Inherited thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in pregnancy.

Objective: The primary pathologic reason for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) lies in the systemic formation of platelet aggregations in association with endothelial cells damage. Endothelial damage is a result of an abnormal synthesis and metabolism of unusually large von Willebrand Factor (ULvWF) multimers. In normal conditions vWF cleaving metalloprotease, known as ADAMTS-13 (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin type-1 motif, member 13) prevents the ULvWF entrance in the circulation.

[Future of prenatal cytogenetic studies: rapid aneuploidy testing or full karyotype].

Thrombophilia is a congenital or acquired disorder of haemostatic imbalance leading to clot formation. Congenital thrombophilia is a result of different genetic polymorphisms in the genes coding for particular elements in coagulation and fibrinolysis processes and is connected with excessive readiness to thrombosis in the carriers the mutated alleles. A higher coagulation activity has been observed in case of pregnant women who are carriers of congenital thrombophilia, when compared to the pre-pregnancy activity.

Recombinant factor VIIa in the management of postpartum bleeds: an audit of clinical use.

Background: This paper presents an analysis of 25 patient cases in which recombinant factor VIIa was used in the management of postpartum hemorrhage, including severe and/or life-threatening bleeds. Anecdotal experiences in the empirical use of this agent are described and dosing regimens, effects on bleeding, and safety data are presented.

Methods: Data were extracted from the international, internet-based, voluntary registry, haemostasis.

Effect of morphine on proopiomelanocortin gene expression and peptide levels in the hypothalamus.

Opiates have been reported to suppress POMC in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) but studies have been complicated by the fact that acutely, in the rat, opiates stimulate corticosterone and inhibit gonadal steroid release, which could both affect POMC in brain. We have therefore examined POMC gene expression and peptide levels in the MBH of castrated rats after 10 days of treatment with subcutaneous morphine or placebo pellets and after pellet removal. POMC mRNA was measured by solution hybridization assay and beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and alpha-MSH were measured by RIA.

Effect of opioid antagonism on beta-endorphin processing and proopiomelanocortin-peptide release in the hypothalamus.

Previous studies have shown that chronic opioid receptor blockade has significant effects on POMC gene expression and peptide levels in the hypothalamus. We have now examined the effects of the opioid antagonist naltrexone on beta-EP processing in the hypothalamus and on the release of 2 POMC-derived peptides, beta-EP and gamma 3-MSH, from the perifused hypothalamus in vitro. The beta-EP immunoactivity in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) of 7 rats infused for 1 week with naltrexone by osmotic minipump, was individually analyzed by HPLC and compared to 7 control rats.

Serum thyrotropin and prolactin in the syndrome of generalized resistance to thyroid hormone: responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation and short term triiodothyronine suppression.

Serum TSH and PRL levels and their response to TRH were measured in 11 patients with generalized resistance to thyroid hormone (GRTH), 6 euthyroid subjects, and 6 patients with primary hypothyroidism. TSH and PRL levels and their response to TRH were also measured after the consecutive administration of 50, 100, and 200 micrograms T3 daily, each for a period of 3 days. Using a sensitive TSH assay, all GRTH patients had TSH values that were elevated or within the normal range.

Sequence of the variant thyroxine-binding globulin of Australian aborigines. Only one of two amino acid replacements is responsible for its altered properties.

A form of thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) with reduced affinity for hormone and increased susceptibility to heat and acid denaturation has been identified in Australian Aborigines (TBG-A). Results of heat denaturation of TBG established that the TBGA allele is X linked and has a frequency of 50.9% in Western Australian Aborigines.

Effects of repetitive administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone at short intervals in acromegaly.

We investigated the pattern of GH secretion in response to repetitive TRH administration in patients with active acromegaly and in normal subjects. Nine acromegalic patients and 10 normal subjects received three doses of 200 micrograms of TRH iv at 90-min intervals. There was a marked serum GH rise in acromegalic patients after each TRH dose (net incremental area under the curve [nAUC]: first dose = 4448 +/- 1635 micrograms.

Evidence for a nonspecific factor interfering in the radioimmunoassay of somatoliberin-like immunoreactivity in human seminal plasma.

In the present study we investigated the nature of somatoliberin-like immunoreactivity in human seminal plasma. In unextracted seminal plasma, somatoliberin-like immunoreactivity represented 3.8 micrograms/l somatoliberin, with a dilution curve that ran almost completely parallel to that of synthetic somatoliberin standard.

Interaction between growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) and somatostatin analogue (SMS 201-995) in normal subjects.

Continuous infusion or pulsatile administration of growth hormone releasing factor leads to decreasing GH levels and GH responses in normal subjects. We have given 50 micrograms GRF 1-44 i.v.

Stimulatory effect of Sertoli cell culture medium on the FSH release by pituitary halves in vitro.

The influence of the medium collected from cultured rat Sertoli cells on the spontaneous and LHRH-stimulated release of gonadotropins by incubated rat pituitary halves was examined. The homogeneity of the cultured population of Sertoli cells taken from 20-day-old rats ranged up to 98%. The cells in culture responded to FSH stimulation with characteristic morphological changes and with increased secretion of estradiol-17 beta.