Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “THYROID DISEASES”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 595 records · Page 33Linked to original sources

Thyroid disease in the elderly. Part 1. Prevalence of undiagnosed hypothyroidism.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of previously unrecognized hypothyroidism in elderly patients. METHODS: The study was conducted in a primary care geriatrics clinic. Three hundred seventy elderly patients (287 women, 83 men) between 60 and 97 years of age were included in the study. Medical records of patients were reviewed retrospectively. Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (T4), height, weight, demographic variables, clinical signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, history of thyroid diseases and treatment with thyroid medications, comorbidities, and current medications were obtained from the medical records. Patients who had both elevated TSH levels (5.0 to 14.9 microU/mL) and normal free T4 levels (0.7 to 2.0 ng/dL) met the criteria for "subclinical hypothyroidism." The criteria for "overt hypothyroidism" were TSH levels > or = 15 microU/mL and low free T4 levels (< 0.7 ng/dL). RESULTS: At the initial visit to the clinic, 18.1% of the patients (62 female and 5 male) had an established history of past or current thyroid disease. Another 20 women (5.4%) had a history of thyroid surgery. Of the remaining 283 patients with no history of thyroid disease, 14.6% of the women and 15.4% of the men had subclinical hypothyroidism. Overt hypothyroidism was discovered and subsequently treated in two female patients and one male patient (1.0% and 1.3%, respectively). Thyroid status was not significantly related to age group (60 to 64 years; 65 to 74; 75 to 84; 85 and older). Comorbidities typically associated with hypothyroidism were no more prevalent in hypothyroid patients than in euthyroid patients. CONCLUSIONS: We found a high prevalence of newly diagnosed subclinical hypothyroidism in both elderly male and female patients. Thyroid status was not related to age or to coexisting diseases. The clinical significance of treating subclinical hypothyroidism merits investigation.

Aged↗

Incidences of antibodies to Yersinia enterocolitica: high incidence of serotype O5 in autoimmune thyroid diseases in Japan.

Antibodies to Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O3, O5, O6 and O9 were measured by the micro-agglutination method in 445 healthy subjects and patients with Grave's disease (n = 70), Hashimoto's disease (n = 45) and thyroid tumor (n = 29). In contrast to previous reports, the incidence of antibodies to serotype O3 in each group of patients with thyroid diseases was not significantly different from that in healthy subjects. However, the incidence of antibodies to serotype O5 was significantly higher in patients with Graves' disease (81.4%, P less than 0.001) and Hashimoto's disease (91.1%, P less than 0.001) than in healthy subjects (258.9%). Significantly increased incidence of antibodies to serotypes O6 and O9 was observed only in patients with Hashimoto's disease (40.0% and 51.1% vs healthy subjects 24.7% and 29.9%, respectively). Patients with thyroid tumor showed no increase in any serotype of Yersinia enterocolitica. No correlations was found between the titers of anti-Yersinia antibodies and anti-thyroglobulin or anti-microsomal antibodies. These data indicate an association between thyroid autoimmunity and antibodies to Yersinia enterocolitica. These results are different from those in reports from other countries, suggesting that serotype specificity may be influenced by racial or genetic factors.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

Thyroid disease associated with exposure to the Nevada nuclear weapons test site radiation: a reevaluation based on corrected dosimetry and examination data.

BACKGROUND: A study was begun in 1965 to 1966 to determine whether children exposed to radioactive iodine from nuclear weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site from 1951 through 1962 were at higher risk of thyroid disease. In 1993, we reported that among those examined in 1985 to 1986 (Phase II) there was an association between radiation from the Nevada Test Site and thyroid neoplasms. METHODS: We reevaluated the relationship between exposure to Nevada Test Site fallout and thyroid disease using newly corrected dose estimates and disease outcomes from the Phase II study. A prospective cohort of school children 12 to 18 years old living in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona was first examined for thyroid disease in 1965 to 1966 and reexamined in 1985 to 1986. In the Phase II report, 2497 subjects formed the basis for this analysis. Thyroid disease, including thyroid neoplasms and thyroiditis, was expressed as cumulative incidence and risk ratios (RRs) with a dose-response expressed as excess risk ratio (ERR/Gy). RESULTS: The RR between thyroid radiation dose in the highest dose group and thyroid neoplasms increased from 3.4 (in the earlier analysis) to 7.5. The RR for thyroiditis increased from 1.1 to 2.7 with an ERR/Gy of 4.9 (95% confidence interval = 2.0 to 10.0). There were too few malignant thyroid neoplasms to estimate risk. CONCLUSIONS: Persons exposed to radioactive iodine as children have an increased risk of thyroid neoplasms and autoimmune thyroiditis up to 30 years after exposure.

Adolescent↗

Cellular immune responses in autoimmune thyroid disease.

