Cellular atypia in vulvar dystrophies.

We studied the frequency and distribution of cellular atypia in 448 cases of vulvar dystrophy. The total frequency was 9.4%.

Menstrual migraine: a possible pathogenic implication of platelet function.

It has been suggested that migraine is a blood disorder caused by a primary abnormality of platelet behaviour. We have studied in different phases of the cycle of 11 healthy normal women and 13 patients suffering from menstrual migraine: 1. The platelet aggregation induced in vitro by ADP, collagen and ristocetin; 2.

Production of prostacyclin, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and thromboxane B2 by human umbilical vessels increases from the placenta towards the fetus.

The aim of this study was to investigate the production of prostacyclin (PGI2) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) by incubated samples of umbilical arteries and veins taken at different distances (2, 10, 20, 30 cm) from the placenta to provide additional information relevant to the haemodynamics of umbilical blood flow. The production of PGI2, and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha (the stable metabolite of PGI2), was higher in both veins and arteries as the distance from the placenta at which the vessels were sampled was increased. A similar correlation between production by venous rings and distance from the placenta was observed for TXB2, but there was no apparent gradient of TXB2 production by the samples of arterial rings.

Platelet-activating factor contracts human myometrium in vitro.

The myometrial contractile responses to synthetic 1-0-octadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine (platelet-activating factor, PAF) and to oxytocin were evaluated in vitro on uterine (lower segment) strips obtained from pregnant women at term (39th week), undergoing elective cesarean section. Contractility was measured isometrically in an isolated organ bath using a superfusion technique. PAF in a concentration range between 5 and 100 nM as well as oxytocin (0.

Quantitative cytospectrophotometric studies on protein thiols and reactive protein disulphides in samples of normal human uterine cervix and on samples obtained from patients with dysplasia or carcinoma-in-situ.

Quantitative microspectophotometric studies have been made on sections of human cervix after staining for reactive protein thiol-groups (PSHr), and the sum of protein thiols with so-called reactive protein disulphides (together abbreviated as TRPS). Measurements were made on normal epithelium, apparently normal epithelium adjacent to a pathological lesion, dysplastic epithelium, carcinoma-in-situ, and adjoining stroma. The numbers of cases studied were: normal healthy controls (53); patients with dysplasias (34) and patients with carcinoma-in-situ (29).

Protein thiols in normal and neoplastic human uterine cervix.

Protein-thiol groups that react with dihydroxydinaphthyl disulphide during a 7 h incubation (so-called reactive protein thiols, PSHr) have been quantitatively measured on sections of human uterine cervix by microcytospectrophotometry. Measurements were made on areas (1 micron 2) of epithelium and adjoining stroma in samples of normal cervix, and in samples obtained from patients with dysplasia, carcinoma-in-situ and invasive cancer. The ratio of PSHr in epithelium to stroma is substantially reduced in the pathological conditions compared with normal and in apparently normal adjacent areas.

Immune complexes in preeclampsia and normal pregnancy.

We determined in normal nonpregnant (group I) and normal pregnant (group II) women and in patients with preeclampsia (group III): (1) immunoglobulins and complement C3b associated with polymorphonuclear leukocytes and platelet surfaces in an attempt to evaluate the interaction in vivo of immune complexes with the membranes of these cells; (2) the occurrence of circulating immune complexes; (3) the serum levels of immunoglobulins, C3, and C4; and (4) the plasma levels of complement C3d. In patients with preeclampsia (group III), the percentages of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and platelets positive for membrane-bound IgG, IgM, IgA, and C3 were significantly higher than the percentages in groups I and II. In group III, there also was a significant increase in circulating immune complexes, as compared to groups I and II.

[Statistical study of the risk of cardiovascular disease in hysterectomized patients].

The risk of atherosclerotic or hypertensive cardiovascular disease increases after physiological or surgical menopause, irrespective of whether or not the ovaries are removed. In order to evaluate the direct contribution of the uterus in cutting down the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, the clinical records of 1551 cardiovascular patients and 296 healthy women were examined. All subjects were divided into 8 different groups according to their age.

The concentrations of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2 in plasma samples from patients with benign and malignant tumours of the breast.

Peripheral plasma concentrations of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2 were measured in patients with benign and malignant tumours of the breast, in patients with non-gynecological diseases, and in healthy female controls. The values were significantly higher in female patients with malignant tumours of the breast than in healthy controls (146 +/- 28 vs 13 +/- 2.5 pg/ml for 6-keto-PGF1 alpha p less than 0.

Production of prostacyclin (PGI2) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) by vessels draining and not-draining benign and malignant tumours of the breast.

The production of PGI2 (determined by bioassay) and TXB2 (determined by radioimmunoassay) was studied in the supernatant solutions obtained after incubation of vessel rings prepared from veins draining and not draining benign and malignant tumours of the breast. A significant increase (p less than 0.01) was found in the production of PGI2 by vessels draining the malignant tumours as compared to those not draining such tumours or vessels draining benign tumours.

Platelet sensitivity to prostacyclin in normal subjects, and in patients with benign and malignant tumours of the breast.

Platelet sensitivity to prostacyclin (PG12) was determined in normal male and female subjects, and in patients with benign and malignant tumours of the breast. The IC50 overall mean values for PG12 on ADP-induced platelet aggregation were similar for normal men and women, being 0.97 +/- 0.

Studies on human uterine cervix and rat uterus using S-, X- and Q-band electron-spin-resonance spectroscopy.

In previous studies we have reported on the detection of a strong e.s.r.

Production of prostacyclin, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and thromboxane B2 by incubated samples of umbilical vessels: a comparison of methods for expressing the results on dry weight, wet weight, protein or DNA bases.

The production of PGI2 (determined by bioassay), and of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2 (determined by radioimmunoassay) by samples of human umbilical vessels have been measured. The results have been calculated on four bases: dry weight, wet weight, protein and DNA. There was a higher production of PGI2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha by umbilical veins than by umbilical arteries; no significant difference in TXB2 production was observed between umbilical veins and arteries.

Non-random patterns of nucleotide substitutions and codon strategy in the mammalian mitochondrial genes coding for identified and unidentified reading frames.

The base sequence of large part of the mitochondrial DNA of Wistar rats is presented. The sequence is compared with those of other mammalian mitochondrial DNAs. The nucleotide and amino acid homologies, codon strategy, nature and patterns of substitutions are reported.

The nucleotide sequences of several tRNA genes from rat mitochondria: common features and relatedness to homologous species.

We have determined the nucleotide sequences of thirteen rat mt tRNA genes. The features of the primary and secondary structures of these tRNAs show that those for Gln, Ser, and f-Met resemble, while those for Lys, Cys, and Trp depart strikingly from the universal type. The remainder are slightly abnormal.