Distinct urinary progesterone metabolite profiles during the luteal phase.

Objectives: During normal menstrual cycles, serum levels of progesterone vary widely between cycles of same woman and between women. This study investigated the profiles of pregnanediol during the luteal phase.

Methods: Data stemmed from a previous multicenter prospective observational study and concerned 107 women (who contributed 326 menstrual cycles).

Descriptive analysis of the relationship between progesterone and basal body temperature across the menstrual cycle.

Objective: Describe the relationship between basal body temperature (BBT) and pregnanediol-3 alpha-glucuronide (PDG, the urine metabolite of progesterone) across the menstrual cycle.

Design: Observational study.

Setting: Study carried out from 1996 to 1997 in eight European family planning clinics.

Lateral Flow Assays in Infectious Disease Diagnosis.

Background: Lateral flow immunoassays are widely used as diagnostic tests in many applications in human and other diagnostic areas. Assays for human applications have been commercially available since the 1980s and initially were primarily used to identify pregnancy by measuring human chorionic gonadotropin in urine and serum/plasma.

Content: The first infectious disease lateral flow assays were commercialized in the late 1980s identifying the presence of Group A Streptococcus pyogenes collected with throat swabs; innumerable other applications followed in the intervening decades.

A first of its kind quantitative functional C1-esterase inhibitor lateral flow assay for hereditary angioedema point-of-care diagnostic testing.

Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) is a rare, autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in SERPING1 gene leading to dysfunction/deficiency of C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) protein and subsequent dysregulation of the contact system and bradykinin overproduction. As functional C1-INH (fC1-INH) levels are reduced in HAE types I and II (HAE-I/II), a specific, sensitive and accessible rapid diagnostic method to quantitate fC1-INH is crucial in diagnosing HAE-I/II. Previously, we developed/validated methods to detect fC1-INH levels in human plasma based on functional binding to C1s or FXIIa for C1-INH-based therapies.

Random serum progesterone threshold to confirm ovulation.

Background: Serum progesterone (P) rises after ovulation in the luteinisation process.

Objective: To identify an accurate progesterone threshold to confirm ovulation in the assessment of a woman's fertility.

Methods: In a secondary analysis of an observational European multicentre study, this study included 107 women over 326 menstrual cycles and tracked daily first morning urine (FMU), changes in observed cervical mucus discharge, serum progesterone, and ultrasonography to identify the day of ovulation.

Use of urinary pregnanediol 3-glucuronide to confirm ovulation.

Objective: Urinary hormonal markers may assist in increasing the efficacy of Fertility Awareness Based Methods (FABM). This study uses urinary pregnanediol-3a-glucuronide (PDG) testing to more accurately identify the infertile phase of the menstrual cycle in the setting of FABM.

Methods: Secondary analysis of an observational and simulation study, multicentre, European study.

Relationship between sleep and secretion of gonadotropin and ovarian hormones in women with normal cycles.

Objective: To monitor gonadotropin and ovarian hormone levels in relation to sleep duration in normally cycling women.

Design: Observational and cross-sectional study.

Setting: Multicentric collaborative study.

Chronological aspects of ultrasonic, hormonal, and other indirect indices of ovulation.

Objective: To improve prediction of ovulation in normal cycles.

Design: Collection of women's characteristics and their menstrual cycles. Monitoring and analysis of time relationships between several indicators of ovulation: transvaginal ultrasonography, cervical mucus, basal body temperature, urinary luteinising hormone, and ratio of urinary oestrogen to progesterone metabolites.

Gonadotropin level abnormalities in women with cyclic mastalgia.

Objectives: Women with cyclic mastalgia seem to be at risk of fibrocystic breast disease and/or breast cancer. We studied the relationships between mastalgia and hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle.

Study Design: Ostensibly healthy women were monitored during a sum of 326 cycles.

Gonadotropin and body mass index: high FSH levels in lean, normally cycling women.

Objective: To characterize the relationships between body mass index (BMI) and LH or FSH levels over the cycle in normally cycling women.

Methods: We compared baseline characteristics, cycle characteristics, follicle sizes, and daily hormone levels among women with low (n = 22), normal (n = 63), or high (n = 22) BMIs over 326 cycles.

Results: There were no significant differences in age or other lifestyle characteristics between groups.

Sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound indices of ovulation in spontaneous cycles.

Objective: Evaluation of sensitivity and specificity of 4 ultrasound indices of ovulation.

Study Design: Multicenter collaborative study of 794 abdominal and transvaginal ultrasound scanning of ovaries performed during 271 cycles in 107 normally fertile women. Comparison of sensitivities and specificities of indices using McNemar test.

Use of randomly cloned DNA fragments for the identification of oral spirochetes.

DNA probes were produced for the detection and identification of 4 cultivable species of oral spirochetes, Treponema denticola, Treponema socranskii, Treponema vincentii and Treponema pectinovorum. To obtain probe sequences, chromosomal DNA, isolated from representative strains within each species, was cloned in Escherichia coli K-12. Cloned DNA fragments were screened for the ability to hybridize to DNA only from homologous strains.

Suppression of fibroblast proliferation by oral spirochetes.

Soluble sonic extracts of several strains of Treponema denticola and Treponema vincentii were examined for their abilities to alter proliferation of both murine and human fibroblasts. We found that sonic extracts of all tested strains of T. denticola caused a dose-dependent inhibition of murine and human fibroblast proliferation when assessed by both DNA synthesis ([3H]thymidine incorporation) and direct cell counts.