Magnesium concentration in amniotic fluid in the early weeks of the second trimester of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: We analyse magnesium levels in amniotic fluid to establish normal values for the 14th to 18th week of pregnancy and establish critical values that could be useful diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for possible complications. FINDINGS: Ninety-two samples of amniotic fluid obtained by amniocentesis as well as the corresponding serum samples of pregnant women were analysed. The gestational age (mean ± SD) at which the amniotic fluid sample was obtained was 16.13 ± 1.87 weeks. Magnesium levels were determined by colorimetric assay with chlorophosphonazo-III using the the Cobas c 501 analyser (Roche Diagnostics). Statistical treatment of data was performed using the SPSS program, version 15.0.Results revealed a mean magnesium value of 1.65 ± 0.16 mg/dL in amniotic fluid and 1.97 ± 0.23 mg/dL in serum. CONCLUSIONS: It would be interesting to extend the study to a larger number of pregnant women to determine variations in normal magnesium values in the three trimesters of pregnancy.

Thyroid hormones according to gestational age in pregnant Spanish women.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid function changes during pregnancy and maternal thyroid dysfunction have been associated with adverse outcomes. Our aim was to evaluate thyroid hormones levels in pregnant women resident in Aragon, Spain. FINDINGS: Samples for 1198 pregnant women with no apparent thyroid disorders were analyzed, using paramagnetic microparticle and chemiluminescent detection technologies, in order to determine levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), and thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg-Ab). Of the women in our sample, 85.22% had normal values for TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab and 14.77% had results revealing the presence of autoimmune diseases of the thyroid. The thyroid hormone reference values obtained according to gestational age (in brackets) were as follows: for free T3, values were 3.38 +/- 0.52 pg/mL (<11 weeks), 3.45 +/- 0.54 pg/mL (11-20 weeks), 3.32 +/- 0.43 pg/mL (21-30 weeks), 3.21 +/- 0.53 pg/mL (31-36 weeks), and 3.23 +/- 0.41 pg/mL (>36 weeks); for free T4, values were 1.10 +/- 0.14 ng/dL (<10 weeks), 1.04 +/- 0.14 ng/dL (11-20 weeks), 0.93 +/- 0.12 ng/dL (21-30 weeks), 0.90 +/- 0.13 ng/dL (31-36 weeks), and 0.80 +/- 0.21 ng/dL (>36 weeks); and for TSH, values were (muIU/mL): 1.12 +/- 0.69 (<10 weeks), 1.05 +/- 0.67 (11-20 weeks), 1.19 +/- 0.60 (21-30 weeks), 1.38 +/- 0.76 (31-36 weeks), and 1.46 +/- 0.72 (>36 weeks). CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with normal antibody values according to gestational age had values for FT4 and TSH, but not for FT3, that differed to a statistically significant degree. The values we describe can be used as reference values for the Aragon region of Spain.

Evaluación de la cortisoluria en mujeres diagnosticadas de fibromialgia / Evaluation of urinary cortisol levels in women with Fibromyalgia

Objetivo: Los autores del presente artículo se proponen un estudio comparativo del cortisol urinario en una muestra poblacional representativa con diagnóstico de fibromialgia (FM) con evolución prolongada (mínimo 3 años) frente a una población normal con iguales características de edad y sexo, con el objetivo de demostrar si la cortisoluria con valores menores que los encontrados en la población normal en relación con su FM podría explicar su fatiga. Pacientes y método: Se determinó la cortisoluria en un grupo de 47 mujeres con diagnóstico según criterios de FM de la American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990, con edades comprendidas entre 29 y 64 años, previa condición de una correcta recogida de la muestra, mediante un FPIA (fluorescence polarization immunoassay inmunoanálisis de polarización de la fluorescencia ). Se compararon los resultados con la cortisoluria obtenida en un grupo de 88 mujeres sanas incluidas en el mismo rango de edades que las mujeres fibromiálgicas. Resultados: El valor mediano del cortisol urinario en las mujeres fibromiálgicas fue de 65¼g/l, significativamente inferior al de las mujeres sanas, en las que el valor fue de 80¼g/l; p<0,001. Conclusión: Un 33,4% de las mujeres con FM estudiadas presenta una concentración de cortisol urinario significativamente inferior al grupo de mujeres sin FM (AU)

Objective: We propose a comparative study of urinary cortisol in a controlled simple group of patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM) during a minimum time frame (3 years) vs. a normal group with the same characteristics of age and gender. Our objective is to demonstrate if urinary cortisol at lower levels than those found in the normal population, as long as FM is regarded, could help to evaluate the fatigue. Methods: We determined the urinary cortisol in a group of 47 women with a clinical diagnosis of FM using the criteria from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990, with ages between 29 and 64 years, in whom an accurate sample was collected and cortisol was determined using an FPIA method. The results were compared with the urinary cortisol obtained in a group of 88 healthy women within the same age range as those with FM. Results: Urinary cortisol in FM was 65.0¼g/l (median), which was significantly lower than that of the healthy group (80.0¼g/l), p<0.001.Conclusion: 33.4% of patients with FM displayed urinary cortisol concentrations significantly lower than the group of women without FM (AU)

[Evaluation of urinary cortisol levels in women with fibromyalgia]. / Evaluación de la cortisoluria en mujeres diagnosticadas de fibromialgia.

OBJECTIVE: We propose a comparative study of urinary cortisol in a controlled simple group of patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM) during a minimum time frame (3 years) vs. a normal group with the same characteristics of age and gender. Our objective is to demonstrate if urinary cortisol at lower levels than those found in the normal population, as long as FM is regarded, could help to evaluate the fatigue. METHODS: We determined the urinary cortisol in a group of 47 women with a clinical diagnosis of FM using the criteria from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1990, with ages between 29 and 64 years, in whom an accurate sample was collected and cortisol was determined using an FPIA method. The results were compared with the urinary cortisol obtained in a group of 88 healthy women within the same age range as those with FM. RESULTS: Urinary cortisol in FM was 65.0 microg/l (median), which was significantly lower than that of the healthy group (80.0 microg/l), p<0.001. CONCLUSION: 33.4% of patients with FM displayed urinary cortisol concentrations significantly lower than the group of women without FM.

Is there an association between fibromyalgia and below-normal levels of urinary cortisol?

BACKGROUND: Adynamia in fibromyalgia (FM) may be an expression of a functional deficit of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and be associated with below-normal levels of urinary cortisol. Our aim was to demonstrate that urinary cortisol was lower in patients with FM than in healthy subjects. FINDINGS: We measured urinary cortisol levels for a sample of 47 women aged 29 to 64 years (mean age 53 years), diagnosed with FM 2-3 years previously, and compared the results with those for a control sample of 58 healthy women of a similar age. Samples of 24-hour urine were appropriately collected and levels of urinary cortisol were measured using the fluorescence polarization immunoassay method. The mean cortisol value for the women with FM was 65.40 +/- 27.10 mug/L, significantly lower than the mean cortisol level for the control group, at 90.83 +/- 38.17 mug/L (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study confirms that women with FM have significantly lower urinary cortisol levels than healthy women.