans , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Physiologic changes, growth, differentiation, and involution of the female breast are closely connected to the endocrine activity of the ovary. We examined the relationship of progesteron and oestrogen in 69 women with tumours of the breast. Histology revealed benign tumours in 18 and malignant tumours in 51 patients. Both groups showed distinct alterations in hormonal cytology of the vaginal smear. Statistical evaluation of the findings gives hints of a hormonal imbalance. There is a relative increase of oestrogenic activity and a lack or a decrease of gestagenic activity in women before menopausis. In postmenopausal and old women, neoplasms of the breast are accompanied by signs of proliferative activity as shown by the laboratory data.
