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Biomedical subjects

E De Menis

Publications and source records attributed to E De Menis.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Increased serum levels of carboxyterminal propeptide of type 1 collagen (PICP) in hyperthyroidism.

Type 1 collagen is the major organic constituent of the bone: its synthesis is reflected by the serum levels of type 1 procollagen C-terminal propeptide (PICP), which is therefore considered an index of osteoblastic activity. Serum PICP along with other serum and urinary markers of bone metabolism were measured in 16 untreated premenopausal females affected by Graves' disease and also in 7 of them after attainment of euthyroidism by methimazole treatment. Before treatment PICP was higher than sex and age-matched controls (324.19 +/- 101.74 vs. 131.44 +/- 26.25 micrograms/l, p < 0.001). Osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, serum calcium and urinary excretions of calcium and hydroxyproline were significantly increased with respect to controls, whereas parathormone was lower. Treatment induced a significant decrease of PICP, as well as calcemia, calciuria and hydroxyprolinuria compared to pretreatment values, while osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase did not significantly differ. Non parametric correlation analysis showed positive correlation of free T3 and PICP (rs = 0.73, p < 0.005), osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase; PICP was also significantly correlated with osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase. Our data suggest that hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease causes an increase of serum concentrations of PICP, which decrease after attainment of euthyroidism. The differences between PICP and BGP as markers of bone synthesis need to be further clarified.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1994

[Serum levels of the tartrate-resistant isoenzyme, acid phosphatase, for the evaluation of bone remodeling in hyperthyroidism].

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) is one of the acid phosphatase isoenzymes. It is secreted by osteoclasts so it has been proposed as a marker of bone resorption. Bone turnover is high in hyperthyroidism due to an increase in both bone resorption and formation. The aim of the study was to measure serum TRAP as well as other markers of bone metabolism in 20 fertile age females affected by Graves-disease; 11 patients were also studied after euthyroid state was attained by means of a 6 month course of methimazole treatment. TRAP was measured with the colorimetric method using p-nitrophenylphosphate as substrate. Free thyroid hormones, TSH, serum calcium (corrected for albumin concentration), phosphate, osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, parathormone intact molecule, and urinary excretions of calcium, phosphate and hydroxyproline were measured, too. Twenty-eight healthy fertile women made up the control group. Untreated patients had a significant increase of TRAP, osteocalcin, serum calcium, alkaline phosphatase and urinary excretion of calcium and hydroxyproline. A significant fall in all these parameters but alkaline phosphatase was disclosed comparing patients before and after treatment, nevertheless only urinary calcium became not significantly different from the controls. TRAP showed a significant correlation with free T3 levels but not with hydroxyproline excretions. This survey on fertile age women with Graves' disease shows a significant increase in serum concentration of TRAP, which decreases, but doesn't get normalization, when euthyroidism is attained by a six month course of methimazole therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1992

Bone turnover in overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism due to autonomous thyroid adenoma.

Parameters of bone turnover were measured in 20 premenopausal women affected by autonomous thyroid adenoma: 7 patients were suffering from overt hyperthyroidism with raised values of free thyroid hormones; 13 were clinically euthyroid and had normal values of free thyroid hormones. In all cases serum TSH concentrations were below the lower normal limit of our laboratory (< 0.4 mU/l). Eleven healthy premenopausal women were studied as a control group. Patients with overt hyperthyroidism disclosed a significant enhancement of both bone resorption (increased serum calcium and urinary excretion of hydroxyproline) and bone formation (increased serum levels of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase) when compared both to controls and to patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism. No significant alterations of bone metabolism parameters were found in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism in comparison with controls. Therefore, in premenopausal women affected by autonomous thyroid adenoma the bone turnover appeared to be significantly increased when the serum values of free thyroid hormones were raised in the group of patients with overt hyperthyroidism.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1991

Increased serum beta 2-microglobulin concentrations in hyperthyroid states.

