Massive ovarian haemorrhage complicating oral anticoagulation in the antiphospholipid syndrome: a report of three cases.

We report three cases of severe haemorrhagic rupture of luteal ovarian cyst requiring surgical haemostasis in young women treated with long-term oral anticoagulation for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) who used no contraception. At the time of bleeding, the international normalized ratios were 3.78, 4.

Proapoptotic effects of antiestrogens, progestins and androgen in breast cancer cells.

The promoting action of E2 in breast cancer cells has been, until now, mainly linked to its action on prolifieration. Because of the importance of an increase in apoptosis in breast cancer prevention, we have studied the possible effects of various antiestrogens, progestins and an androgen on its occurrence in three hormone-dependent breast cancer cell lines. The antiestrogens were, a triphenylethylene derivative, 4 hydroxytamoxifen (4OHTAM) and two steroidal antiestrogens, IC1182780 and RU58668.

[Action of SERM and SAS (tibolone) on breast tissue].

SERMs are developed in HRT in order to provide the beneficial effects of estradiol on bone and the cardiovascular system. SERMs are antiestrogens and their properties depend upon the pharmacological class they belong to. Tibolone is a progestin with mixed properties.

[The principal arthropod vectors of disease. What are the risks of travellers' to be bitten? To be infected?].

Many blood-sucking arthropods are potential vectors of disease. To become a vector, the arthropod must be susceptible to the infective agent and must survive the incubation period so as to transmit the pathogens to a host. While some arthropod associated diseases affect only man (e.

Evaluation of gonadal function in 107 intersex patients by means of serum antimüllerian hormone measurement.

Fetal male sexual differentiation is driven by two testicular hormones: testosterone (synthesized by interstitial Leydig cells) and antimüllerian hormone (AMH; produced by Sertoli cells present in the seminiferous tubules). Intersex states result either from gonadal dysgenesis, in which both Leydig and Sertoli cell populations are affected, or from impaired secretion or action of either testosterone or AMH. Until now, only Leydig cell function has been assessed in children with ambiguous genitalia, by means of testosterone assay.

Evaluation of two tests based on the detection of histidine rich protein 2 for the diagnosis of imported Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

The ParaSight-F dipstick test (Becton Dickinson, USA) and the ICT Malaria Pf test (ICT, Australia) both detect histidine rich protein 2 (HRP-2), a water-soluble antigen expressed by Plasmodium falciparum trophozoites. The present study compared the diagnostic performance of both tests in persons returning to Belgium from countries endemic for malaria. During a period of 18 months both tests were performed on all patients returning from the tropics with a positive malaria blood film.

Adult Travelers with HIV Infection.

The number of HIV-infected persons who travel to the developing world is increasing. Pleasure, business, other work, and illness or death in families brings these special travelers to all corners of the world.1,2 Health care providers should ask patients who are seeking advice whether they are HIV-infected or at risk so that these travelers can be adequately protected and prepared.

Can we advise ovulation induction in patients with SLE?

The prognosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has greatly improved during the last two decades, now allowing most patients to have a very long survival including a satisfactory quality of life. Initially considered contraindicated in SLE due to its overwhelming risks, pregnancy is nowadays allowed in a majority of patients, and fair results are usually obtained under appropriate management (1-3). Consequently, patients thought to have infertility ask the question of a possible therapy, i.

Recurrence of blackwater fever: triggering of relapses by different antimalarials.

Five cases of blackwater fever (BWF) are described, all of whom had a history of recent quinine therapy. In two cases a second haemolytic crisis was induced by halofantrine, in one case also a third. Increasing frequency of this syndrome with its dramatic clinical presentation is to be expected as imported P.

Single strand breaks and mutagenesis in yeast induced by photodynamic treatment with chloroaluminum phthalocyanine.

Photodynamic treatment of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus with the sensitizer aluminum phthalocyanine results in loss of clonogenicity. In this paper the effect of this treatment on DNA of this yeast was investigated by searching for single strand breaks and forward mutations. Using the alkaline step elution technique it was found that illumination of the yeast in the presence of aluminum phthalocyanine resulted in an increase in single strand breaks.

