Reproductive Function in Epilepsy

Summary: : The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is a complex system within which both positive and negative feedback occur among its elements and higher brain systems. The occurrence of seizures and changes in the secretion of pituitary hormones can affect the feedback loop. Both seizures and antiepileptic drugs can affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis of males and females and cause changes in hormones and sexuality. Reproductive dysfunction has a social impact because of reduced fertility. Once conception occurs, live birth rates are not diminished. Prospective studies of men and women with epilepsy are needed.     

先天性胃壁肌层缺损诊治体会

目的 探讨提高新生儿先天性胃壁肌层缺损治愈率的方法。方法 总结分析近年来收治的本症11例患儿(均经过病理检验证实)的临床及相关资料。结果 11例患儿中，8例存活，其中7例为近十年的病例。1例死亡，2例放弃治疗，均为十年以前的病例。在存活者中，经追踪观察及消化道造影检查，残胃有明显代偿性生长，患儿生长发育未受到明显的影响。结论 早期发现、及时手术、控制感染、术后营养、支持治疗，其预后良好。     

Menstrual-Linked Asthma

This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of menstrual-linked asthma (MLA) in India in 100 consecutive female asthmatics in the reproductive age group. The patients were required to respond to a questionnaire concerning the relationship between their asthma and the menstrual cycle. Twenty-three patients had subjective perception of deterioration in symptoms of asthma in relation to the menstrual cycle. Ten patients from both groups were also required to maintain a daily peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) diary for 2 consecutive menstrual cycles. The mean total duration of illness in patients with MLA was significantly longer than in patients without cyclic exacerbation. Cough and breathlessness were also significantly more severe as was the disease. This was evidenced by the more frequent emergency room visits and hospitalizations in these patients. Menstrual-linked worsening of asthma was most common in the premenstrual week (17 patients). In 8 of these 17 patients, this phenomenon continued to occur during the menstrual week also. Interestingly, 1 patient complained of deterioration of asthma 2 days after menstruation was over. Such an observation is yet to be recorded. Fourteen patients reported an increase in symptoms with almost every cycle while 3 had worsening related to specific season only. Sixteen patients often required extra medication during the premenstrual and/or menstrual weeks. A significant association was also observed between severity of premenstrual syndrome and MLA. The mean PEFR values over 2 cycles revealed a significant fall in the morning as well as evening values in the premenstrual and menstrual weeks as compared to the midcycle week in patients with MLA. This fall was maximal in the premenstrual week. Such a fall was not observed in asthmatics without menstrual exacerbation of symptoms. MLA was detected in about a fourth of the female asthmatics in India and it appears to represent a more severe form of the disease. This study also documented that MLA was associated with an increase in airway resistance and was not simply due to an increased perception of symptoms during the premenstrual or menstrual weeks.     

The effect of preconceptional multivitamin supplementation on the menstrual cycle

The database of the Hungarian randomised controlled trial of periconceptional multivitamin supplementation for the prevention of neural-tube defects was used to evaluate the length of the pre- and postovulatory phases of the menstrual cycle before and during multivitamin supplementation. The female cycle was more regular (i.e., the variance was lower) during the multivitamin supplementation.     

Expression of pS2, c-erbB-2, and cathepsin D during the menstrual cycle in human breast cancers

Background: Many studies have addressed the effect of the timing of surgery for breast cancer relative to menstrual cycle phase, with conflicting results. Explanations for the possibility that survival could be altered by the appropriate timing of breast cancer surgery in humans remain speculative. Methods: We examined the expression of three estrogen related proteins (c-erbB-2, cathepsin D, pS2) in the breast tumors from 69 premenopausal women sampled in different phases of the menstrual cycle. Data on S-phase fraction and hormone receptor expression were also analyzed. Immunohistochemical assays were used to measure the proteins of interest. S-phase fraction was determined by flow cytometry. Analyses were performed based on fraction of cells staining positive for the protein, density of stain, and a histoscore that combined both fraction of positive cells and density. Results: We found no differences in c-erbB-2, cathepsin D, hormone receptor, or S-phase levels in tumors sampled in the follicular versus luteal phase, or perimenstrual versus periovulatory phase. The exception was pS2, which was expressed at greater levels during the luteal than during the follicular phase of the cycle (p<0.01); but there was no difference in pS2 expression when the patients were classified as periovulatory versus perimenstrual. Conclusions: Our findings do not support a variation in c-erbB-2, cathepsin D, S-phase fraction, or receptor expression as an explanation for the differences in breast cancer prognosis when surgery is timed by menstrual cycle phase. The finding that pS2 (an indicator of hormone sensitivity, and possibly better prognosis) is expressed at higher levels in tumor samples during the luteal phase suggests that the biologic profile of breast tumors may vary with the menstrual cycle and that these variations deserve further study.     

CA125测定对某些妇科肿瘤的诊断意义

本文对４０名正常妇女和２０２名妇科肿瘤、宫内膜异位症的患者进行了血清ＣＡ１２５的测定。结果表明９８％正常妇女血清ＣＡ１２５水平＜５０ｕ／ｍｌ，行经期水平高于滤泡期、黄体期和绝经期水平。五组妇科疾病患者血清ＣＡ１２５水平也进行了测定，并观察了２１名卵巢癌患者ＣＡ１２５水平的变化情况。卵巢癌患者ＣＡ１２５水平最高，它与其它疾病组及正常对照组有明显的差异。血清ＣＡ１２５的测定在妇科临床上是有价值的。     

活性金属单环165的临床研究

不锈钢环型节育器(金单环)在中国广为应用。为提高金单环的避孕效果,进行了金单环支撑力与脱落关系的研究,对200,165,135g不同支撑力进行比较性研究筛选出较为合理的支撑力为165g,其外形和金单环相似,分大、中、小三种型号,大号外径22mm,中号21mm,小号为20mm。外层为不锈钢丝螺旋簧,在螺旋环内相间置入纯铜丝(200mm2)和消炎痛硅橡胶各二段(消炎痛总含量5mg左右,现已改为10mg)。于1988年10月～1989年6月全国南北方7省市11所医院共放置1000例,经3年定期随访,12,24,36个月继续存放率各为92.5,88.99及85.94/100妇女年,36月累积带器妊娠率仅1.61/100妇女,脱落率比原金单环明显降低近40％,因症取出率为3.12。于放置前后进行月经血量测量24例,放置后3、6月各增加24.4％和27.4％。行子宫内膜“含铜含药组”和“有铜无药”组对照检查各11例,含药组炎症细胞略少。作宫颈粘液中铜离子含量测定,以6月内含量较高,6月后趋向平稳。消炎痛释放测定,1月内释放较快,一年后残留20％左右。经1249例临床观察,活性金单环165是一种不需特殊培训易于推广的、安全、经济并能长期放置的IUD。