Serum beta 2-microglobulin concentrations were determined in 21 untreated hyperthyroid patients (12 with Graves' disease, and nine with toxic nodular adenoma) and in 20 healthy controls. All subjects had normal serum creatinine concentrations and urine analysis. Both total and free thyroid hormones were significantly higher in the hyperthyroid groups than in controls. Beta 2-microglobulin concentrations were significantly increased in both groups of hyperthyroid patients compared with controls. No difference was found in the thyroid hormone and beta 2-microglobulin concentrations between both sets of patients. The beta 2-microglobulin and thyroid hormone concentrations were not correlated. These data show that hyperthyroidism is another cause of increased beta 2-microglobulin production along with viral infections, immunologically mediated diseases, and malignant neoplasms. The increased serum beta 2-microglobulin concentration in thyroid hyperfunction is probably related to metabolic rate, even if autoimmunity might contribute to its overproduction.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1990

HLA antigens and haplotypes associated with idiopathic haemochromatosis in Veneto: peculiar association with HLA-A3,B35.

HLA-A and HLA-B antigens were determined in 16 unrelated subjects orginating from Veneto affected by idiopathic haemochromatosis (IH). HLA-A3 was found in 13/16 patients vs. 300/1,348 controls (p less than 0.00005). Prevalences of A3,B35 haplotype were 0.4375 in patients vs. 0.0816 in controls (p less than 0.0005). Linkage disequilibrium analysis proved the existence of a positive third-order linkage disequilibrium among IH, HLA-A3 and HLA-B35 alleles. Our data confirm the close association of IH and HLA-A3 and prove the peculiar association of the disease with A3,B35 haplotype in north-eastern regions of Italy. The positive third-order linkage disequilibrium suggests a remote event (mutation, recombination or immigration) as origin for IH and A3,B35 association.

Alleles↗
PubMedDate not supplied

111Indium-pentetreotide pituitary scintigraphy and hormonal responses to octreotide in acromegalic patients.

GH secreting pituitary adenomas are frequently visualized by scintigraphy with the somatostatin analogue 111Indium-pentetreotide. We studied 111Indium-pentetreotide scintigraphy and hormonal responses to octreotide in 12 acromegalic patients. Nine patients with active acromegaly were studied before pituitary adenomectomy; 6 of these and 3 other patients were studied after operation. GH was measured after a single s.c. dose of 100 micrograms of octreotide (acute test). The patients were preoperatively treated with 100 micrograms s.c. tid octreotide for 3 months as were patients who had been unsuccessfully operated; GH and IGF-I were measured at the end of this period (chronic treatment). A decrease of the hormones higher than 50% of basal values was considered a positive response in both acute test and chronic treatment. Eight/nine unoperated patients had a pituitary adenoma visualized by scintigraphy and a positive response to both the acute test and chronic treatment; one patient had no evidence of tumor at scintigraphy and he did not respond to octreotide. Scintigraphy was negative in all of the three patients cured by surgery. Six patients still had active disease after adenomectomy: scintigraphy was positive only in one case, although GH responded to octreotide treatment in all patients. Conclusions. 111In-pentetreotide scintigraphy frequently visualizes pituitary adenomas and predicts GH responses to octreotide in unoperated acromegalic patients. In unsuccessfully operated patients scintigraphy is infrequently positive and does not predict which patients will respond to octreotide. These data and the cost of 111In-pentetreotide scintigraphy do not warrant its extensive clinical use in acromegaly.

Acromegaly↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Beta-2-microglobulin in hyperthyroidism].

