Objective: This study was set up to investigate the relationship between immune process and high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin-β (βhCG) in hyperemesis patients with or without hyperthyroxinemia. Methods: βhCG, immune parameters and thyroid related hormones were assayed in hyperemesis patients and in controls. Results: Mean serum βhCG, fT₄ and TSH levels were significantly higher in hyperemesis patients than in controls (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.05, respectively). Further, immune parameters regarding IgG, IgM, C₃, C₄ and lymphocyte count were significantly higher in patients than in controls (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.05, p < 0.01, respectively). In hyperemesis patients with hyperthyroxinemia, mean serum βhCG, IgG and IgM were significantly higher than in hyperemesis women without hyperthyroxinemia (p < 0.001, p< 0.05, p < 0.05, respectively). βhCG was positively correlated with fT₄ (r = 0.45, p < 0.05), with lymphocyte count (r = 0.47, p < 0.01), with IgM (r = 0.38, p < 0.05) and with C₃ (r = 0.40, p < 0.05) in hyperemesis patients. A negative correlation between βhCG and TSH (r = –0.43, p < 0.05) was noted in the hyperemesis group. Free T₄ showed a positive association to IgM (r = 0.49, p < 0.01), to IgG (r = 0.40, p < 0.05), to lymphocyte count (r = 0.45, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Immunologic activity in pregnancy may have an effect or role on the stimulatory mechanism of βhCG in hyperemesis patients with or without hyperthyroxinemia.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the estrogen dermatitis of women who have chronic skin disorders with exacerbations or premenstrual dermatitis in a cyclic pattern. Twenty-three women exhibiting skin disorders of pruritus, urticaria, eczema, papulovesicular eruption, hirsutism-acne with hyperpigmentation (hirsutism and/or its related disorders such as acne) and 18 healthy control subjects were included in the study. Sensitivity to estrogen was described in 14 of 23 women. Of the 14 estrogen sensitive women, nine had a premenstrual flare of their skin lesions and five had a chronic dermatitis with exacerbations. In the evaluation of endocrine profile, mean serum testosterone and LH levels of the patient group were significantly higher than controls (2.814 +/- 0.839 vs. 1.561 +/- 0.645 nm/l, P < 0.001; 10.843 +/- 2.538 vs. 4.539 +/- 1.215 IU/l, P < 0.0001). The LH/FSH ratio of the patient group was also significantly higher than controls (1.765 +/- 0.329 vs. 0.810 +/- 0.0116, P < 0.0001). Mean serum progesterone level of the patient group was significantly lower than the control group (0.499 +/- 0.201 vs. 0.977 +/- 0.396 ng/ml, P < 0.001). Hyperandrogenism and anovulation were the two more common outcomes in the patient group. Skin lesions of estrogen sensitive women were all cured with the administration of tamoxifen 20 mg daily for 7 days premenstrually.

A cervicovaginal washing prolactin value more than 50 ng/ml precedes preterm delivery within 12 days at > 29 weeks. The easy application, the good feasibility, the success in identifying pregnancies at risk for preterm labor, and the cost effectiveness suggests cervicovaginal washing prolactin assay as a biochemical marker for preterm delivery.

Maternal immune recognition of the conceptus and immune response, hypothetically, may be related to the high level of hCG and/or fT4. Patients who have hyperthyroidism in early pregnancy should be assessed for transient hyperthyroidism as it relates to hyperemesis gravidarum.

This study was carried out to investigate the steroid prevention on the occurrence and the severity of red blood cell destruction by the effect of oxytocin usage for labor induction. Venous cord blood was collected from the pregnancies who had oxytocin-induced or augmented labors (20), oxytocin-infused deliveries with steroid use (20), deliveries without oxytocin use (20) and cesarean sections (20). Evaluation of the data showed significant increase in serum bilirubin level, serum lactic dehydrogenase activity, erythrocyte fragility and reticulocyte count (p < 0.0083), and a significant decrease in hemoglobulin concentration, packed red cell volume fraction (p < 0.01) in groups with labor induction or augmentation with oxytocin in comoparison to deliveries with oxytocin plus steroid use and the two other methods of delivery. Moreover, with regard to the above data, no significant difference was observed between the deliveries other than oxytocin-only use. Mean corpuscular volume in the oxytocin group was apparently (not significant) higher than the steroid group. The results of this study suggest that the use of 16 mg dexamethasone 21-phosphate at the beginning of the induction or augmentation of labor with oxytocin, followed by an additional 4-mg dose 4 h later intravenously, is advantageous for the prevention of erythrocyte destruction.