Study on the role of maternal sex steroid production and metabolism in the embryotoxicity of para-xylene

CFY rats were exposed to inhalation of clean air or air containing para-xylene (3000 mg/m³) on the 10th, and 9th and 10th days of gestation. Uterine and ovarian venous blood flow, fetal weight, ovarian progesterone and 17β-oestradiol secretion, and the progesterone and 17β-oestradiol level of peripheral blood (uterine and femoral veins) were measured on the 11th day of gestation. Exposure to para-xylene decreased the weight of the fetuses and the progesterone and 17β-oestradiol levels of peripheral blood, but it did not influence the uterine and ovarian venous outflow and the ovarian progesterone and 17β-oestradiol secretion rate. It is concluded that para-xylene, by inducing the hepatic monooxygenase system, facilitates the biotransformation of progesterone and 17β-oestradiol, which is metabolized by this enzyme system. The decrease in the sex hormone level of peripheral blood is supposed to play a role in the embryotoxicity (retarding and lethal effects) of para-xylene.     

Representative study for the evaluation of age- and gender-specific anthropometric parameters and blood pressure in an adolescent Hungarian population

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: To assess the age- and gender-specific anthropometric parameters and blood pressure in Hungarian adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed between 1997 and 2000. Altogether 6,345 secondary school students (aged 15-18 years) were involved in the study. The representative sampling sites were selected randomly. In the capital city 3-stage and in the counties 4-stage stratified groups were assigned for the studies. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows 9.0. RESULTS: The age- and gender-specific percentile distributions are given with regard to body weight, body height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and arterial blood pressure values. Elevated blood pressure values were found at the first recording in 14.1% of the boys and in 2.5% of the girls. Since it is well known that the arterial blood pressure (ABP) may exhibit considerable intra- individual fluctuation with time, we therefore categorized normotensive and hypertensive students on the basis of the mean ABP values calculated from data obtained during the course of the three separate consecutive measurement periods at least 2 weeks apart. After that, the incidence of high blood pressure was 7.5% in boys and 1.1% in girls. CONCLUSION: The age- and gender-specific cutoff values thus formed may serve as reference values to assess the risk of developing nutrition-related noninfectious diseases in the future on the basis of the present percentile distribution of BMI. The present study also provides data on the prevalence of hypertension in the 15- to 18-year-old age group.     

Pregnant women's oral hygiene knowledge and habits after the second millennium in South-East Hungary

Among the predisposing agents for inflammatory periodontal lesion dental plaque is the most important, but different local and systemic factors may influence the seriousness or progression of periodontitis. Hormonal changes during pregnancy belong to the systemic aggravating factors. The aim of the present study was to assess pregnant women's oral hygiene knowledge and habits, and if these have a relationship with age, residence, educational level and profession/occupation. Questionnaires were used for the data collection. 275 pregnant women, who underwent prenatal care at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Szeged, volunteered to answer the questions. The results showed that almost all the women brushed their teeth daily, but only about one third of them used special oral hygiene tools, like dental floss. Many of the women claimed to have gingival bleeding when brushing their teeth. More then 70% visited a dentist during pregnancy. There was a significant relationship between educational level and the use of dental floss (p=0.004) and gingival bleeding (p=0.023) Oral hygiene education, dental and periodontal treatment of pregnant women need more emphasis during prenatal care.     

Significance of simultaneous measurement of serum thyroglobulin and thyroglobulin antibody during the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Serum thyroglobulin is an essential marker during the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Demonstration of the total absence of thyroglobulin is not possible by immunoanalytic methods if thyroglobulin antibody is present in serum samples that occur in almost 20% of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Therefore, current guidelines recommend estimation of thyroglobulin levels only if quantitative level of thyroglobulin antibody is known. However, normal thyroglobulin antibody level fails to exclude interference with the antibody, because antibody concentration within the normal range may interfere with the thyroglobulin assay. In this respect recommendations are not consistent because they distinguish only occasionally cases with normal and those with non-detectable serum thyroglobulin level. In addition, the possible impact of normal thyroglobulin antibody level on the thyroglobulin assay has not been entirely explored. Authors review literature data and current guidelines on the analytical and preanalytical limitations of the thyroglobulin and thyroglobulin antibody measurements. On the basis of their own studies, authors make recommendation for improvement of the diagnostic accuracy of the thyroglobulin measurement.     

Colorectal cancer,comorbidity, and risk of venous thromboembolism: assessment of biological interactions in a Danish nationwide cohort

Background:

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major source of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Incident colorectal cancer (CRC) and comorbidity both predict VTE, but potential synergy between these factors has not been explored.

