Summary. The plasma concentration of the thrombin‐antithrombin III‐complex (TAT) was investigated during uncomplicated pregnancy in 15 women in the first, 22 in the second and 46 in the third trimester, and in 19 women with hypertensive disorders between 25 and 40 weeks gestation. Eight women at term after a normal pregnancy were studied before the onset of labour and within 60 min and 24 h after delivery. A comparison group of 16 healthy, non‐pregnant women was investigated. The mean TAT concentration in normal pregnancies increased significantly in the second and third trimester compared with values in the first trimester and in non‐pregnant women. In the group with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy TAT levels were significantly higher than in uncomplicated pregnancies. Within 60 min after delivery a distinct increase of TAT concentrations occurred compared to levels before the onset of labour but the levels had returned to normal by 24 h after delivery. Our findings suggest that an activation of the coagulation system occurs in normal pregnancy. A further activation takes place immediately after delivery. The significantly increased TAT levels in pregnancies with hypertensive disorders suggest a state of chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation leading to an enhanced consumption of and a decreased plasma concentration of antithrombin III.

The in vitro effect of human placental lactogen (HPL) and the gravidity-specific beta1-Glycoprotein (SP-1) on the lymphocyte transformation was investigated in 20 healthy women. It was shown that simultaneous incubation of the lymphocytes with HPL or SP-1 together with PHA has no influence on the incorporation rate of H3-Thymidine. When the fetal calf serum (FCS) in the lymphocyte cultures was substituted by a 3% human albumin-solution, there was a reduction of the incorporation rate of the radioactive nucleic acid precursors to 20%, as compared to the controls with FCS. After addition of HPL and SP-1 to the cultures there was a further dosis dependent decrease of the incorporation rate. When lymphocytes were preincubated with the proteins for 24 h, there was a marked reduction of the blastogenesis after additon of PHA, HPL and SP-1 under these conditions had a immunosuppressive effect on the lymphocyte transformation.

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Results-978 prostitutes and 5493 women with unknown cytological anamnesis were compared. Frequency of positive PAP smears was significantly higher in prostitutes (6-13% versus 1.43%). To determine the pick-up rate of cervical dysplasia during one year after negative cytology we compared 722 prostitutes and 3162 controls. Prostitutes showed a significant higher dysplasia pick-up rate (3-05% to 1-07%) compared with controls. HPV detection rate in prostitutes was similar to that in the control group. The distribution of HPV types revealed a higher frequency of "high risk" HPV 16118 and 31133 in prostitutes.Conclusion-The results demonstrate a higher incidence and prevalence of cervical dysplasia in prostitutes and therefore suggest regular cervical PAP smear screening in registered prostitutes twice a year.

Serum levels of beta lactoglobulin homologue placental protein 14 (PP14) were measured by a sensitive radioimmunoassay in various trophoblastic diseases and non-trophoblastic gynecologic malignancies. While trace amounts of protein were detected in sera of non-pregnant subjects (22.3 +/- 13.7 micrograms/l), during first half of normal pregnancy a dramatic rise of serum-PP14 levels was demonstrable with a peak-value at 7th-10th week of gestation, followed by a decline thereafter. Serial determinations of PP14 have been performed in 31 patients with trophoblastic tumour (20 hydatidiform moles, 4 invasive moles and 7 choriocarcinomas). In patients with hydatidiform moles and invasive moles (273.5 +/- 106.5 micrograms/l and 162.2 +/- 109.6 micrograms/l) respective values before therapy were much exceeding the non-pregnant controls. After therapy there was a rapid decline of the serum-PP14 levels within two weeks. In patients with choriocarcinoma the PP14 values were moderately elevated (66.4 +/- 25.7 micrograms/l), and declined following the remission of disease. In 32 gynecological tumours (21 carcinomas of the cervix, 4 endometrial carcinomas, 5 ovarian carcinomas, 2 carcinomas of the vulva) the pretreatment levels were not different to normal controls.