[Levels of beta-endorphins in peripheral blood plasma in infertile women with and without symptoms of hyperandrogenism]. / Koncentracija beta-endorfina u plazmi periferne krvi sterilnih zena sa znacima i bez znakova hiperandrogenemije.

In 56 infertile women, aged 20 to 35, beta-endorphin (beta-EP) was determined out of the sample of peripheral blood plasma as well as the serum testosterone (T), progesterone (Prg), estradiol (E2), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) at the medium (from the 6th to 9th day) and at the late follicular stage of the menstrual cycle (from the 10th to 14th day), the early luteal stage (from the 15th to 19th day) and at the late luteal stage of the cycle (from the 20th to 25th day). According to the gathered results of T, DHEA-S and the evaluated indexes of free androgenes of--FAI, women were grouped into two groups. Those with hyperandrogenism (n = 30) and those without hyperandrogenism (n = 26), with two subgroups: those with ovulation and those without it. Women with ovulation and without hyperandrogenism showed statistically significant higher concentration of beta-EP at the late luteal stage of the cycle in comparison with those without ovulation belonging to the same group (n = 9; 5.5 +/- 1.4 vs n = 7; 3.5 +/- 0.6; p < 0.01) as well as concerning the early luteal stage of their own cycle (5.5 +/- 1.4 vs 4.3 +/- 0.3; p < 0.5).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pseudomyxoma of the pleural and peritoneal cavities.

Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a rare clinical manifestation of mucin producing adenocarcinomas. An extensively metastased adenocarcinoma developed a pseudomyxoma that affected not only the peritoneal cavity but also the pleura.

[Hyperinsulinemia in women with hyperandrogenemia]. / Hiperinsulinemija u zena sa hiperandrogenemijom.

In the peripheral blood serum from 24 females with hyperandrogenemia and 12 controls we determined concentrations of total testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and insulin, and calculated Free Androgen Index. In hyperandrogenemic patients we found significantly higher mean concentrations of total testosterone when compared to the controls (n = 192; 3.5 + 1.9 vs n = 76; 1.9 = 0.9; P < 0.001), insulin (n = 95; 23.2 = 15.1; vs n = 33; 9.9 = 4.8; p < 0.001) DHEA-S (n = 70; 6.2 = 1.6 vs n = 27; 3.6 = 1.9; p < 0.001), FAI (n = 65; 27 = 32.9 vs n = 33; 3.9 = 2.1; p < 0.001) while the levels of SHBG in hyperandrogenemics were significantly lower than in the controls (n = 67; 24.6 = 15.9 vs n = 33; 52.8 = 19.3; p < 0.001). We found a positive correlation between the relative body mass and insulin concentrations (r = 0.67) in the form of the repeated sampling mean values; between the relative body mass and the mean values of the total testosterone concentrations (r = 0.42) and between the total testosterone concentrations and insulin (r = 0.32).

[Pseudomyxoma of the pleura and peritoneum]. / Pseudomiksom pleure i peritoneuma.

A case is presented of 41 year old patient with a very rare form of clinical manifestation of adenocarcinoma with a large mucinous ascites with abdominal distention and a massive left hemithoracic content with same characteristics. Two years prior the patient suffered from acute abdomen and underwent apendectomy with slow wound healing and a stomach edema 6 months later with a finding of smaller changes on the left side of the thorax. The patient was hospitalized when he already had an advanced stage of the disease. The diagnosis of adenocarcinoma was reached with percutaneous thoracic biopsy and finding of mucinous malignant cells. Gelatinoid ascites was confirmed on CT an echography with the same finding in the thorax. Systemic chemotherapy was initiated without major effect followed by intrapleural and intraabdominal instillation of hyaluronidase in combination with cytostatics. The course of the disease and treatment effects were followed echographically and on CT. According to available literature this is the first case report of a patient with mucinous adenocarcinoma and a presentation of pseudomyxoma of the thoracic and abdominal cavities.

[Levels of estradiol, progesterone and testosterone in hyperprolactinemia]. / Koncentracija estradiola, progesterona i testosterona kod hiperprolaktinemije.

In 69 patients with hyperprolactinemia the concentrations of FSH (foliculostimulating) hormone, LH (luteinization) hormone, PRL (prolactin), PRG (progesterone), T (testosterone) and E2 (estradiol) were determined by the RIA method on the 7th, 14th, and 21st day following the beginning of spontaneous or induced uterine bleeding. According to the recorded E2 and PRG concentrations, all the patients were divided into three groups: one group with the E2 and PRG concentrations within normal ovulation cycle values (N = 31); the second group with the E2 concentrations within normal values and the PRG values characteristic of the 21st day (N = 18), and the third group with the E2 concentrations below the lower normal values on the 7th and the 14th day and the PRG anovulation concentrations on the 21st day (N = 20). The mean values of the E2 concentrations in the hyperprolactinemic patients were significantly lower in all the three control groups (P less than 0.01; 0.05; 0.01) on the 7th day and (P less than 0.01; 0.05; 0.001) on the 14th day, which suggests the impairment of the follicular phase of the cycle. In the second and third groups there was no significant difference between the E2 concentrations on the 7th and the 14th day, while the PRG concentrations on the 21st day remained on the level of the anovulation values. Unlike the control group, the patients with hyperprolactinemia showed no significant increase of the Lh concentration on the 14th day. The effect of hyperprolactinemia on the impairment of the ovarian function is discussed.

[Obesity as a risk factor in patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma]. / Gojaznost kao faktor rizika u pacijentkinja sa adenokarcinomom endometrijuma.

In 19 patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma and in 17 healthy women, of approximate age and body weight, concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), estradiol (E2), progesterone (PRG) and cortisol were determined by means of the RIA method. Gonadotropins show significantly lower values in the examined patients (FSH = 22.7 +/- 20.5; LH = 13.7 +/- 8.4) in relation to the control group (FSH = 41 +/- 28.3; LH = 23.5 +/- 13.9; P less than 0.001) and significantly elevated values of PRL (383.7 +/- 270) in relation to the control group (268.1 +/- 165.7; P less than 0.005). The correlation of the E2/PRG and Relative Body Mass (RBM) ratio in the examined patients, shows a significant positive correlation indicating an excess of E2, towards which PRG is not opposed to in obese persons. A significant correlation of PRL and E2 elevated values in the patients affected, in contrast to the control group, was also found. These findings confirm the assertion that subtile changes which exist in the hormone relations of affected persons, are linked to obesity.