Intrauterine 10 microg and 20 microg levonorgestrel systems in postmenopausal women receiving oral oestrogen replacement therapy: clinical, endometrial and metabolic response.

Objective: The clinical and endometrial efficacy and lipid response of two different doses of intrauterine levonorgestrel were assessed in comparison with sequential oral medroxyprogesterone acetate in postmenopausal women receiving continuous oral E2-valerate.

Design: One-year prospective multicentre randomised control trial.

Setting: Four outpatient clinics in Oulu, Helsinki and Jyväskylä, Finland.

Distinct patterns of expression of keratinocyte growth factor and its receptor in endometrial carcinoma.

Background: Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) is a member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family. KGF is a stromally derived, paracrine growth factor specifically mitogenic for a variety of epithelial cells. The KGF receptor (KGFR), which is a splice variant of the FGF receptor-2 (FGFR-2)/bek gene, is expressed only in epithelial cells.

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in prepubertal children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

To study the possible role of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) in the discrepancy between normal or only slightly retarded growth and substantially reduced concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in prepubertal children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), we measured the plasma concentrations of IGF-I, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 and free insulin in 24 prepubertal diabetic subjects and 12 control children. In addition, the growth hormone response to exercise was evaluated. The diabetic children had significantly decreased peripheral IGF-I levels (8.

Expression of mRNA for keratinocyte growth factor and its receptor in human endometrium.

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of mRNA for the keratinocyte growth factor and the keratinocyte growth factor receptor in human endometrium at different stages of the menstrual cycle. The role of estrogen and progesterone in regulating the expression of the mRNAs encoding keratinocyte growth factor and its receptor was further examined by studying the effect of continuous progestin (endometrium exposed to levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine contraceptive device), and continuous estrogen (endometrium hyperplasia) on the endometrium.

Methods: The expression of mRNA in endometrial samples was evaluated using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.

The relationship between circulating androgens, obesity, and hyperinsulinemia on serum insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 in the polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate the relationship of obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperandrogenemia on serum insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 levels in women with the polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Study Design: Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1, insulin, and androgen levels were studied during a 3-hour intravenous glucose tolerance test in 16 women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (nine obese and seven nonobese) and 20 healthy control women (10 obese and 10 nonobese).

Results: Positive correlations were observed between basal (r = 0.