[Serum homocysteine levels in pregnant women with preeclampsia].

Preeclampsia is one of the most common and severe pregnancy complications, which ethiology remains unclear. It is certain that endothelial dysfunction plays a key role in the development of preeclampsia. Homocysteine is an important independent cardiovascular risk factor, which might induce the endothelial dysfunction observed in preeclampsia. 26 pregnant women--14 with preeclampsia (group 1) and 12 healthy term pregnant controls (group 2) were enrolled in the study between December 2003 and August 2004. Six of the women in this group had a superimposed preeclampsia. The mean homocysteine level in the first group was 11,04 mol/l, while in the control group it was 6,24 micromol/l (p < 0.05). The women with a severe preeclampsia had a significantly higher serum homocysteine levels than those with mild form (F = 0.025). Seven of the patients (50%) gave birth before 34th weeks of gestation. The study finds a link between the serum homocysteine as an endothelial dysfunction marker and the development of preeclampsia and a relation between the severity of preeclampsia and the degree of the elevation of the serum homocysteine levels.

[Intermediate substrates in different stages of compensation of diabetes mellitus]. / Substrati ot intermediernata obmiana pri razlichna stepen na kompensatsiia na zakharniia diabet.

In this research there were studied the changes in the concentrations of pyruvate, lactic acid, maleate, beta-oxybutyric acid oxyacetyc acid, blood fats, triglycerides, cholesterol blood lipoproteins in patients in different stages of compensation of diabetes mellitus. Studied were 44 patients during ablatio retinae during latentive diabetes, 16 patients with decompensated, 12 with subcompensated, and 8 with compensated diabetes. The average age of the studied patients was 54 years. The control group of 35 healthy people was of average age 52 years. All the groups show decreasing of the blood maleat. In the group of decompensated diabetes decreasing of keto-bodies, piruvat acid and lipid fractions was present. These factors were normalized, when diabetes was compensated. In this study, the diagnostic value of the investigation metabolites for compensation of diabetes mellitus is discussed.

[The level of total estrogens in the urine of cryptorchid patients]. / Nivo na totalnite estrogenite v urinata pri kriptorkhichno bolni.

The authors carried out studies on total estrogens in urine of healthy men as well as in men with cryptorchidism. These studies were performed on 79 men, divided into the following groups: a control group of healthy men--31; nonoperated patients--5; operated patients with cryptorchidism up to the seventh years of age--7; operated patients with cryptorchidism between 7 and 12 years of age--15; operated patient with cryptorchidism over 12 years of age--21. The hormonal analysis of total estrogens in urine were made by the modified fluorometric method of Braun. The highest level of total estrogens was found by the authors in the men operated men with cryptorchidism, presenting mean values of means = 42, 1 M/mol for 24 hours. The results make strong impression that in all groups with of patients with cryptorchidism, operated and nonoperated, the total estrogens are increased twice in comparison with the control group of healthy men. These results question the role of the increased level of estrogens in the pathogenesis of distributed spermatogenesis and lacking fertile capability in men with cryptorchidism.

Comparative studies on catecholamine content and glycogen phosphorylase activity in the myocardium of spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats.

Myocardial noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) concentrations as well as phosphorylase (PHOS) activity in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar (NWR) rats 1.5, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months of age were assayed. Myocardial hypertrophy as determined by the heart/body weight ratio in 1.5 month old SHR preceded the onset of hypertension. The arterial blood pressure (ABP) of SHR was significantly elevated from month 3 onward attaining a maximum level at month 12. The concentrations of A and NA, and activity of PHOS "a" in SHR were lower than in NWR between months 3 and 12. The differences were marked in SHR 3 months of age, and corresponded to the ABP changes. An age-dependent decrease in A, NA and PHOS "a" in SHR was observed. The data suggest a role of catecholamines in the development of cardiac hypertrophy via regulation of metabolism.

[Immunoenzyme methods for determining thyroid hormones]. / Imunoenzimni metodi za opredeliane na tireoidni khormoni.

The analytical reliability of the immunoenzyme methods for determination of the thyroid hormones thyroxin, triiodothyronine, thyroid-binding globulin, thyrotropic hormone and the thyroid-binding capacity was examined by the peroxidase activity of the marker enzyme of "Specol-11" 28 healthy controls, 28 patients with subcompensated insulin-dependent diabetes with mean duration of 8.4 years and 11 patients with hypogonadism were examined. In the diabetic patients were found changes in their thyroid state characteristic for hypothyroidism--increased thyroxin and a decrease of the thyroid-stimulating hormone with a lowered level of the binding proteins. The patients with hypogonadism showed changes mainly in the binding proteins level, a decrease of the thyroid-binding capacity with 70%. The results reveal interrelations between the thyroid gland hormonal state and other hormonal disorders.

[Urinary excretion of free cortisol in diabetics]. / Urinna ekskretsiia na svobodniia kortizol pri bolni ot zakharen diabet.

The 24-h urine excretion of free cortisol was studied of 61 patients with diabetes mellitus. Its average value is significantly higher than that of healthy controls. No correlation was established between those changes and sex, age, light overweight in some of the patients, duration and type of diabetes as well as of vascular-degenerative lesions. A positive correlation was established between cortisoluria and glucosuria as well as significantly lower excretion of cortisol in the compensated versus decompensated diabetics, suggesting that the changes established are of reactive character.