Recent research in autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) has largely focused on delineation of the autoantigens and their epitopes, but there is now renewed interest in the immunoregulatory properties of T cells, an understanding of which may explain the emergence of AITD in experimental settings. T cell recognition of autoantigens has shown considerable intra- and interindividual heterogeneity, and a mixed pattern of cytokine production indicates that both the Th1 and Th2 limbs of the helper T cell response are involved in all types of AITD. It is now clear that secretion of chemokines and cytokines within the thyroid accounts for the accumulation and expansion of the intrathyroidal lymphocyte pool, and that the thyroid cells themselves contribute to this secretion. The thyroid cells also produce a number of proinflammatory molecules which will tend to exacerbate the autoimmune process. Thyroid cell destruction in autoimmune hypothyroidism is dependent on T cell-mediated cytotoxicity with the likely additional effect of death receptor-mediated apoptosis.

Autoantigens↗

Long-term pathologic changes of alpha1-acid glycoprotein (orosomucoid) glycoforms in autoimmune thyroid disease.

OBJECTIVE: We measured alpha1-acid-glycoprotein (AGP) in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease to study a possible relationship between microheterogeneity of the naturally occurring glycoforms of AGP and autoimmune thyroid disease. DESIGN, PATIENTS, MEASUREMENTS: In a group of 12 fasting thyrotoxic patients (11 females, mean age: 43 years) with newly diagnosed Graves' disease (subgroup 1), we measured serum concentrations of total AGP and its 3 glycoforms (micromol/l, crossed affinity immunoelectrophoresis with con A in the first dimension gel) as well as total thyroxine, total triiodothyronine, thyrotropine, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-TPO), antibodies against the TSH receptor (TRAb, TRAK), at baseline and after 12 months of antithyroid drug therapy (ATD). For comparison, 4 subgroups of thyroid patients (patients with Graves' disease and thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) (subgroup 2, n = 10), radioiodine treated Graves' patients (subgroup 3, n = 7), Graves' patients without TAO (subgroup 4, n = 13), patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (subgroup 5, n = 8)) and 25 normal controls (17 females, mean age: 38 years) were studied. RESULTS: In subgroups of TRAb positive Graves patients' serum levels of glycoform 1, 2 or 3 increased significantly (p < 0.005) after 12 months of ATD as compared to both baseline of that person or normal controls. No significant changes were found in the TRAb negative Hashimoto subgroup. CONCLUSION: Patients with autoimmune Graves' disease changed their relationship to AGP, and thus a role of AGP and its 3 glycoforms is suggested in the pathogenesis of Graves' disease.

Blood Proteins↗

High prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: An association between thyroid disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been reported, yet the pathogenetic relationship between these conditions remains unclear. Because immune system dysfunction may underlie this association, we sought to determine the prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) in patients with PAH. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective observational study at a single academic institution. PATIENTS: Sixty-three consecutive adults with PAH (ie, sustained pulmonary artery systolic pressure, > 25 mm Hg) were evaluated for clinical, biochemical, and serologic features of AITD. MEASUREMENTS: Thyroid gland dysfunction was determined by clinical examination for goiter, and by biochemical measurements of thyrotropin and free thyroxine. Immune system dysfunction was determined by serologic measurements of antibodies to thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase. First-degree family history of AITD also was ascertained in order to investigate for genetic clustering of autoimmunity. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients (49%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 37 to 62%) received diagnoses of AITD. Eighteen patients were newly diagnosed, and 9 patients required the initiation of pharmacologic treatment. There was no chronologic relationship between the diagnosis or treatment of PAH and that of AITD. Sixteen patients (25%; 95% CI, 15 to 36%) had 24 first-degree family members with AITD. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately half of the patients with PAH have concomitant AITD. These two conditions may be linked by a common immunogenetic susceptibility, and the elucidation of this association may advance the understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of PAH. Systematic surveillance for occult thyroid dysfunction in patients with PAH may prevent the hemodynamic exacerbation of right heart failure.

Adult↗

Evidence for a potential common T-cell epitope between human thyroid peroxidase and human thyroglobulin with implications for the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease.

In order to explore the possibility that, in autoimmune thyroid disease, anti-thyroglobulin (Tg) and anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies arise concurrently because they share a common T-cell epitope, we performed a detailed comparative analysis of the cDNA nucleotide sequences corresponding to these two genes. We discovered an 8 amino acid region (Leu-Ser-Glu-Asp-Leu-Leu-Ser- Ile in human TPO) in which there were 6 identical and 2 conserved amino acid residues when compared with human Tg. This remarkably similar region is near the amino-terminus of human TPO (residues 119-126) and the carboxyl-terminus of human Tg (residues 2763-2770). A second feature of interest was that this region of homology conforms to the Rothbard algorithm for a T-cell epitope. Third, probing of the Swiss-protein data bank (10,008 proteins containing 2,952,765 amino acids) with the human TPO region revealed greater homology for human Tg than for any other eukaryotic protein. Two bacterial proteins (E. coli aminopeptidase N and stringent starvation protein) had higher homology scores from human TPO than did human Tg. Our findings provide circumstantial evidence that human TPO and human Tg, and possibly certain bacterial proteins, do indeed share common T-cell epitopes that may play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Pustulosis palmoplantaris and chronic eczematous hand dermatitis. Treatment, epidermal Langerhans cells and association with thyroid disease.

