Comparison of plasma and follicular fluid hormone profiles following stimulation with HMG, with or without LHRH agonists, for in-vitro fertilization.

Plasma and follicular fluid (FF) hormone assays for follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), oestradiol (E2), progesterone (P), delta-4-androstenedione (A4) and testosterone (T) were performed on the day of oocyte retrieval in two groups of normo-ovulatory women enrolled in an in-vitro fertilization (IVF) programme: 24 were treated using the decapeptyl agonists DTRP6, of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) in the long protocol associated with human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) (49 FF) and 14 were stimulated with HMG alone (33 FF). In both FF and plasma the mean concentration of P was greater, and the E2/P ratios as well as the LH levels were lower in the agonist-treated group. In this group the follicular concentration of P was greater and the E2/P ratio lower when pregnancy occurred following IVF. The hormonal modifications may be due to greater functional maturity of the granulosa cells.

[Routine urinary oxypurine assays for the detection of xanthine-oxidase deficiency (author's transl)]. / Déficit en xanthine-oxydase: dépistage systématique par le dosage des oxypurines urinaires. Deux nouveaux cas.

Xanthine-oxidase deficiency should be suspected whenever hypouricaemia coexists with hypouricuria and hyperoxypurinuria. In 18 months. Two new cases of xanthinuria were detected by routine urinary oxypurine assay among 10,000 patients where uricaemia was systematically tested. The xanthine-oxidase deficiency was associated with Hodgkin's disease in one case and with uncomplicated pregnancy in the other.

[Undetected cryoglobulinaemia may alter the serum protein results and mask dysglobulinaemia (author's transl)]. / Une cryoglobulinémie non soupçonnée peut fausser les résultats des protides sériques et faire méconnaître une dysglobulinémie.

By reporting a case of massive cryoglobulinaemia where precipitation of the cryoglobulins occurred at 35 degrees C but with no apparent clinical symptoms the authors want to draw attention to the fact that if cryoglobulinaemia remains undetected it may alter the serum protein results and mask dysglobulinaemia. However if protein electrophoresis is carried out at the same time, it is possible to detect a slight abnormality due to cryoglobulin fraction not entirely removed during centrifugation of the blood sample. This finding should incite one to look for cryoglobulins according to the usual procedure (at 37 degrees C) as well as to measure serum proteins on a sample also collected at 37 degrees C. Thus occasionally one happens to detect such dysglobulinaemia and if all results point to a diagnosis of myeloma -- as was the case here -- treatment can then be started early with advantage.