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The protective effect of estrogen against cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in women disappears after menopause. However, it is not clear whether the change in risk factors after menopause is related to aging or estrogen deprivation. Objective : To assess the risks for CVD and the contribution of aging in estrogen-deprived women. Methods : Forty-one patients with premature ovarian failure (POF) (group 1) and 30 patients with natural menopause (group 2) were investigated with respect to well-known risk factors for CVD. Fifteen young women at reproductive age (group 3) were taken as controls. The median ages (ranges) of the groups were 31 (19–40), 52 (46–67) and 26 (24–29) years, respectively. Family and personal history for CVD, smoking, oral contraceptive usage, physical examination, blood pressure measurement, body mass index (BMI), blood level of fasting insulin, diabetes mellitus, and the levels of lipoprotein proteins were the examined parameters regarding the risks for CVD. Results : The levels of triglycerides and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol were not different in the 3 groups. The levels of fasting insulin (11.3 ± 6.6 vs. 10.2 ± 5.8 IU/ml), the ratio of fasting insulin to fasting blood glucose (12.2 ± 6.3% vs. 10.5 ± 5.4%), high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (51.9 ± 12.9 vs. 51.6 ± 9.7 mg/d), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (113 ± 47 vs. 127 ± 37 mg/dl) and the ratio of HDL to total cholesterol (27.2 ± 9.8% vs. 24.1 ± 6.9%) were not different in women with POF and natural menopause. These parameters were all better in controls with respect to risk for CVD (respectively, 6.5 ± 2.0 IU/ml, 7.4 ± 2.2%, 37.9 ± 5.3 mg/dl, 80 ± 40 mg/dl, P Conclusion : Risk factors for CVD are related to estrogen deprivation. Aging does not have an important impact on CVD within the age range of this study group.

Objective: Hormonal levels in early pregnancy may have predictive value in regard to outcome of pregnancy. In this study, the levels of estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), total testosterone (tT) and free testosterone (fT) were investigated in this respect. Materials and method: Seventy women with early pregnancies of 6–12 weeks who applied to the hospital for a pregnancy test were included into this study and were divided into three groups according to their final diagnosis. Group 1 consisted of 20 patients with anembryonic pregnancies, group 2 consisted of 20 patients with missed abortion and group 3 had 30 patients with normal pregnancies. Serum levels of E2, P, fT and tT were measured in every patient and the ratio of fT to tT was calculated (fT ratio). Results: E2, P and tT levels in patients with missed abortion or anembryonic pregnancies were significantly lower than those in the normal group, whereas fT ratio was significantly higher. The level of P over 12.3 ng/ml was found to be sensitive and specific with respect to detecting a normal pregnancy (95% and 90%, respectively). All patients whose fT ratios were 1.05 and higher, subsequently miscarried whereas the ones whose fT ratios were lower than 0.84 were considered as normal pregnancies. Conclusion: Serum P levels and fT ratio in early pregnancies can be used as a screening test with high sensitivity and specifity to predict a normal pregnancy.

To compare the efficacy of methods for second trimester pregnancy termination.A prospective randomized study of women undergoing pregnancy termination between 14 and 28 weeks gestation. Three hundred and forty patients with poor cervical condition (Bishop scoreor = 4) in whom one of five termination methods were used were assessed: (i) extraamniotic administration of ethacridine lactate (82 patients); (ii) intracervical prostaglandin (PG) E2 gel (100 patients); (iii) intravenous infusion of concentrated oxytocin (36 patients); (iv) vaginal misoprostol (49 patients); and (v) balloon insertion (73 patients). Oxytocin infusion was used in all but concentrated oxytocin group to augment labor, when necessary. Patients in whom effective uterine contractions and cervical dilatation was not obtained within 48 h with the primary termination method were registered as failures.The efficacy of each method were evaluated in terms of abortion within time. Abortion within 48 h were achieved in 98.8% (81/82) of the patients in ethacridine group; 97.3% (35/36) of the patients in concentrated oxytocin group; 90.0% (90/100) of the patients in PGE2 group; 97.2% (71/73) of the patients in balloon group; 77.5% (38/49) of the patients in misoprostol group (P = 0.000, P0.01, Wilcoxon (Gehan) statistic). The overall median induction-abortion interval +/- S.D. (in h) in each group were as follows: ethacridine lactate: 15.7 +/- 9.6, PGE2 gel: 20.0 +/- 14.5, concentrated oxytocin: 12.2 +/- 14.4, misoprostol: 24.0 +/- 22.2, balloon: 16.0 +/- 15.4 (one way ANOVA, P = 0.003, P0.01).In comparison with the five methods, the use of extraamniotic ethacridine, intravenous concentrated oxytocin, and balloon was found to provide more effective treatment than intracervical PGE2 and misoprostol in terms of achievement of abortion within 24 and 48 h.The efficacy of 5 methods of second-trimester pregnancy termination was compared in a prospective, randomized study of 340 women admitted to a High Risk Pregnancy Unit in Ankara, Turkey, with an unfavorable cervical state. The women were between 14 and 28 weeks' gestation. Termination methods assessed included: extra-amniotic administration of ethacridine lactate (82 women), cervical ripening through use of prostaglandin (PG) E2 gel (100 women), intravenous infusion of concentrated oxytocin (36 women), intravaginal misoprostol (49 women), and balloon insertion (73 women). Oxytocin infusion was used to augment labor, where necessary, in all but the concentrated oxytocin group. The main indications for pregnancy termination were fetal death (50%) and fetal anomaly (25%). Abortion within 48 hours was achieved in 98.8% of women in the ethacridine group, 97.3% of those in the concentrated oxytocin group, 90.0% of women in the PGE2 group, 97.2% of patients in the balloon group, and 77.5% of those in the misoprostol group. The median induction-abortion intervals were: ethacridine lactate, 15.7 +or- 9.6 hours; PGE2 gel, 20.0 +or- 14.5 hours; concentrated oxytocin, 12.2 +or- 14.4 hours; misoprostol, 24.0 +or- 22.2 hours; and balloon, 16.0 +or- 15.4 hours. Overall, these results suggest that mid-trimester induced abortion with extraamniotic ethacridine, balloon application, or intravenous concentrated oxytocin are the most effective techniques and should be considered as alternatives to misoprostol and PGE2.

