[Molecular and clinical endocrinology of the endometrium].

The ovarian steroid hormones estradiol and progesterone exert their effect by interacting with their intracellular receptors, which, after ligand binding translocate to the nucleus and bind to the promoter regions of target genes. The consequence is a change in the transcription rate of the target genes, followed by a change in production of the corresponding proteins. Target genes of the sexual steroid hormones include cytokines and growth factors, among them CSF-1, TGF-beta and LIF.

Combining B-mode ultrasound with pulsed wave Doppler for the assessment of tubal patency.

This study was conducted to determine whether the additional use of pulsed wave Doppler improves the diagnostic capacity in assessing tubal patency by hysterosalpingo contrast sonography (HyCoSy). A total of 210 women with a history of infertility were included in this study. HyCoSy was performed after intrauterine injection of Echovist 200.

Mosaicism due to a somatic mutation of the androgen receptor gene determines phenotype in androgen insensitivity syndrome.

Premature stop codons of the human androgen receptor (AR) gene are usually associated with a complete androgen insensitivity syndrome. We, however, identified an adult patient with a 46,XY karyotype carrying a premature stop codon in exon 1 of the AR gene presenting with signs of partial virilization: pubic hair Tanner stage 4 and clitoral enlargement. No other family members were affected.

[Special clinical and follow-up aspects of invasive lobular breast cancer].

We examined 121 invasive lobular breast carcinomas (ILCs) with regard to certain standardised prognosis parameters, such as tumour size, receptor status, histological grading, the presence of lymphangiosis carcinomatosa, and the histological nodal status of the axillae and correlated these findings with follow-up data obtained over a mean period of 65 months. The parameters, tumour size, presence of lymphangiosis carcinomatosa, and nodal status, were found to be correlated and to have a significant influence on the patients' overall survival time, but not on relapse-free survival. Receptor status appeared to have no significant influence on patient survival.

[Locoregional breast cancer recurrence. Treatment following exclusively local therapy].

In 58 out of 515 patients with a primary carcinoma of the breast there was local-regional recurrence. Treatment consisted in generous excision and local radiation (50-60 Gy). After a mean observation period of 65.