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- Sjöberg, Inga, 1946-
(författare)
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The vagina : morphological, functional and ecological aspects
- 1991
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The vagina is one organ of the body which has not been studied exhaustively. Moreover, most of the studies found in the contemporary literature have been performed on women affected by a variety of genital diseases.In the present study the vaginal epithelium was examined with a histological method, morphometry, whereby cyclical changes related to hormonal variation during the menstrual cycle were demonstrated. Determination of the quantity of estrogen receptors in the vaginal epithelium on two occasions during the menstrual cycle revealed a significantly greater number in the follicular than in the luteal phase. The results of these studies indicate the presence of a menstrual variation in the vaginal epithelium comparable to that in the endometrium.Phenoxymethylpenicillin (pcV) was used as a marker substance to study the dynamics of the transport mechanisms into the vagina. PcV was found to accumulate in the vaginal fluid and high concentrations persisted for a long period of time. In hysterectomized women, the appearance of pcV in the vaginal fluid followed the same pattern. Consequently, the substance is transported through the vaginal wall and need not enter with the secretions from the internal genitalia. The greatest concentration of pcV was in the distal portion of the vagina, possibly due to the specific internal circulation of fluid within the vagina.Bacterial vaginosis as an example of an ‘ecological disease’ has been studied with regard to the formation of endotoxin, a constituent of the cell wall of Gram- negative bacteria. Large amounts of endotoxin were found and the clinical implication of this finding has been pointed out.Furthermore, the influence of pcV on the vaginal microbial flora of healthy women has been investigated. A change from a situation with predominance of lactobacilli to the appearance of Gram-negative rods was observed. In one of the women the lactobacilli disappeared completely and were replaced by E. coliand high levels of endotoxin in the vaginal fluid were found. This study demonstrates the complexity of the ecological balance of the vaginal microbial flora and illustrates the difficulty of defining a ‘normal’ vaginal condition. Is there any unquestionable state of ‘normality’ even in a healthy woman free from symptoms of genital disease?
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- Bergqvist, Agneta, et al.
(författare)
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Late symptoms after pregnancy-related deep vein thrombosis
- 1990
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Ingår i: British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. - : Wiley. - 1365-215X .- 1470-0328 .- 1471-0528. ; 97:4, s. 338-341
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thromboembolism during pregnancy is a rare complication with a potential fatal outcome. Very little is known about long-term effects and therefore 104 women with thrombosis during pregnancy or puerperium were identified and their subjective complaints were assessed in a questionnaire. All had their thrombosis diagnosed by objective methods and the median follow-up time was 11 years. In spite of anticoagulant treatment only 22% were without complaints; 4% had ulceration, all occurring in the group with thrombosis during pregnancy. Significantly more women who had had their thrombosis during pregnancy used compression bandages than those who had their thrombosis during puerperium. The severity of the symptoms increased with the increasing number of thromboses. Anticoagulant therapy of the acute episode does not appear to alter the degree of long-term handicap in the lower limbs.
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- Albertsson-Wikland, Kerstin, 1947, et al.
(författare)
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Longitudinal follow-up of growth in children born small for gestational age.
- 1993
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Ingår i: Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). - 0803-5253. ; 82:5, s. 438-43
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Postnatal growth was followed in a population-based group of 123 small-for-gestational-age (SGA, birth weight < -2 SD) children (66 boys and 57 girls) to four years of age in order to determine the incidence and time of catch-up growth. Gestational age was determined by ultrasound in gestational weeks 16-17 in all pregnancies, thus eliminating the problem of distinguishing between SGA and preterm infants. Infants with well-defined causes for slow growth rate, i.e. those infants with chromosomal disorders, severe malformations, intrauterine viral infections or cerebral palsy, were excluded. The boys showed an extremely fast weight catch-up, 85% of them reaching weights greater than -2 SD at the age of three months and remaining above this level to the end of the study period. Such a fast catch-up growth was observed in only two-thirds of the girls, but at four years of age 85% of the girls were also above -2 SD. Length catch-up was more gradual than weight catch-up. Of the boys, 54% had lengths below -2 SD at birth, 26% at 1 year of age, 22% at 2 years of age, 17% at 2.5 years of age and 11% (n = 8) at 4 years of age. Corresponding figures for girls were: 69% at birth, 28% at 1 year, 15% at 2 years, 12% at 2.5 years and 5% (n = 3) at 4 years. At 4 years of age, only six boys and three girls remained below -2 SD for both weight and height.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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- Karlsson, Roger, 1944-