Methods:

Danish nationwide cohort study of CRC cases diagnosed in 1995–2010 and a matched general population reference cohort of subjects without CRC who matched cases on age, sex, and comorbidities. We calculated the Charlson Comorbidity Index using diagnoses recorded in the Danish National Patient Registry. We calculated standardised incidence rates (SIRs) and interaction contrasts (IC) to measure additive interaction between comorbidity and CRC status with respect to 5-year VTE incidence.

Results:

Among 56 189 CRC patients, 1372 VTE cases were diagnosed over 145 211 person-years (SIR=9.5 cases per 1000 person-years). Among 271 670 reference subjects, 2867 VTE cases were diagnosed over 1 068  860 person-years (SIR=2.8 cases per 1000 person-years). CRC and comorbidity were positively and independently associated with VTE, but there was no evidence for biological interaction between these factors (e.g., comparing the ‘severe comorbidity'' stratum with the ‘no comorbidity'' stratum, IC=0.8, 95% CI: −3.3, 4.8).

Conclusions:

There is neither a deficit nor a surplus of VTE cases among patients with both comorbidity and CRC, compared with rates expected from these risk factors in isolation.     

Bradycardia can induce increased serum natriuretic peptide-level

Here we report a case of an elderly woman whose antihypertensive beta-blocker therapy induced sinus arrest with a 40 bpm junctional escape rhythm. Although there was no sign of heart failure during bradycardia, a highly elevated amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) serum level was detected. Cessation of the beta-blocker agent resulted in normal sinus rhythm and a rapid fall in the NT-proBNP serum level. As a rare phenomenon, bradycardia-related cardiomyopathy is discussed.     

Association between bronchial asthma in pregnancy and shorter gestational age in a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between bronchial asthma during pregnancy and gestational age/birth weight, and also preterm birth and low birth weight. METHOD: In the population-based large data set of the Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance System of Congenital Abnormalities, 1980-1996, controls without congenital abnormalities were analysed. RESULTS: Of 38,151 newborn infants, 757 (2.0%) had mothers with bronchial asthma during pregnancy, 88% were medically recorded prospectively. Mothers with bronchial asthma in pregnancy had 0.6 week shorter gestational age and a higher proportion of preterm births (14.1% vs. 9.1%). These findings were reflected with a lower mean birth weight (3,102 vs. 3,279 gram) and higher proportion of low birth weight newborns (9.0% vs. 5.6%).CONCLUSION: The old fashioned anti-asthmatic drugs were not able to prevent the bronchial asthma-related preterm birth, thus there is an urgent need to use modern inhaled therapies.     

Late postinfarction rupture of the interventricular septum

Postinfarction ventricular septal rupture complicates 1 to 2% of cases of acute myocardial infarction and accounts for 5% of early mortality. This severe complication usually occurs within two weeks after acute myocardial infarction, and the elderly are more susceptible. We present a case of late rupture of the septum. Case report: In a 75-year-old man, a ventricular septal defect developed more than two months after an extensive inferoseptal myocardial infarction due to occlusion of the right coronary artery. After more than two months of no symptoms he was referred to hospital due to symptoms of right ventricle failure. The diagnosis was made by echocardiography, pulmonary artery catheterization and ventriculography. Coronarography was also performed. Intraaortic balloon pump was introduced and the patient was transferred to the operating room. The defect was repaired using a circular polytetrafluoroethylene patch supported by buttressed interrupted sutures from both sides. Due to significant mitral valve regurgitation mechanical bileaflet mitral valve was implanted with preservation of the entire mitral apparatus and the left descending artery was revascularized using a saphenous graft. Conclusion: This case is reported to emphasize that later postinfarction rupture of the ventricular septum may occur with symptoms of right ventricle failure dominating the clinical course.     

Role of heart transplantation in pediatric heart surgery. The first successful pediatric heart transplantation in Hungary

7-year-old boy, who underwent aortic valve replacement two years previously, suffered from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Because of poor condition (NYHA-IV), heart transplantation was performed on 18th October 2007. It was the first pediatric heart transplantation in Hungary. It was an uneventful early postoperative period, 6 months after the operation he is doing well, no biopsy-proven and tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDI-derived velocities measurement) rejection was detected. The immunosuppression was based on triple-drug therapy (tacrolimus+mycophenolate mofetil+corticosteroid) with use of induction therapy with interleukin-2 receptor blocker (basiliximab).