Sexually and well-being in early menopause. Effect of transdermal estradiol therapy.

BACKGROUND: This study focus on the effect of 6 months transdermal estradiol therapy (TTS) on the sexual behaviour and the quality of life in early menopausal women, complaining of uncomfortable menopausal symptoms. METHODS: Three hundred and sixty-two postmenopausal women, aged 48-56, participated in this study. One hundred and seventy-one of them were given continuous solid matrix patch TTS 50 mg/day for 6 months. Sexual behaviour, menopausal symptoms and well-being were evaluated through a self-rating method. We used a structured questionnaire with three obligatory answers (less/same/more) for each question--sexual life, hot flushes, touchiness, insomnia, blood pressure, work willing, memory loss, well-being--filled in by the women themselves or by the medical equipe after a telephone interview. RESULTS: Seventy five per cent of women aged 51-53 and 84% aged 54-56, who had been treated for 6 months with TTS showed a fall of sexual drive, if compared with, respectively, 62% and 48% of untreated subjects. Relief of hot flushes, touchiness and insomnia occurred in 80% of treated women, with slight differences among the various groups while 61% showed increase of well-being. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study demonstrate that continuous TTS for 6 months decreased sexual drive in 69% of women, improved menopausal symptoms in 80% women but increased well-being only in 61% of women. These differences suggest that women's well-being does not seem linked only to the relief of menopausal symptoms and the impairment of their sexual life can play a negative role.

Endocrine changes in postmenopausal women after high-dose danazol therapy.

BACKGROUND: Purpose of the study was to investigate changes in the hormonal pattern in postmenopausal women after high dose danazol therapy. In 16 postmenopausal women (mean age 66.4 +/- 8.6) treated with danazol 1.2 g/die x21 we studied serum levels, before and after therapy, of FSH, LH, E2, fE2, T, fT, D4-A, DHEAS, SHBG. METHODS: FSH, LH, SHBG by IRMA kits (DPC); E2, T, DHEAS, D4-A by RIA kits (Sorin Biomedica) after celite microcolumn chromatography; fT by coat-A-count kit (DPC); fE2 by equilibrium dialysis; serum albumin by bromocresol-green colorimetric methods. RESULTS: After therapy there was a statistically significant decrease of LH by 13%, of FSH by 19%, SHBG by 84% and increase of fE2 by 24.5%, fT by 77%. Other hormones show changes that are not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In postmenopausal women danozol therapy, even if at a higher dose, has about same effect on hormonal pattern as in normally cycling women. Danazol showed a clear antigonadotropic effect and can play a role in therapy when reduction of gonadotrophins and E2 secretion is desirable.

[Serum Ca-125 levels in aneuploidy screening in first pregnancy trimester. Authors' experience]. / Valore del Ca-125 nello screening delle aneuploidie nel primo trimestre di gestazione. Nostra esperienza.

BACKGROUND: The aims of the current study were to investigate the value of Ca-125 maternal serum levels at the first trimester of pregnancy in order to test heir usefulness for the screening of foetal aneuploidies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed retrospectively on frozen maternal serum samples obtained in the antenatal clinics of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology: 85 control normally cycling women, 479 pregnant over 36 years from 8th to 12th week of pregnancy underwent the villocentesis, 383 pregnant women aged from 19 to 45 years underwent the "tritest" (AFP = alpha-fetoprotein, hCG = human chorionic gonadotropin, fE3 = free estriol, age) for the screening of the Down syndrome in the second trimester of pregnancy. All newborns have been tested by Apgar score. The immunoradiometric (IRMA) Ca-125 assay was performed without knowing the result of the cytogenetic test. Over all we have had 11 patients with aneuploidy, 7 Down, 3 Edwards and 1 Patau. The levels of Ca-125 are expressed as MoM multiple of median) in order to compare the levels at different gestational age. RESULTS: We had no significant differences between normal and pathological pregnancies, therefore we don't reckon the Ca-125 assay useful in the screening of aneuploidies in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Antiblastic treatment of advanced cervical carcinoma and its recurrences: assessment of four different polychemotherapies used for a decade.

Eighty-seven women with advanced cervical carcinoma were treated, in 10 years, with systemic antiblastic chemotherapy using 4 different regimens in 4 successive periods: first VBM, then MAB, CDDP and finally BMFt. Selection of a regimen different than the initial one aimed to obtain a better response and less toxicity. As a whole, 25% positive responses (CR and PR) and an SD which varied from 31.4% to 58.3% were obtained. Among the regimens used, the one with bleomycin, methotrexate and ftorafur had a response rate (OR + SD) of 75% which is higher than what was obtained with regimens VBM and MAB and is similar to CDDP. Less toxicity with greater compliance were shown.

4-hour urinary and serum immunofluorimetric assay for luteinizing hormone to detect onset of preovulatory LH surge.

The initial surge of LH is an important preovulatory event. The validity of a time-resolved immunofluorimetric assay method for determining LH both on the samples of serum and urine are reported in our study. A good correlation exists between the serum and urinary LH with the presence of a shorter interval in the length of the LH increase in the urinary dosage in respect to the serum dosage. There emerges when comparing the RIA and IFMA techniques that a good correlation exists both in the urinary and in the serum samples. However the values found with the IFMA method are on the average inferior (ca. 50%) in respect to those obtained with the RIA technique.

Experimental modification of the growth of the bursa of Fabricius in chickens revealed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy.

The ultrastructural changes occurring in the bursa of Fabricius of 3 and 7 d old chickens after adriamycin treatment are described. Male Hubbard chickens 7 d old, were injected with a intraperitoneal injection of adriamycin (5 mg/kg/die). All chickens were killed 24 h after the last injection, and the bursa was rapidly excised and fixed immediately for scanning electron microscopy and for transmission electron microscopy. The bursa underwent atrophy and showed epithelium desquamation. After 6 d treatment the dysepithelization was evident. Consequently follicles were made up mostly with large polyedric cells.

A study of endometrial adenocarcinoma treated with tamoxifen by scanning and transmission electron microscopy.

By scanning and transmission electron microscopy the Authors studied four cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma (stage I, G1) after 15-days treatment with Tamoxifen (20 mg X 2) before surgery. The ultrastructural findings, similar to those observed in untreated adenocarcinomas but quite different from those obtained in MAP-responsive cases - as other Authors reported too - seem to indicate an almost complete absence of secretory or cytotoxic induction at least as far as 15-days treatment is concerned. According to the Authors this study raises many doubts about the usefulness of a first-instance therapeutical protocol based on Tamoxifen alone. However they believe that Tamoxifen can be utilized combined with a progestational agent in a simultaneous or sequence treatment.