Hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis dysregulation in depressed women.

In order to examine HPG axis regulation in women with major depression, luteinizing hormone (LH) pulsativity was studied in 26 depressed and 24 normal women. Blood was sampled every 10 min for an 8-h period during the first week of their menstrual cycle. LH pulsatile release was analyzed using the computerized cluster analysis algorithm of Veldhuis and Johnson and spectral analysis.

Evaluation for antisperm antibodies after storage of sperm in TEST-yolk buffer.

Objective: To determine if TEST-yolk buffer, consisting of TES (N-tris [hydroxymethyl]-methyl-2-aminoethanesufonic acid), Tris (Tris[hydroxymethyl]aninomethane), and chicken egg yolk, affects the presence of antisperm antibodies on the sperm surface as detected by the immunobead test.

Design: A prospective study of antisperm antibodies on sperm surface before and after incubation in TEST-yolk buffer. Direct immunobead test and indirect immunobead test were done the day of collection of the semen sample to detect the presence of human immunoglobulin class G (IgG) and immunoglobulin class A (IgA); immunobead tests were repeated on the same sperm samples after 24 hours of storage in TEST buffer.

A comparison of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase type 1 and type 2 activity of cytosol and microsomes from human term placenta, ovarian stroma and granulosa-luteal cells.

A large body of evidence suggests multiple forms of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase (17-HOR) regulate estrogen and androgen levels within gonadal and peripheral tissues. Two kinetically-differing 17-HOR activities have been detected in placental homogenates. 17-HOR type 1, found mainly in the cytosol, is highly reactive with estradiol-17 beta (E2) and estrone (E1) but not testosterone (T) (high E2/T activity ratio).

Increased ascitic fluid prorenin in the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

Three patients developed severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHS) as a complication of ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization. These patients presented with ovarian enlargement, vascular volume depletion, pleural effusions, and exudative ascites. A unique feature of the ascites in OHS was the markedly elevated renin concentration, the majority of which was prorenin.