Jan I. Thorell

Effect of administration of a combined estrogen-progestin contraceptive on the level of individual plasma proteins.

Serum proteins of 30 women were estimated before, and 6 months after, regular intake of contraceptive pills (0.1 mg mestranol and 5 mg megestrol). A highly significant rise of increasing degree was observed for α2-macroglobulin, lipoproteins, transferrin, plasminogen, α1-antitrypsin, thyroxine-binding globulin (cortisol), and ceruloplasmin. The immunoglobulins were unchanged, but albumin, haptoglobins, and orosomucoid showed a highly significant decrease. The fall of orosomucoid and haptoglobins was greater than during pregnancy, while the rise of α1-antitrypsin, α2-macroglobulin, lipoproteins, and transferrin was less. It is concluded that the metabolic effects of contraceptive steroids has not been properly explored. This study implies that these metabolic effects are only in partial agreement with the alterations occurring during normal pregnancy.

A high prevalence of thyroglobulin autoantibodies in adults with and without thyroid disease as measured with a sensitive solid-phase immunosorbent radioassay

Sera from 228 patients with thyroid disease and 140 healthy subjects without clinical or biochemical evidence of thyroid disease, were tested using a sensitive solid-phase immunosorbent radioassay (RIA) and a passive hemagglutination test (TRC test) for thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg-ab). With the RIA technique, Tg-ab was found in 27% of the controls (36% of the women and 15% of the men), whereas only 0.7% of them were Tg-ab positive with the TRC test. All individuals with primary hypothyroidism were Tg-ab positive with the RIA, compared with only 56% with the TRC test. Tg-ab (RIA) were found in 43/53 (81%) of the patients with toxic diffuse goiter, and in 30-40% of the patients with toxic nodular goiter, toxic adenoma, atoxic goiter, and thyroid carcinoma, the TRC test being positive in 10-17% of these patients. The high prevalence of Tg-ab in the healthy population suggests that subclinical thyroiditis is more frequent than has been assumed from antibody measurements made with less sensitive methods, and is in agreement with the prevalences reported from autopsy studies.

The success rate of in vitro fertilization of human oocytes in relation to the concentrations of different hormones in follicular fluid and peripheral plasma

Seventeen infertile patients were stimulated with clomiphene citrate and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). During laparotomy or laparoscopy, follicles were aspirated. At least one fertilizable oocyte was obtained from 13 patients, who had normal preovulatory plasma 17 beta-estradiol (mean 2.2 nmol/l) in contrast to the 4 patients with infertilizable oocytes (mean 0.4 nmol/l). A close association was found between the success rate of fertilization and the increment of plasma progesterone from the day before to the day after the operation. If the concentrations of 17 beta-estradiol and progesterone in follicular fluid were below an arbitrary limit (17 beta-estradiol less than 500 nmol/l in association with progesterone less than 2,000 nmol/l), no oocytes could be fertilized. Apparently aspiration of oocytes and follicular fluid did not disturb ovarian steroid production during the luteal phase. The results suggest that plasma 17 beta-estradiol and progesterone determinations may serve as useful predictors for oocyte fertilizability in an in vitro system, following clomiphene-hCG stimulation and multiple oocyte recovery.

A compound follicular‐parafollicular cell carcinoma of the thyroid: A new tumor entity?

An unusual thyroid carcinoma is described, showing structural, histochemical and radioimmunologic features of both a follicular and a parafollicular cell carcinoma. Radioimmunoassay revealed high levels of thyroglobulin in the patients serum and in extracts from metastatic tumor tissue. Immunoreactive thyroglobulin was demonstrated histochemically in tumor cells. On scanning, pulmonary metastases showed uptake of 131I. Somatostatin and neurotensin immunoreactivity was also revealed histochemically in the tumor and a large proportion of the neoplastic cells were argyrophil. Serum calcitonin level was normal and no immunoreactive calcitonin was found in tumor tissue by radioimmunoassay or histochemically. Light microscopy showed cribriform patterns suggestive of follicular carcinoma as well as solid areas reminiscent of medullary carcinoma. Electron microscopy revealed two types of tumor cells. One type had electron dense granules resembling secretory granules characteristic of polypeptide hormone and/or monoamine producing endocrine cells. The other type had no such granules but showed a prominent vesicular rough endoplasmic reticulum similar to that seen in neoplastic follicular cells. The results suggest two alternative possibilities regarding the histogenesis of the tumor. One would be a mixed neoplasm, resulting from a coincidental malignant change in both follicular and parafollicular thyroid cells. The other, more likely alternative would be that the tumor cells are derived from a common stem cell with the potentiality of differentiating into both follicular and parafollicular adult cells. The finding that both thyroglobulin and somatostatin or neurotensin immunoreactivity occurred together in some tumor cells supports the latter possibility and suggests that at least some follicular and parafollicular cells may have a common precursor origin.