(författare)
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Interference with biological rhythm : a novel approach to metabolic disorders in women
- 1992
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Women seem to be largely protected against certain ‘welfare disorders’ such as cardiovacular disease and osteoporosis, during their fertile years.The metabolic changes observed during women’s non-menstrual states, i.e. during pregnancy, after the menopause and during use of oral contraceptives, indicate the importance of sex steroids and an undisturbed biological rhythm. Treatment with monophasic, combined oral contraceptives constitutes a model for the non-cyclic state.Growth hormone (GH) is a pituitary hormone that has major metabolic effects. The pattern of GH exposure to the target organ is of vital importance for the effects and changes in rhythm could possibly induce metabolic changes.Growth hormome, cholecystokinin (CCK), osteocalcin and angiotensinogen were used as markers for metabolic effects and the concentrations in serum were recorded in women during non-menstrual states. The clinical material comprised a total of 60 women: 18 healthy non-pregnant, 25 pregnant, one lactating woman and 16 postmenopausal women. Using a portable pump and a non-thrombogenic venous catheter, blood samples could be collected at 30-min intervals during 24-h periods. Furthermore, the effects of estrogen and GH in the regulation of angiotensinogen were investigated in an experimental model in the rat.Oral contraceptives were found to alter the secretion of GH towards a pattern of lower and more frequent peaks, though the total amount secreted during 24 h was unchanged. Oral contraceptives seem to induce a suppression of the 24-h concentrations of CCK, which may be important with respect to weight gain in some women. Osteocalcin in serum display a significant circadian variation. This emphasizes the need for careful timing of single point measurements and the value of continuous blood sampling. Oral contraceptives may reduce osteocalcin serum concentrations. The long-term effects on bone are unknown. During late pregnancy osteocalcin levels are extremely low, which could indicate osteoblast inhibition and reduced bone turnover. The mode of GH administration is important for the plasma concentration of angiotensinogen in the non-pregnant rat. Estrogen effects on this protein may be mediated via a modification of GH secretion. Oral contraceptives not only increase angiotensinogen concentrations in serum but also markedly enhance their variability. Further studies are needed to elucidate the relation between the individual pattern of angiotensinogen and hypertension.
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- Wikman, Marianne, 1941-
(författare)
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To desire and to choose : aspects of women's and men's urge to have children
- 1994
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this study was to increase available knowledge about women's and men’s desire for pregnancy and for a child/children to serve as a basis for further studies of problems and inconsistencies in the reproductive sphere. The motivation to become a parent was hypothesized as being not only of an existential, social, interpersonal and intrapsychic character but also a biologically anchored personality trait.The first part of the study deals with the development of a method for collecting valid information concerning this intimate and personal sphere of life and to categorize this information into measurable dimensions. A questionnaire was constructed and factor analysis was used as a statistical tool. There are two versions of the final instrument, one for women and one for men. Interviews were used as a means of testing the validity of the instrument. Experiences from the methodological development process revealed that it was meaningful to deal with the issue though suitable wording was not easily found.In the main part of the study, two large populations, one reference group of 416 women and 329 men of fertile ages and one group of expecting parents, 369 women and 345 men, were investigated by means of the questionnaire. Attitudes were dominated by two opposing views of children: 'Children mean existential satisfaction' and 'Children mean restriction of freedom'. This confirmed the findings of earlier studies and clinical experience that ambivalence is a natural phenomenon, that may be associated with feelings of guilt. The view of one's own parents as models in parenthood was a third important dimension. The view of the child's sex was a fourth important and complex dimension.The similarities between women and men were striking. There were only subtle differences between reference women and pregnant women. Reference men and child-expecting men had different response patterns, child-expecting men emphasizing more the advantages of having children.In the last part of the study 48 women were followed during pregnancy and after childbirth using the questionnaire and determination of levels of the intestinal peptide gastrin. Gastrin may be a marker of energy-storing characteristics, thus influencing reproductive capacity. There were some attitudinal differences between 0-parous women and parous women, the latter agreeing less with the view of 'children as restriction of freedom'. The view of 'children as existential satisfaction' was agreed with more after childbirth than during pregnancy. The view of one’s own parents as models in parenthood correlated with the levels of gastrin during this period.
