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Biomedical subjects

S Othman

Publications and source records attributed to S Othman.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Association between postpartum thyroid dysfunction and thyroid antibodies and depression.

OBJECTIVE: To define the relation between mood and autoimmune thyroid dysfunction during the eight months after delivery. DESIGN: Double blind comparison of the psychiatric status of women positive and negative for thyroid antibodies. Clinical examination and blood sampling for free triiodothyronine and thyroxine, thyroid stimulating hormone, and thyroid antibody concentrations at four weekly intervals. Psychiatric assessment at six, eight, 12, 20, and 28 weeks post partum. SETTING: Outpatient department of district hospital. PATIENTS: 145 antibody positive women and 229 antibody negative women delivering between August 1987 and December 1989. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Thyroid status. Number of cases of mental ill health by the general health questionnaire, research diagnostic criteria, Hamilton 17 item depression scale, hospital anxiety and depression scale, and Edinburgh postnatal depression scale. RESULTS: Six weeks after delivery the general health questionnaire showed 62 (43%) antibody positive women and 65 (28%) antibody negative women had mental ill health (chi 2 = 8.18, p less than 0.005). Follow up of 110 antibody positive and 132 antibody negative women showed significantly greater depression by research diagnostic criteria in antibody positive women (47%) than antibody negative women (32%) regardless of thyroid dysfunction. Antibody positive women showed higher mean scores for depression on the Hamilton (6.01 v 3.89, p = 0.0002), Edinburgh (7.45 v 5.92, p = 0.031), and hospital depression scales (4.95 v 3.79, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms are associated with positive thyroid antibody status in the postpartum period.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1992

The sonographic appearances in postpartum thyroiditis.

During the postpartum period about 50% of women with circulating thyroid autoantibodies develop a transient autoimmune thyroiditis. To determine the sonographic appearances in postpartum thyroiditis (PPT), serial ultrasound (US) scans of the thyroid were performed in 135 postpartum women who were divided into three clinical groups: Group 1, 37 antibody positive subjects who developed PPT; Group 2, 28 antibody positive subjects in whom thyroid function remained normal; Group 3, 70 antibody negative controls. Thyroid hypoechogenicity was observed in 14/31 patients (45%) who were scanned between 4 and 8 weeks postpartum and who subsequently developed PPT (Group 1) compared with 4/24 patients (17%) in Group 2 (P less than 0.05) and 1/65 patients (1.5%) in Group 3 (P less than 0.001). In antibody positive patients, the positive predictive value of an abnormal scan during this period was 78%. Between 15 and 25 weeks postpartum thyroid hypoechogenicity was present in 32/37 patients (86%) in Group 1 compared with 11/28 patients (39%) in Group 2 (P less than 0.001) and 2/70 patients (3%) in Group 3 (P less than 0.001). Sonographic abnormality persisted beyond 32 weeks postpartum in 36/41 antibody positive patients (87%) who had exhibited thyroid hypoechogenicity earlier during the study and who had late scans. The characteristic US appearance in PPT is thyroid hypoechogenicity. The role of sonography in the prediction, diagnosis and follow up of patients with PPT is discussed.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1992

Iodine metabolism in postpartum thyroiditis.

To investigate the etiologic role of iodine intake in postpartum thyroiditis (PPT), we have measured postpartum urinary iodine excretion serially in a large prospective study of PPT. A total of 1996 women were screened for thyroid microsomal antibody during the second trimester of pregnancy. One hundred fifty-two of the 235 antibody-positive women and an equal number of age-matched antibody-negative controls were followed postpartum with measurements of urinary iodine and thyroid function at monthly intervals for 12 months. Iodine excretion in the immediate postpartum period did not differ between the 73 women who developed PPT and the antibody-negative controls. In women with PPT with hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, or hyperthyroidism followed by hypothyroidism, increased urinary iodine excretion was observed between 8 and 16 weeks postpartum, which preceded the hormonal disturbances among the women with hypothyroidism. The height of the rise in urinary iodine excretion during the first 20 weeks postpartum correlated with the serum free thyroxine levels (r = 0.61, p less than 0.001). Iodine intake is unlikely to affect the prevalence of PPT. However, these data show that the hyperthyroid phase of PPT is associated with a significant release of intrathyroidal iodine due to thyroid destruction and that the same process also occurs to a lesser extent before the hormonal disturbances associated with hypothyroid PPT.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1992

Reversible adrenocorticotropin deficiency due to probable autoimmune hypophysitis in a woman with postpartum thyroiditis.