Ontogeny and ultrastructure of somatostatin and calcitonin cells in the thyroid gland of the rat

SummaryCalcitonin cells are relatively numerous in the thyroid gland of the rat. In contrast, somatostatin cells are very scarce except at the time of birth and a few days thereafter, when they are conspicuously numerous. Somatostatin cells of the thyroid gland, which are ultrastructurally similar to somatostatin cells in gut and pancreas, also contain immunoreactive calcitonin. It is not clear whether somatostatin cells in the rat thyroid gland produce calcitonin or accumulate calcitonin from the environment.

A study of estrogen and progesterone cytosol receptor concentration in benign and malignant ovarian tumors and a review of malignant ovarian tumors treated with medroxy-progesterone acetate.

ER and PR were assayed in 13 malignant and 20 benign ovarian tumors of different histologic types. ER was detectable in 67% and PR in 40% of the malignant tumors, compared with 35 and 45% in the benign tumors, respectively. The ER concentration was somewhat higher in the malignant lesions but there was no difference in the PR level.

Estrogen and progesterone cytosol receptor concentration in endometriotic tissue and intrauterine endometrium.

Cytosol estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors were assayed in peritoneal and ovarian endometriotic tissue from 20 patients. In 12 of the cases the intrauterine endometrium was assayed as well. The control material consisted of normal endometrium from 30 women. The receptor content of the endometriotic tissue was less than that of the endometrium of the same patient. In most cases no receptors could be detected (12/20 cases ER‐, 719 cases PR‐) irrespective of the phase of the menstrual cycle. The endometrial receptor concentrations were that same in patients with endometriosis as in the control group. There were no differences in binding characteristics of the receptors in the two tissue types. It is concluded that endometriotic tissue contains lower a concentration of cytoplasmic ER and PR than the normal endometrium.

Quantitative Determination of Individual Serum Proteins by Radio-electroimmuno and Use of 125I-Labelled Antibodies (Application to C-reactive Protein)

The sensitivity of quantitative electrophoresis into agarose gel containing antibodies was increased about 60-fold by incorporation of radioactive antibodies in the precipitates. The precipitates were visualised by autoradiography. The technique was exemplified with the use of rabbit-anti-CRP-gammaglobulin-125I in the quantification of CRP. The method, which can measure the proteins down to a concentration of 0.01 mg/1, invariably demonstrated CRP in apparently healthy blooddonors.

Radioimmunoassay of urokinase for quantification of plasminogen activators released in ovarian tumour cultures.

Abstract A radioimmunoassay was developed with an urokinase antiserum and radioiodinated DFP-inactivated urokinase of 31,000 daltons . Assays of tissue culture medium from ovarian tumours and fetal kidneys showed the presence of urokinase-like immunoreactivity, which could be separated in three molecular forms at gel filtration. All three forms showed inhibition curves parallel to that of purified urokinase. The concentration obtained by the assay corresponded to the enzymatic activity. Distinctly parallel curves were found for tumour cultures of various ages in which the three molecular forms differed in their relative concentrations.

Radioimmunoassay of delta sleep-inducing peptide using an iodinated p-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid derivative as tracer

A highly sensitive radioimmunoassay for delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) has been developed. A p-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid conjugate of DSIP was used for radioiodination. Using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography the labelled DSIP derivative was isolated in a high yield and with a high specific activity. The assay allows measurement of DSIP-like material in body fluids with a minimum detectable concentration of 0.1 ng/ml standard DSIP (10 pg/tube).