Fasting serum calcitonin levels were measured in 54 postmenopausal women who had for 10 years been taking part in a double blind trial to assess the effect of the synthetic oestrogen, mestranol, on postmenopausal bone loss. There were no differences in calcitonin levels between mestranol treated and placebo groups. Fifteen of the women were challenged with a calcium infusion to measure the secretory reserve of calcitonin. Oestrogen treatment did not increase the calcitonin response to calcium infusion. The three patients who exhibited the greatest responses were placebo treated. Bone density was measured by gamma-ray absorptiometry over the ten year period and the annual rate of change of bone density calculated. No correlation could be found between basal calcitonin level or calcitonin reserve and change in bone density. Our results indicate that postmenopausal osteoporosis is not caused by a deficiency of calcitonin and that the action of oestrogen therapy to prevent bone loss does not involve calcitonin.

Cerebral aspergillosis carries a high mortality in immunocompromised patients. However, favorable outcome can be achieved by the prolonged use of antifungal agents and the maintenance of adequate drug levels. The authors report a 2-year-old girl who developed an aspergillus brain abscess during treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Predisposing factors for the fungal infection and details of the antifungal therapy are described. Prolonged treatment with AmBisome and 5-flucytosine successfully eradicated the lesion, but the girl's antileukemic therapy was compromised due to the infection. She developed a central nervous system and bone marrow relapse 9 and 15 months, respectively, after the initial presentation. The report emphasizes the need for further consideration of effective, long-term antifungal prophylaxis and a careful balance between aggressive treatment for severe infection and antileukemic therapy.

SUMMARY A simple method is described for concentrating thyrocalcitonin from plasma by adsorption onto finely divided silica gel. An approximately 20-fold increase in biological activity with respect to protein content has been obtained with recoveries of added material of about 80%, allowing subsequent fractionation and bioassay of the fractions. Porcine thyrocalcitonin was added to either porcine or human plasma to give concentrations within the range observed in porcine thyroid venous plasma. Concentration on silica gel followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G 50 resulted in separation of the biological activity into two fractions, one of which was associated with the plasma proteins. A similar result was obtained with porcine thyroid venous plasma containing endogenous thyrocalcitonin. Preparative ultracentrifugation of plasma rich in thyrocalcitonin also provided evidence suggestive of some protein binding of the hormone. It is concluded that thyrocalcitonin is carried in plasma partly free and partly bound to plasma protein.

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The data for this retrospective quantitative audit was collected from 1999–2006 from a caseload of 324 pregnancies in Fife and was informed by a literature search undertaken while studying for a Post-Graduate Certificate in Addictions. The aim of the study was to determine whether enhanced midwifery support within a multi-disciplinary team affected pregnancy outcomes in drug and alcohol using women. Ethical approval was not required. Partnership working improved and women were offered intensive support from specialist midwives, addictions nurses and social services from pregnancy booking until at least 12 weeks postnatal. This article explores pregnancy outcomes for this client group in regard to substance misuse, gestation at delivery, BBV infection, criminality, employment, housing and criminal behaviour and breastfeeding rates, neonatal abstinence and birth weight in neonates in a geographical area of significant social deprivation.