The natural history and pathogenesis of lymphocytic hypophysitis remain poorly understood. We describe a 34-yr-old woman with postpartum thyroiditis and ACTH deficiency, studied at monthly intervals for 18 months after pregnancy. A significant titer of thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies was detected at 16 weeks gestation, and she was recruited into a prospective study of postpartum thyroid function. Four months postpartum she developed mild hyperthyroidism [free T4 (fT4), 27 pmol/L; TSH, less than 0.2 mU/L] and showed a rise in thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin autoantibodies. At 9 months postpartum, serum fT4 and fT3 levels were low normal (8.0 and 1.7 pmol/L, respectively), but TSH was not raised (0.4 mU/L). Subsequent investigation showed a low basal plasma cortisol level (28 nmol/L) in association with undetectable ACTH, and subnormal cortisol responses to depot Synacthen (535 nmol/L at 6 h) and hypoglycemia (peak, 145 nmol/L). FSH, LH, GH, and PRL function and computerized tomography of the pituitary were normal. Retrospective analysis of serum samples taken throughout the postpartum year showed developing hypocortisolemia between 3-9 months postpartum. Each sample was also tested for pituitary autoantibodies using a specific indirect immunofluorescent assay; none was detected. The ACTH deficiency recovered spontaneously, with normal cortisol responses to depot Synacthen (greater than 1380 at 6 h) and hypoglycemia (peak, 590) 14 and 18 months postpartum, respectively. This case illustrates that postpartum pituitary deficiencies are potentially reversible. The pattern of pituitary deficit and postpartum thyroiditis supported a diagnosis of autoimmune hypophysitis.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1992

Postpartum thyroiditis: an organ specific syndrome which is not associated with a postpartum polyclonal B-cell activation.

Recent reports have detailed the presence of autoantibodies characteristic of non-organ specific autoimmune diseases in the serum of patients with autoimmune postpartum thyroiditis (PPT). These observations suggest that PPT could be part of a polyclonal B-cell activation postpartum. We have measured 4 non-organ specific autoantibodies (anti-DNA, anti-cardiolipin, anti-nuclear factor (ANF) and antibodies against extractable nuclear antigens (ENA)) together with autoantibodies against thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase in a group of PPT women at 4 time points during the first year postpartum (early, time of hyperthyroidism, time of hypothyroidism, late). Whilst 18/18 patients showed thyroid specific autoantibody changes there was only a low frequency of occurrence of the non-organ specific autoantibodies (ENA 2/18; ANF 1/18; anti-DNA 2/18; anti-dsDNA 0/18; anti-cardiolipin 0/18) and, when positive, the response was poor. We conclude that PPT is not associated with a polyclonal b-cell activation but is a postpartum rebound of a thyroid specific autoimmune phenomenon.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1991

Interference in thyroid-function tests in postpartum thyroiditis.

Three women are described from a study of patients with postpartum thyroiditis whose sera gave spuriously increased concentrations of free thyroid hormone because of antibody binding of radiolabeled thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) analogs. All of the women showed increased serum concentrations of thyroid autoantibodies. The antibody binding of radiolabeled analogs and its effect on free T4 and free T3 assays disappeared by 48 weeks postpartum. Postpartum women who develop thyroid autoantibodies have approximately 2% prevalence of increased binding of radiolabeled analogs, which can result in an interference in thyroid hormone assays involving T4 and T3 analogs.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1990

Image statistics and the perception of apparent motion.

The short- and long-range apparent motion processes are discussed in terms of the statistical properties of images. It is argued that the short-range process, exemplified by the random-dot kinematogram, is primarily sensitive to the dipole statistics, whereas the long-range process, exemplified by illusory occlusion, is treated by the visual system primarily in terms of the tripole and higher statistical correlation functions. The studies incorporate the balanced dot, which is a unique stimulus element that permits high pass filtering while preserving detailed positional information. Low spatial frequencies are shown to be critical for texture segregation in random-dot kinematograms, independent of the grain size or number density of texture elements. Illusory path perception in the long-range process is shown not to require low spatial frequencies, but is sensitive rather to global temporal phase coherency. These results are interpreted in terms of the respective roles of the power and phase spectra in perceptual organization. The construction of balanced dots is discussed in detail.

Attention↗
PubMed1990

A long-term follow-up of postpartum thyroiditis.

