W. Knogler

The Role of Oxytocin in Relation to Female Sexual Arousal

Oxytocin is clearly involved in human reproduction and serves an important role in sexual arousal. Oxytocin serum levels were measured before and after sexual stimulation in 12 healthy women. Values of oxytocin 1 min after orgasm were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than baseline levels. This finding supports the hypothesis that oxytocin plays a major part in human sexual response both in neuroendocrine function and postcoital behavior.

Hormonal, syndromal and EEG mapping studies in menopausal syndrome patients with and without depression as compared with controls.

UNLABELLED The aim of the study was to investigate brain function in menopausal depression by EEG mapping, as compared with menopausal syndrome patients without depression and normal controls, and to correlate neurophysiological with clinical and hormonal findings in order to elucidate the pathogenesis of depression in the menopause. METHODS One hundred and twenty-nine menopausal women, aged 45-60 years, with no previous hormonal replacement therapy were investigated in regard to hormones (estradiol [E2], follicle stimulating hormone [FSH]), clinical symptomatology (Kupperman Index [KI], Hamilton depression score [HAMD]) and brain function (EEG mapping). Based on KI and DSM-III-R research criteria for major depression, 3 groups were available for statistics (after removal of protocol violators): group A had a KI of <15 and no depression (n = 29); group B had a KI of > or = 15 and no depression (n = 29) and group C had a KI of > or = 15 and fulfilled the criteria for major depression (n = 60). RESULTS EEG maps of depressed patients demonstrated less total power and absolute power in the delta, theta and beta band, more relative delta and less alpha power as well as a slower delta/theta and faster alpha and beta centroid than controls, suggesting a vigilance decrement. Group B did not differ from group A. Correlation maps showed significant relationships between estradiol levels and EEG measures (the lower the E2, the worse the vigilance) and between the EEG measures and the Hamilton depression (HAMD) score (the worse the vigilance, the higher the depression score). There were no correlations between the hormones E2 and FSH and the syndromes KI and HAMD. In the target variable, the asymmetry index, depressed patients showed less alpha power over the right than left frontal lobe, whereas normal controls exhibited the opposite. Group B did not differ from group A. The frontal asymmetry index was significantly correlated with the Hamilton depression score and suggests right frontal hyper- and left frontal hypoactivation in depression. CONCLUSIONS Although hormonal findings are not directly linked to psychic changes, low estradiol levels do contribute to a decreased vigilance at the neurophysiological level , which is in turn correlated with higher depressive and menopausal symptomatology at the behavioural level. Depression is further correlated to a right frontal hyper- and left frontal hypoactivation.

Ophthalmic complaints as a climacteric symptom

The menopausal syndrome is characterized by a variety of emotional and physical symptoms of varying intensity. A total of 1287 women who attended the Outpatient Department for Climacteric Symptoms and Osteoporosis Prophylaxis (1st Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University of Vienna Medical School) constituted the study population. These women, who were seeking relief from various complaints or for prophylactic assessment and treatment, visited the clinic over the period 1988-1989. We placed special emphasis on ophthalmic complaints as evidence of the incipient climacteric period. Of the 430 patients with eye complaints, 98 underwent ophthalmological investigation. Within our patient group, we analyzed the incidence and severity of menopausal eye complaints as well as therapeutic responses to hormone replacement therapy on an epidemiological scale. Potential endocrinological factors are discussed.

HER-2 oncogene amplification and overall survival of breast carcinoma patients

DNA was extracted from tumour samples of 77 patients with primary breast carcinoma and HER-2 proto-oncogene amplification was assessed. Prognostic indices such as number of positive lymph nodes, tumour size and histological grading were strongly associated with overall survival. No statistically significant correlation between amplification of HER-2 and overall survival was observed. In addition, prognostic indices, HER-2 amplification and disease-free interval was not correlated. Analysis of HER-2 amplification alone is not a useful guide in the management of patients with mammary carcinoma.

Screening for Epstein-Barr and human cytomegalovirus in normal and abnormal cervical smears by fluorescent in situ cytohybridization

SummaryUsing the routine Papanicolaou test for grouping, 35 normal and 148 abnormal cervical smears were screened by fluorescent in situ cytohybridization for Epstein-Barr (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Viral presence was detected in 55% of all hybridized smears while routine Papanicolaou tests exposed no morphological evidence for HCMV or EBV. Thus in situ cytohybridization is necessary and suitable for direct identification of EBV and HCMV. The prevalence of viral infection for women with normal cervical smears was 29% for HCMV and 34% for EBV. Even smears of three of the four virgins were positive for HCMV and two had a mixed infection with EBV. The infection rate with at least one of these two herpesviruses was 51% in the control group, 56% in smears with reactive and reparative cell changes, 54% in mild (slight) dysplasias and 56% in moderate or severe dysplasias. Thus infection with HCMV and EBV did not differ significantly in controls and prevention groups. Both viruses were most frequently found in the age group 20 to 29 years. These data suggest that HCMV and EBV are not involved in the etiology of intraepithelial neoplasias and carcinomas of the uterine cervix.

Latente zervikale Virusinfektion als mögliche Ursache des Frühaborts

Zervixabstriche von 50 Frauen mit Abort wurden durch die Dot-Blot-Hybridisation auf DNS von (human) Papillomavirus (HPV), Herpes simplex-Virus (HSV) Typen 1 und 2 und Zytomegalievirus (ZMV) untersucht. PositivitAt fur die HPV-DNS-Typen 16 und 18 zeigte sich in 17,6% der FAlle; im Abortmaterial betrug sie dagegen 30,8%. IgM-positive Titerwerte lagen in wenigen Fallen vor. In Zervixabstrichen von Frauen mit intakten GraviditAten liess sich eine PositivitAt fUr die HPV-DNS-Typen 6 und 11 in 9,5% und fUr die HSV-DNS-Typen 1 und 2 und ZMV-DNS in 48,0% der FAlle nachweisen. In diesem Kollektiv lagen zumeist positive IgM- und IgG-Titer vor.

β-endorphin levels during the climacteric period

Abstract Hot flushes are not caused by hypergonadotrophinaemia. This is apparent because peaks of gonadotrophin in the serum do not coincide with cutaneously measured hot flushes while such flushes still occur in hypophysectomized women. Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone and other neurotransmitters (possibly β-endorphin) affect thermoregulation. The following hypothesis is advanced. During the climacteric period neurotransmitter changes, a decrease in catechol oestrogens, a decrease in α-2-adrenoceptor activity and cessation of ovarian steroid production may lead to alterations in endogenous opiate activity and thus to disturbances of thermoregulation, resulting in the occurrence of hot flushes. Low β-endorphin levels in the peripheral plasma, which rise again following oestrogen treatment, are observed during the climacteric. On the other hand, women with severe hot flushes caused by a stress event show enormously increased β-endorphin values, which are normalized by hormone substitution therapy acting via still unknown neuroendocrinological feedback mechanisms.

Abortion Risk in Chorionic Villus Sampling

100 patients were examined to evaluate the risk of abortion of chorionic villus sampling. In the 8th-10th week of pregnancy a catheter with a mandrin was introduced into the chorion frondosum under ul