In this preliminary study, the safety and efficacy of a combined GnRHa and low-dose danazol regimen was evaluated in patients with advanced stage endometriosis. Five patients with stage IV endometriosis were administered triptorelin 3.75 mg intramuscularly with monthly intervals in combination with oral danazol 100 mg/day for 6 months. Laparoscopy was performed before and after therapy to assess the change in endometriotic lesions. During controls, patients were evaluated for the change in hormonal and biochemical parameters and the side effects of the treatment. In 4 patients with ovarian endometriomas, cysts were drained during initial laparoscopy. None of the endometriomas persisted after therapy. Total scores, according to the revised American Fertility Society classification of endometriosis were, 54.8 +/- 10.9 before treatment and decreased to 31.6 +/- 10.3 (P0.05), whereas, endometriotic implants scores changed from an initial value of 22.8 +/- 12.1 to 1.2 +/- 1.1 (P0.05). No adverse effect was observed on lipid and liver metabolism. Estrogen deprivation symptoms and oily skin were the most prominent complaints and one patient had a weight gain of 6 kg. Based on these results we conclude that a combination of GnRHa and low dose danazol is an effective alternative treatment modality in the treatment of severe endometriosis without any serious side effect.

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a family of peptides secreted by the heart, affecting the cardiovascular, renal and endocrine systems. This study questions previous research findings regarding elevated ANP levels, despite vasoconstriction and hypovolemia, in preeclamptic patients. Materials and methods: Seventeen patients with preeclampsia, 5 with superimposed preeclampsia with chronic hypertension and 17 normotensive pregnant women were compared with respect to plasma ANP levels. Seventeen non-pregnant women were taken as the control group. All the women, except the ones with superimposed preeclampsia, were age matched and in their third trimester. Results: ANP levels in the non-pregnant women (6.9 ± 0.7 pg/ml) were not different from those in the normotensive pregnant women (6.4 ± 0.7 pg/ml). ANP levels were significantly higher in women with preeclampsia (10.8 ± 1.8 pg/ml) or superimposed preeclampsia (9.7 ± 1.4 pg/ml) than in normotensive pregnant women and normal non-pregnant women (P < 0.05). According to the literature, there is a volume depletion in preeclamptic women. However, this wasn't demonstrated in our study group. Conclusion: ANP levels in preeclamptic women were found to be higher than those in normotensive pregnant women. The etiology still remains obscure.

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is found to be elevated in preeclamptic patients despite the presence of hemodynamic characteristics such as vasoconstriction and hypovolemia. In this study, the effect on ANP secretion of plasma volume expansion with crystalloid solutions was investigated. Seven preeclamptic and seven normotensive pregnant women in their last trimester were compared. After basal ANP measurements, 0.9% Ringer's solution, 15 cm3/kg body weight was infused within 30 min to expand the plasma volume. Blood sampling was repeated after the infusion. Maternal blood volume expansion was calculated from the decrease in hematocrit. Plasma ANP levels were corrected according to the degree of volume expansion. Basal mean levels in both groups were not different. Although the postinfusion levels of ANP in normotensive pregnant women were similar to the basal levels (means +/- SE: 20.6 +/- 0.41 and 27.2 +/- 0.52 pg/ml, respectively, p = 0.10), the postinfusion ANP levels in preeclamptic women increased significantly (21.4 +/- 0.31 and 34.1 +/- 0.28 pg/ml, respectively, p = 0.01). Preeclampsia is associated with a greater increase in plasma ANP levels in response to volume expansion compared with normotensive pregnancy. The greater change in the right atrial pressure with volume expansion, due to decreased compliance of the capacitance vessels in preeclamptic subjects might explain the greater change in the plasma level of ANP.

There have been many theories proposed regarding etiology and pathogenesis of endometriosis. The theories of retrograde menstruation, celomic metaplasia, and müllerian remnants are among these. In order to find out whether a higher prevalence exists in patients with müllerian anomalies and to test these theories, we reviewed the case records of our reproductive endocrinology clinic set up between 1989 and 1994. The study group included patients with müllerian anomalies (n =186) whereas the control group consisted of patients without müllerian anomalies (n = 3,240). The frequency of endometriosis was 37 of 186 (19.8%) in the study group as compared with 619 of 3,240 (19.1%) in the controls (p0.05). In 1 patient without functioning endometrium endometriosis was demonstrated. Obstructive anomalies were associated more with endometriosis as compared with nonobstructive anomalies (p0.001). The nonobstructive anomalies did not present a higher prevalence as compared with controls (p0.05). These results show that endometriosis is not more frequent in patients with müllerian anomalies as a whole, but outflow obstruction is an important contributing factor. Evaluating patients with müllerian anomalies contributes proof in favor of the theories of retrograde menstruation and celomic metaplasia, but against a possible relation of a developmental defect of differentiation or migration of the müllerian duct system during embryogenesis.