To investigate the long-term outcome of postpartum thyroiditis (PPT), 43 patients with PPT and 171 control women were evaluated 3.5 (range 2-4) years postpartum. Ten (23%) PPT patients were hypothyroid compared to none of the controls (P less than 0.001). Factors associated with the development of hypothyroidism were high antimicrosomal antibody titre measured at 16 weeks gestation (P less than 0.01), severity of hypothyroid phase of PPT, multiparity, and a previous history of spontaneous abortion. The presence of microsomal antibody but no PPT in one pregnancy did not prevent the occurrence of PPT in the next pregnancy in two patients and a further five patients had PPT in two successive pregnancies. There was no association between HLA haplotype, family history of thyroid disease, smoking or frequency of oral contraception, and the development of long-term hypothyroidism after PPT. It is concluded that permanent hypothyroidism is an important sequel to PPT and patients with PPT should be followed up appropriately.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Post-partum thyroiditis can be painful.

A patient with post-partum thyroiditis is described. She was a 22 year old with a negative family history of autoimmune thyroid disease who was noted to have a high titre of antithyroid microsomal antibody during pregnancy. She developed mild hyperthyroidism 8 weeks post-partum but at 12 weeks she had a mildly painful enlarged thyroid gland. At 20 weeks post-partum she had severe thyroidal pain with dysphagia. The thyroid was exquisitely tender to palpation. She was treated with L-thyroxine and the pain resolved within 4 weeks. This is the first report documenting pain in the thyroid as a feature of post-partum thyroiditis.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The effect of chlorhexidine supplementation in a periodontal dressing.

Most commercial periodontal dressings claiming antibacterial activity lose this activity shortly after application. Chlorhexidine (CH) is an antibacterial agent with long-term activity in the oral cavity owing to its substantiveness and slow-release properties. In a double-blind split-mouth-designed clinical trial the effect of incorporating CH acetate in periodontal dressing was tested on wound healing after gingivectomy. Eleven patients, each needing at least two gingivectomies, constituted the test panel. Wound healing, as assessed by bleeding tendency after removal of dressing 7 days postoperatively was significantly delayed when control dressings were applied as compared with test dressings. Variables with regard to patient comfort also yielded results in favor of the test pack. Incorporation of antibacterial agents with high retention and slow release properties in the mouth in surgical dressings seems advantageous.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Spectrophotometric study of the photodecomposition kinetics of nifedipine.

Nifedipine is a photosensitive compound. Irradiation for 4 h under a fluorescent lamp placed 30 cm from a solution of nifedipine in 95% ethanol leads to complete photo-oxidation as determined spectrophotometrically. The disappearance of the reduced form and appearance of the oxidized form is best described by zero-order kinetics at concentrations higher than 4 x 10(-4) M. At lower concentrations pseudo-first order kinetics are followed. Monochromatic irradiation of nifedipine at wavelengths 400 to 700 nm in 25 nm increments showed no change in the absorbance at 280 nm, and, except for a hyperchromic effect at 237 nm, no other spectral changes were observed. Its photo-oxidation was dependent on the intensity of light and increased exponentially as solutions were irradiated progressively closer to a fluorescent light source. The pH studies showed that aqueous solutions of nifedipine photo-oxidized fastest at pH 2.

Drug Stability↗
PubMed1987

Changes in glutathione and its metabolizing enzymes in human erythrocytes and lymphocytes with age.

The levels of glutathione (GSH) and the activities of glutathione S-transferases (GST) and glutathione reductase (GSR) in human erythrocytes and lymphocytes were determined in three age groups (5-12, 25-40, 65-83 years). The levels of GSH in lymphocytes increased with age, however, its levels in erythrocytes reached a maximum in the middle age group. The activity of GST in erythrocytes and lymphocytes changed as a function of age in a pattern similar to the changes found for GSH levels. GSR activity increased from young to middle age in both erythrocytes and lymphocytes, but decreased again in the old age group.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Effect of forskolin on cAMP accumulation and ketogenesis in isolated hepatocytes.

The effect of forskolin on ketogenesis and cAMP accumulation was studied in hepatocytes from euthyroid and hypothyroid rats. Forskolin stimulated ketogenesis, cAMP production and potentiated glucagon-stimulated cAMP accumulation on both euthyroid and hypothyroid groups. The ketogenic effect of glucagon was inhibited by forskolin in both groups. Also, forskolin, glucagon and methylisobutylxanthine (MIX) combined did not significantly increase ketogenesis.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