Fibrinogen and plasminogen modifications during oral estradiol replacement therapy.

Objective: To assess the effects of oral E2 replacement therapy on various hemostatic parameters and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy, postmenopausal women.

Design: A double-blind, randomized, prospective study comparing the effect of a placebo and of oral micronized E2 (2 mg daily) during a 6-month period. Evaluations were performed before treatment and after 3 and 6 months.

Decreased PMN accumulation and glomerular damage by clodronate liposome treatment in PMN-dependent anti-GBM nephritis in mice.

Background: Intravenous administration of clodronate (dichloromethylene bisphosphate)-containing liposomes (clodro-L) has been reported to induce selective depletion of tissue macrophages (M phi) with little or no effect on polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN). Therefore, we used clodro-L treatment to study the role of M phi in a PMN-dependent model of anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) nephritis.

Methods: C57BL/6J mice received clodro-L i.

Kabisa: an interactive computer-assisted training program for tropical diseases.

In Europe, tropical pathology is usually taught in special short courses, intended for those planning to practise in developing countries. The theoretical knowledge to be assimilated during this short period is considerable, and turning such newly acquired knowledge into competence is difficult. Kabisa is a computer-based training program for tropical diseases.

Mechanism of glucose and maltose transport in plasma-membrane vesicles from the yeast Candida utilis.

Transport of glucose and maltose was studied in plasma-membrane vesicles from Candida utilis. The yeast was grown on a mixture of glucose and maltose in aerobic carbon-limited continuous cultures which enabled transport to be studied for both sugars with the same vesicles. Vesicles were prepared by fusion of isolated plasma membranes with proteoliposomes containing bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase as a proton-motive-force-generating system.

[Information communication to travelers, the French and Belgian experiences].

Providing relevant and up-to-date information to professionals and the general public is possible through many existing as well as developing means of communication including telephone and faxing, databases, answering machines and internet. Professionals may use information networks in order to harmonize advice given to their patients or clients. An exchange may also be established among all types of travel medicine professionals for keeping up with the latest relevant news and information or for sharing new ideas.

Antagonism between estradiol and progestin on Bcl-2 expression in breast-cancer cells.

Bcl-2 is a key protein involved in the control of apoptosis. Our previous studies on breast and endometrium indicated hormonal regulation of bcl-2 in these tissues. In the present work we have analyzed Bcl-2 and Bax protein expressions in MCF-7 and T47-D, 2 hormone-dependent breast-cancer cell lines, by immunoblots.

bcl-2 proto-oncogene, apoptosis and oncogenesis.

Cell death has gained considerable interest during the last few years since, along with mitosis, it contributes to the determination of normal or neoplastic state of tissues. Cell death can occur in two ways: necrosis Or 'accidental' death and apoptosis or 'programmed' death. The focus on apoptosis is very recent.

Different mediator systems in biphasic heterologous phase of anti-GBM nephritis in mice.

Background: After the injection of rabbit anti-mouse glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody into normal C57BL/6J mice severe albuminuria develops, which reaches a peak at 24 h. This early albuminuria is dependent on polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN) and is completely absent in the congenic beige mutant strain (C57BL/6J, bg/bg), which is genetically deficient in leukocytic neutral proteinase activity. We now studied the development of anti-GBM nephritis in beige mice during the later heterologous phase.

Epidermal growth factor receptor and c-erbB-2 expression in normal breast tissue during the menstrual cycle.

EGF receptor (EGF-R) and c-erbB-2 are homologous tyrosine kinase transmembrane receptors. They are involved in controlling proliferation, and probably differentiation, of normal breast epithelial cells, and their expression has been linked to the prognosis of breast cancer. Their physiological roles in normal breast tissue remain to be elucidated, as most studies to date have involved breast cancer cell lines.