The aims of the study were to clarify the cause of increased serum beta 2-microglobulin as a marker of thyroid hyperfunction. Serum beta 2-microglobulin was measured in 31 untreated hyperthyroid patients, all of them with normal renal function. Twenty-one subjects were affected by diffuse toxic goiter and 10 by toxic adenoma. Serum free thyroid hormones, TSH, anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsomal antigen autoantibodies were determined, too. Thyroid hormone and creatinine levels did not differed between both sets of patients. beta 2-microglobulin was higher than normal in 90% of cases with diffuse toxic goiter and in 70% of those with toxic adenoma (p less than 0.05), but mean beta 2-microglobulin concentrations didn't differ between the two groups. No difference was found in beta 2-microglobulin levels in diffuse toxic goiter group according to the presence or absence of autoantibodies. beta 2-Microglobulin and thyroid hormones were not correlated in either diffuse toxic goiter and toxic adenoma groups. These data confirm the high prevalence of elevated beta 2-microglobulin concentrations in hyperthyroidism. As renal function was normal, this rise is due to beta 2-microglobulin overproduction. This increased production is a hormone mediated effect, even if lymphocyte activation may contribute in diffuse toxic goiter. beta 2-microglobulin is not correlated with thyroid hormone concentrations so that at present it isn't a useful marker of hyperthyroidism severity for practical purposes.

Adenoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Bone metabolism in primary hypothyroidism in the adult].

The aim of the study was to investigate bone metabolism in adult onset idiopathic myxedema. We studied 13 untreated patients (11 women and 2 men, age ranging 24-64 years) and, as a control group 15 healthy subjects (13 women and 2 men, age ranging 24-64 years). The hypothyroid group had significantly lower urinary excretion of hydroxyproline (4.40 +/- 0.63 vs. 8.60 +/- 1.3 mg/g, p less than 0.05) and serum concentration of osteocalcin (4.45 +/- 0.41 vs. 7.76 +/- 0.55 ng/ml, p less than 0.001). This low urinary excretion of hydroxyproline points to reduced osteoclastic bone resorption, while the low serum level of osteocalcin supports the view that osteoblastic bone formation is sluggish, too. Therefore bone metabolism in adult myxedema is characterized by a general reduction of remodelling. The stimulating actions of thyroid hormones on both bone resorption and new synthesis are further supported by the positive correlations between free hormone fractions and either urinary hydroxyproline and serum osteocalcin. Serum calcium, phosphorus, urinary calcium and phosphorus, and serum calcitrophic hormones (vitamin D, calcitonin, parathyroid hormone, measured as intact molecule) did not differed between the two groups; this finding might be related to the low fraction of active bone in hypothyroidism. The slow bone turnover seems to have few clinical consequences, but replacement therapy might produce accelerated osteoporosis, perhaps as a result of bone hypersensitivity to thyroid hormones.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Hypogonadism in idiopathic hemochromatosis].

We studied the prevalence and the pathogenesis of hypogonadism in 16 male patients affected by idiopathic haemochromatosis. Thirteen patients were untreated, 14 had liver cirrhosis; alcohol intake was actually less than 80 g/die. LH and FSH were measured in the basal state and after iv. bolus of 100 micrograms of synthetic gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Plasma concentrations of testosterone, LH-FSH were determined, respectively, by RIA and LIA. Ten patients complained of loss of libido and potency (Group A): this group, as compared to controls, had significant reductions of testosterone, basal gonadotropins and pituitary responses. Nine of these patients disclosed testicular hypotrophy and low blood testosterone: 8 showed hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with low testosterone and LH-FSH responses, often accompanied by reduced basal concentrations of gonadotropins; one patient had a primitive testicular failure with low testosterone but a high response of LH to the GnRH. The other 6 patients had normal sexual activity (Group B): their testicular volumes and testosterone concentrations were normal, but 2 patients disclosed both LH and FSH hyperresponsiveness to the GnRH, which suggests an early primitive testicular failure. Our data emphasize the high prevalence of hypogonadism in male haemochromatosis subjects and disclose that sexual activity, testicular volume and laboratory results are tightly correlated. Stimulation with GnRH proved that hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction is by far the most frequent cause of testicular failure in idiopathic haemochromatosis.

Adult↗