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| 8. |
- Boman, Karin, 1946-
(författare)
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Endometrial carcinoma : steroid hormones and receptors in relation to proliferation
- 1993
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The significance of the hormonal milieu for endometrial changes is as well-known as its link with endometrial carcinoma. Unopposed oestradiol treatment is shown to increase the incidence for this cancer. Obesity leads to elevated levels of oestrogens and is a risk factor for endometrial carcinoma. An association between high tumour proliferation and prognosis is a general feature of human cancer. Tumour growth can be expressed as proliferation rate and flow cytometry (FCM) is a sensitive and reproducable method to estimate S-phase fraction (SPF) and ploidy level. Both parameters have been shown to correlate with prognosis. Sex steroid hormone levels were analysed together with clinical parameters, SPF, and receptors in established endometrial carcinoma.The study consisted of postmenopausal women with endometrial adenocarcinoma. H ormones were analysed in 127 patients, 99 were analysed for FCM and 60 for oestrogen and progesterone receptors. RIA technique was used for hormone assay of oestrone, oestradiol, progesterone, androstenedione and testosterone plasma levels. The receptors were analysed with an immunohistochemical method, and SPF and ploidy level by flow cytometry.A wide range of oestrogen concentrations was found. Some patients had levels comparable to fertile women. Strong correlations were found between body mass index, weight and depth of uterine cavity. No relations were found between receptors and SPF, apart from oestrogen- receptor positive tumours having a lower SPF when compared with receptor negative tumours. The influence of oestradiol on tumour proliferation expressed as SPF was ambiguous. SPF was increased with higher oestradiol levels in the group of peri-diploid, well-differentiated tumours, while a negative correlation was found for the peri-diploid, moderately differentiated tumours. The aneuploid and poorly differentiated tumours had a high SPF regardless of oestradiol concentration. The association between progesterone concentration and SPF was of a more general nature. Progesterone above a threshold level was related to a lower SPF in well-differentiated and moderately differentiated tumours. Thus endogenous progesterone seems to play a role in controlling the tumour’s proliferation activity, in contrast to oestradiol, that had a role which did not appear to relate to proliferation activity in any specific direction. The only stimulative association was seen in well-differentiated tumours, but SPF was still below the mean value for all diploid tumours.
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| 9. |
- Jörgensen, Jörgen Ch, et al.
(författare)
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The influence of neuropeptide Y and norepinephrine on ovulation in the rat ovary
- 1991
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Ingår i: Peptides. - 1873-5169. ; 12:5, s. 975-982
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neuropeptide Y (NPY) was measured in tissue extracts from ovaries of rats treated with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG). The extracted NPY-immunoreactive material was identical to synthetic human NPY with regard to size and hydrophobicity as evaluated by gel filtration and high performance liquid chromatography. The concentration of NPY was related to the estrous cycle and a maximum was observed in relation to the endogenous luteinizing hormone (LH) peak. NPY immunoreactivity was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry to be localized within nerve fibers supplying blood vessels and follicles. The increase in the NPY content could not be related to accumulation around specific ovarian structures. Employing an in vitro set-up, NPY (10(-7) M) was unable to induce ovulation and did not increase the ovulation rate in LH-stimulated ovaries. The combination of NPY (10(-7) M) and NE (10(-7) M) did not significantly increase the number of ovulations compared to that induced by NE (10(-7) M) alone. In conclusion, NPY content in the ovary is related to the estrous cycle, but NPY does not seem to have any direct effect on the ovulatory process.
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| 10. |
- Liedberg, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on the neuromuscular complex in the bovine ovarian follicle wall
- 1993
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Ingår i: Journal of Autonomic Pharmacology. - : Wiley. - 0144-1795 .- 1365-2680. ; 13:3, s. 201-209
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. When stimulating the local nerves in the bovine ovarian follicle wall preparation (4 Hz, 1 ms pulse duration and 7.5 V between the electrodes) vasoactive intestinal polypeptide reduced the neurogenic contraction and at the highest concentration tested (3 x 10(-7) M) almost abolished the response. Peptide histidine isoleucine only slightly reduced the contraction. 2. Strips from the follicle wall of bovine ovaries were incubated in Krebs-Ringer solution containing [3H]-noradrenaline for measurement of transmitter liberation during electrical field stimulation (5 Hz frequency, 1 ms pulse duration, 10 V between the electrodes). Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide had no effect on the electrically induced efflux of radioactivity. 3. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and its related peptide, peptide histidine isoleucine, relaxed precontracted follicle strips dose dependently with I(max) at 3 x 10(-7) M of 60% and 40% respectively. 4. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide 10(-7) M did not alter the EC50 value of the noradrenaline-(10(-9)-10(-4) M) or carbachol-induced (10(-8)-3 x 10(-4) M) contraction in the follicle strips, but significantly reduced the E(max) value of the noradrenaline but not the carbochol-mediated contraction. 5. These results suggests that vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, and to some extent peptide histidine isoleucine, have a postjunctional role in ovarian follicle contractility and might further interfere with the ovulatory process.
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