Although it has been experimentally proved that thyroid hormones stimulate beta 2 receptor activity and tissue responsiveness to catecholamines, previous studies have established that asthma and nonspecific bronchial reactivity (NSBR) can worsen if complicated by hyperthyroidism. Our study is an effort toward the analysis of this contradiction. In 20 congenitally hypothyroid children, substitutive opotherapy was completely withdrawn for 1 month, resumed in the original dosage for 2 months, and then increased by 20% from day 91 to day 110. Mean NSBR, expressed in carbachol-related PD20-FEV1 and PD25-V25, was significantly increased by day 30, remained significantly elevated by day 90, and returned to initial values by day 110. These results suggest that thyroid hormones per se in nonasthmatic subjects decrease bronchial reactivity. This observation should be taken into consideration when attempting to explain the worsening condition of asthmatics who became affected with hypothyroidism. Bronchial reactivity appears to be under the control of many factors (including thyroid hormone levels). Once it is altered, a period of time seems necessary to restore the original bronchomotor tone (2 months in our study).

Bronchi↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Italian cross-sectional growth charts for height, weight and BMI (2 to 20 yr).

The aim of this study is to extend to pre-school ages the Italian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (SIEDP)-2002 growth charts for height, weight and body mass index (BMI), to obtain charts (SIEDP-2006) that apply to the Italian population from 2 to 20 yr of age, taken as a whole, or separately in two geographical areas (Central-North Italy and South Italy). The charts are based on a sample of about 70,000 subjects attending infant, primary and secondary schools, between 1994 and 2004. The distribution of the sample by gender, age and geographic area was roughly similar to that of Italian school population in the last decade of the 20th century. Height and weight were measured using portable Harpenden stadiometers and properly calibrated scales, respectively. SIEDP-2006 references are presented both as centiles and as LMS curves for the calculation of SD scores, and include the extra-centiles for overweight and obesity. Large differences in BMI growth pattern emerged between the SIEDP-2006, 2000 CDC and UK90 references: in Italy, BMI is higher and its distribution is more skewed during childhood and adolescence. At the end of growth, median values of the three references are similar, but the 97th centile of 2000 CDC charts is much higher and increases more steeply than that of SIEDP-2006 charts, which on the contrary reach a plateau. SIEDP-2006 references intend to supply pediatricians with a tool that avoids the use of charts that are outdated or that refer to other populations, and thus should be suitable for adequately monitoring the growth of their patients.

Adolescent↗