Very high frequency of the polymorphism for the insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) at codon 972 (glycine972arginine) in Southern Italian women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

A major component of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the insulin resistance. Only a few studies have evaluated the IRS-1 polymorphism at codon 972, sometimes in the absence of a control group, and with great variability in frequency (0-23% in PCOS vs. 0-17% in controls), and with no unequivocal relationships between the polymorphism and clinical or biochemical indexes. The aim of the work was to evaluate the frequency of the IRS-1 polymorphism at codon 972 in PCOS, and correlate it to clinical and biochemical indexes. We assessed the rs 1801278 polymorphic variant in the IRS-1 gene (Gly972Gly=wild-type; Gly972Arg=heterozygosity; Arg972Arg=homozygosity) in genomic DNA by restriction fragment length polymorphism. The study was conducted at an academic medical center with the participation of 65 women with PCOS and 27 age-matched healthy women (controls). Compared to controls, Gly972Arg was very frequent in PCOS (77% vs. 18%, p<0.0001); one PCOS woman was homozygous. Compared to wild-type PCOS, heterozygous PCOS women had only three significantly different indexes: higher fasting insulin, insulin resistance index, and lower 120 min OGTT glucose. Moreover, in the correlation analysis between any two clinical or biochemical variables, the Pearson's correlation coefficients were frequently of different magnitude in heterozygous PCOS versus wild-type PCOS. Overall, heterozygous PCOS had a greater number of statistically significant relationships between different clinical, metabolic and hormonal indexes: 44 direct and 9 inverse versus 6 and 3, respectively. The IRS-1 Gly972Arg has the highest frequency reported world-wide for PCOS women. This variant is associated with insulin resistance and higher fasting insulin in PCOS women.

[Low-dose flutamide in the treatment of hyperandrogenism in adolescents]. / La flutamide a basse dosi nell'iperandrogenismo dell'adolescente.

AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate the results of the use of flutamide at low doses for the therapy of the iperandrogenism in adolescents. METHODS: The study enrolled 35 young women with acne and irsutism; 31 had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 4 periferic iperandrogenism. In other 8 young women, sexually active, the flutamide has been associated with the hormonal contraceptive. On the three young women with iperinsulinism it has been decided to associate the flutamide with the metformina. All the young women were checked each month for the liver functional. Before the beginning of the therapy the menstrual situation, the Body Mass Index (BMI), the Ferriman' s and Cremoncini's score, the ovary's ultrasound aspect, and the hormonal order were evaluated. Follow-up was made after three months and after six months after the beginning of the therapy with flutamide 62.5 mg/die. RESULTS: Only in 4 cases the therapy has been suspended due to collateral effects, soon regressed after one week of the treatment interruption. The results have demonstrated a overwhelming improvement of the peripheral symptoms of iperandrogenism in all patients. CONCLUSION: The authors hope that flutamide could enter in the list of medicines normally used to treat the beauty flaws of policistic acne and to restore a hormonal order associated to an effective contraception.

Cavity generation in dental enamel using a copper-HyBrID laser.

Applications of Cu-HyBrID laser (copper laser with Hydrogen Bromide In Discharge) in Dentistry and AFM (atomic force microscopy) evaluations of dental tissues irradiated by laser are seldom reported in the literature. This work presents an AFM investigation of the cross-section of a cavity generated in human dental enamel by laser thermal evaporation using the Cu-HyBrID laser. The results exposed the structural and morphological differences between the fused and non-fused dental enamel, provide qualitative information about the susceptibility of these tissues to abrasive polishing, and revealed the extension of the thermal damage. Quantitative information concerning the wall thickness and the dimensions of the cross-section of non-fused enamel rod were also obtained.

[Pharyngeal and laryngeal hamartoma: case report]. / Amartoma faringolaringeo.

In this report a case of laryngeal hamartoma is presented. Macroscopically this lesion is quite similar to a tumor but is actually a malformation derived from an error in the development of a healthy organ. Histologically, the hamartoma is composed of a proportionally abnormal mixture of tissues as compared to what is normally present in its anatomic site. The lesion is extremely rare and usually appears in the head and neck district, spleen, pancreas, lung and liver. The diagnosis is essentially based on histological examination. The treatment of choice consists of surgery and periodic follow-up. Differential diagnosis must consider other rare neoplasms such as rhabdomyoma and teratoma.

Mesenteric panniculitis. A case report.

We reviewed the clinical history, and the physical, laboratory and ultrasonography examinations of a young female suffering from mesenteric panniculitis. In our case, as well as those described by other authors, definitive diagnosis was histological and our patient has had a benign course of the disease.

[Variations in fibronectin plasma levels after surgical stress]. / Variazioni dei livelli plasmatici di fibronectina dopo stress chirurgico.

Depletion of reticuloendothelial system following major operations or trauma closely correlates with a decrease of plasmatic levels of fibronectin. Aim of the study is to evaluate the changes in plasma fibronectin levels after a surgical stress. Twenty patients who underwent elective gynecological surgery for a variety of pathological condition were the subject of our study. Circulating levels of fibronectin showed a significative decrease, as compared to preoperative values, and returned to normal during the second postoperative day. The recovery to normal values of this plasma glycoprotein was associated, in our patients, with a normal postoperative course.

[Postmenopausal osteoporosis. Current therapy protocols]. / Osteoporosi postmenopausale. Attuali protocolli di terapia.

The Authors consider the etiology postmenopause osteoporosis and the drugs for a modern therapy of this disease. They also analyse the effectiveness and the unfavourable effects of these drugs and suggest a personal treatment for osteoporosis.

[Vulvar dystrophy]. / Distrofie vulvari.

The pathogenetic, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of vulvar dystrophies are reviewed, special attention being paid to a comparison of therapeutic tendencies past and present. The advantages of topical treatment with corticosteroids and testosterone and those of the most recent surgical techniques are compared respectively with the results obtained in past years using estrogenic topical treatment and demolition surgery.