[Homocysteinemia--its significance in gynecology and obstetrics]. / Homocysteinemie--její význam v gynekologii a porodnictví.

OBJECTIVE: Metabolic study on plasmatic levels of homocysteine (Hcy) in healthy women during normal or pathological pregnancy accompanied with corresponding levels of Hcy in amniotic fluid and foetal sera. Increased levels of Hcy--hyperhomocysteinaemia is respected as an independent risk factor accelerating the early development of vessel damage and causing the neural tube defects (NTD). DESIGN: Basic study to get our own data about Hcy in Czech healthy and population at risk of pregnant and non-pregnant women. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague. METHODS: Total homocysteine in plasma, amniotic fluid and foetal sera was estimated by chromatographic method with use of fluorescence detection. RESULTS: Normal homocysteine in preclimacteric healthy nonpregnant women is: 9.7 +/- 1.6 mumol/l with evident age-dependence. In healthy climacteric women are higher levels of Hcy (corresponding to the men values): 11.8 +/- 2.6 mumol/l. After use of hormonal contraceptives the plasmatic levels of Hcy decrease: 7.2 +/- 2.0 mumol/l. In physiological pregnancies Hcy reachs the lowest values: 4.4 +/- 1.7 mumol/l with any evident oscillations during pregnancy. In women in childbed period was Hcy 8.4 +/- 2.1 mumol/l observed. In pathological pregnanciesare its levels slightly elevated: 6.3 +/- 2.1 mumol/l, most evident in placental abruptions: 7.5 +/- 1.7 mumol/l. In pregnant women with susp. results of screening on M. Down only unsignificant increase of Hcy was observed: 6.12 +/- 2.4 mumol/l. In amnial fluids of healthy pregnant women are levels of Hcy are quite low: 4.1 +/- 1.2 mumol/l with any oscillations during pregnancy. In foetal sera of pregnancies at risk (NTD, susp., trisomy, inborn errors of metabolism): 3.6 +/- 1.4 mumol/l of Hcy was detected. The foetoplacental quotient for Hcy is 0.62. CONCLUSION: Average values for Hcy were established in physiological as well as in pathological pregnancies and till now only limited diagnostic significance has been observed. The hyperhomocysteinaemia mentioned in previous papers was not in NTD observed because our pregnant patients were regularly supplemented with all critical vitamins (folate, B6, B12).

[Bactericidal action of formalin on the causative agent of plague]. / Izuchenie bakteritsidnogo deistviia formalina na vozbuditelia chumy.

Ten per cent neutral formalin in a ratio 1 : 20 was demonstrated to be useful as a desinfecting and fixing substance in pathohistological examinations of organs and tissues animals infected with the causative agent of plague. With test-objects' volume of 1.0 cm3 the optimal period of exposure providing a permanent bactericidal effect is 24 hours, with volumes of 1.5 and 2.0 cm3-2 days. The fixing effect of formalin on tissues is exerted in 3-4 days.

[Beta-2-microglobulin in bronchogenic carcinoma]. / Beta-2-mikroglobulin u bronchogenního karcinomu.

In 77 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma and 46 patients with non-tumorous lung diseases the serum concentration of beta-2-microglobulin was assessed. The revealed differences between groups were not statistically significant. The group with bronchogenic carcinoma was sub-divided by morphological types: epidermoid carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, small-cell and large cell carcinoma. The group of large cell carcinomas was too small for statistical evaluation, the other differences between different morphological types were not statistically significant. Assessment of the serum concentration of beta-2-microglobulin is of no value in the differential diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma.