Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA125, and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) were evaluated in paired vaginal fluid and serum samples from 69 women, mean age 40.6 (20-78) years. Fifteen of the subjects were normal females (controls), 12 were pregnant, 20 had benign gynecological diseases, 5 presented severe cervical dysplasias and 17 suffered from cancer of the genital tract. Highly elevated CEA, CA125 and SCC concentrations (median, range) were found in vaginal fluid: 186 ng/ml (12-5 420); 890 U/ml (54-65 000); 1 600 ng/ml (27-13 000) respectively, compared with those in the paired serum samples: 1 ng/ml (0.5-8.6); 12 U/ml (3.0-1 590); 1 ng/ml (0.3-19). Vaginal fluid CEA, CA125 and SCC values were significantly different among the five studied groups (p < 0.0002; p < 0.02; p < 0.002 respectively), being significantly higher in the patients with benign gynecological diseases, compared with those in the patients with malignancies of the genital tract (p < 0.0001; p < 0.02; p < 0.005), and those in controls (p < 0.02; p < 0.007; p < 0.02 respectively). The results of this study suggest that: 1) CEA, CA125 and SCC seem to be normal constituents of vaginal fluid. 2) The distribution of CEA, CA125 and SCC between vaginal fluid and the circulation is affected by pregnancy, inflammation and cancer of the genital tract.

Background: Cytokines are considered as part of host defence to infection or injury. Material and Methods: Pretreatment values of TNF and sIL-2R were measured in 132 women with a) ovarian carcinoma (n = 25), b) breast cancer (n = 20), c) endometrial cancer (n = 15), d) cervical squamous cell carcinoma (n = 19), e) cervical adenocarcinoma (n = 11) and f) benign gynecological diseases (n = 42) in order to evaluate whether these cytokines could be useful in the discrimination of malignant from benign gynecological diseases. Results: Both TNF and sIL-2R were significantly higher in all cancer groups together (mean ± SD:30 ± 11 pg/mL and 1293 ± 465 U/mL respectively), than those in the benign group (16.0 ± 6 pg/mL and 626 ± 233 U/mL, respectively; p < 0.001), while no significant differences were found for TNF and sIL-2R values in the five cancer groups. Significantly higher cytokine values were measured in the advanced stage diseases (33 ± 11 pg/mL and 1705 ± 192 U/mL), than those in the limited cancer (26 ± 12 pg/mL, p < 0.05 and 916 (521 U/mL, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our results suggest that, cytokines may be useful in the discrimination of malignant from benign gynecological diseases and in monitoring tumor activity in patients early in the malignancy process.

The authors investigated 125 patients suffering from primary Raynaud's phenomenon by the following laboratory hematologic parameters: (1) cryofibrinogen and cryoglobulins; (2) serum albumins and immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, and IgM, as well as complement factors C3 and C4; (3) clotting inhibitors, antithrombin III, protein C and protein S, as well as α1 antitrypsin. Results were as follows: 77 (62%) patients had cryofibrinogen in their blood plasma, 50 (40%) patients had precipitation of cryoglobulins, and 65 (52%) patients had an increase of α2 globulin in the serum electrophoresis. Of the immunoglobulins, IgM was found increased in 42 patients (34%). Of the clotting time inhibitors, antithrombin III (AT III) had a lower activity in 50 (40%) patients as compared with that of normal subjects. Protein C, protein S, and α1 antitrypsin levels were lower in 21 (16.8%), 13 (10.4%), and 10 (8%) of patients, respectively. Statistical analysis of the results showed that all the protein fractions except for γ- globulin presented a statistically significant difference as compared with those of the controls (P <0.0001). Immunoglobulins IgG and IgA of the patients were significantly lower than those of the normal controls (P <0.001). The C3 and C4 factors of the complement presented statistically significant lower values (P < 0.001 and P < 0.0001 respectively). Finally, AT III appeared in lower values than those of the normal controls, being statistically significant (P < 0.0001). These results suggest that patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon present changes in the levels of certain hematologic parameters, a fact that is probably connected with etiology. Thus further study and assessment might contribute to the diagnosis, discovery of the subjective systemic etiology, and better therapeutic management of Raynaud's phenomenon.

Twenty-one women presenting with different diseases, with absolute or relative contraindications to hormonal contraception or the use of intrauterine devices, received 300-600 μg/day buserelin intranasally from the 1st to the 21st day, and 5 mg/day norethisterone acetate orally from the 16th to the 23rd day of the cycle for a total of 245 cycles. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol and testosterone were determined on days 3-5 and 13-15 of the cycle, while progesterone determinations and ovarian sonography were performed during the second half of the cycle. According to progesterone values, 92.7% of the treatment cycles were anovulatory, while in one cycle pregnancy was detected (0.4%). Values of serum LH, FSH and estradiol were low, and in most of the cycles ovarian follicular development was limited to follicles ≤ 11 mm. In 21 treatment cycles (9%), statistically significant increases in FSH (p < 0.0001) and LH (p < 0.02), as well as ovarian proliferation to preovulatory follicles or luteinized follicles, were found. It appears that in spite of the high cost of medication and monitoring of patients, this regimen could be useful as an alternative in cases where other forms of contraception are contraindicated or have failed.

The polypeptide angiogenin, a normal constituent of human plasma, might be involved in endothelium homeostasis, angiogenesis, and neovascularization accompanying various diseases. This study aimed at determining angiogenin serum concentrations in the perinatal period of healthy newborns and at forming a baseline for this protein, which in the future may serve as a diagnostic index in developmental errors of the placenta and/or newborn. One milliliter of blood was drawn on d 1 and 4 of life from 30 healthy full-term neonates, and angiogenin serum concentrations were measured by an enzyme immunoassay using a commercially available kit. In 10 cases angiogenin serum concentrations were also measured in the maternal serum before delivery and in the umbilical vein serum. Angiogenin serum concentrations (μg/L) were significantly higher in maternal serum (225.7 ± 49.6) compared with umbilical vein serum (119.0 ± 34.2) (p < 0.0002), as well as that compared with day 1 (166.4 ± 44.9) (p < 0.01) but not to d 4 neonatal serum (240.8 ± 52.6). Angiogenin serum concentrations showed a statistically significant increase from d 1 to 4 (p < 10-7), as well as from umbilical cord serum to d I neonatal serum (p < 0.0002). A statistically significant correlation existed between values in umbilical cord serum and d I neonatal serum (r = 0.84, n = 10, p < 0.002) and between those in d I and 4 neonatal serum (r = 0.37, n = 30, p < 0.04). Sex, birth weight, or mode of delivery did not influence angiogenin serum concentrations. We conclude that a rapid increase of angiogenin serum concentrations to maternal levels takes place during the first four postnatal days in healthy full-term neonates.

Methods. Twenty-four healthy subjects and 16 patients with lymphedema and lipedema were studied with MRI and ultratomography. Results. In chronic lymphedema, ultrasonography revealed a statistically significant increase of the subcutaneous fat without difference in skin thickness as compared to the healthy subjects. MRI revealed in lymphedema a statistically significant increase of skin thickness + subcutaneous tissue + muscular mass (p = 0.048); in lipedema, a statistically significant increase of skin thickness and subcutaneous tissue (p < 0.0001) as compared to the healthy controls. Conclusions. MRI offers strong qualitative and quantitative parameters in the diagnosis of lymphedema and lipolymphedema, while ultrasonography is expected to improve its diagnostic efficiency with the aid of high frequency echo with more sophisticated resolution apparatus. Age, weight and height of the patient as well as duration of the disease do not seem to affect the above-mentioned parameters.