Long-standing hand and foot dermatoses, e.g. pustulosis palmoplantaris (PPP) and chronic eczematous hand dermatitis, severely affect the patients' quality of life. The cause of PPP is unknown and the disease usually responds unsatisfactorily to treatment. The aims of the studies of PPP were to determine the prevalence of thyroid disease and to evaluate the relative merits of treatment with etretinate, psoralen photochemotherapy (PUVA), and a combination of the two. Furthermore, epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) were quantified in lesional skin before and after treatment. The prevalence of thyroid disease was significantly increased in a group of PPP patients compared to normal individuals and psoriasis patients. Both hypo and hyperthyroidism were found. In addition, circulating autoantibodies to thyroid antigens were more common in patients with PPP than in the control group. The thyroid status was further examined in a new and larger group of PPP patients, including a 4-year follow-up examination of those with thyroid antibodies or subclinical thyroid dysfunction. The increased prevalence of thyroid diseases was corroborated when this PPP group was compared to an age and sex-matched control population sample from the same city. Some patients also showed biochemical evidence of gastric autoimmunity. Ninetyfour percent of the PPP patients were smokers at the time of onset of the skin disease, compared to 33% of the subjects in a control group. Patients with treatment-resistant PPP were recruited for a randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. A combination of etretinate and PUVA was more effective than monotherapy with etretinate or PUVA. The latter were equally effective. Etretinate frequently provoked side effects. Follow-up examinations showed a high relapse rate. Epidermal LC were visualised with monoclonal antibodies to Leu 6 and HLA-DR antigens utilizing an immunoperoxidase technique. Their number was increased in lesional skin. The number of HLA-DR positive LC was decreased following etretinate, and normalised with etretinate + PUVA. Chronic eczematous hand dermatitis is a common clinical challenge. These studies aimed at an evaluation of PUVA and UVB phototherapy in patients with recalcitrant lesions and to enumerate epidermal LC before and after treatment. PUVA was a highly effective mode of treatment and cleared all treated hands. UVB was better than no treatment but the dermatitis did not clear in any patient. The number of epidermal LC was increased in lesional palmar skin in both allergic contact dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis and hyperkeratotic dermatitis of the palms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

Anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease: possible identity with anti-microsomal antibody.

Thyroid microsomal antigen and peroxidase (TPO) have a close intracellular anatomical relationship, especially in exocytotic vesicles. We considered that antibodies to microsomal antigen might react with TPO and therefore looked for the presence of antibodies against TPO in the serum of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). TPO was prepared from Graves' thyroid glands, solubilized by n-octyl glucoside, and its activity was assayed by the guaiacol method. Control sera and sera with a positive microsomal hemagglutination test (MCHA(+) ) were assayed for their ability to precipitate TPO activity by incubation of sera with TPO and protein A. We identified MCHA(+) sera which caused precipitation of TPO activity, and the extent of precipitation was related to the amount of serum added. A significant correlation was present between this anti-peroxidase activity and microsomal antibodies titers, measured by a micro-ELISA method. Affinity columns prepared from immunoglobulins of MCHA(+) sera, coupled to Reacti-Gel (6X), bound TPO activity, whereas using control IgG the recovery in the unbound fraction was high. These data provide evidence of antibodies against thyroid peroxidase in the serum of patients with AITD and suggest a close link between microsomal antigen and thyroid peroxidase.

Antibodies↗

Acid thyroglobulin protease activities in human diseased thyroid glands.

The lysosomal acid protease is thought to be a main enzyme in hydrolysis of thyroglobulin. The protease activity of lysosome-rich fractions of various diseased thyroid glands were assayed by the sensitive and reproducible method developed in our laboratory. They included 78 diseased thyroid glands; 37 thyrotoxic goitres, five irradiated thyroids, five Hashimoto's thyroiditis, one granulomatous thyroiditis, six multinodular goitres, 14 'cold' adenomas, four 'hot' adenomas with three paranodular tissues, and six carcinomas. Fifteen paranodular tissues of cold and solitary thyroid nodules were served as controls. The protease activities were significantly increased in thyroid tissues of thyrotoxic goitres, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, adenomas and adenocarcinomas. In thyrotoxic goitres, the protease activity correlated well with the mean area size of colloid follicles. The 'hot' adenomas had higher protease activity than 'cold' ones. The protease activity of multinodular goitres was nearly normal. Only the irradiated thyroid glands had low protease activities. Therefore the high protease activities in hyperfunctioning goitres seem to reflect hormone secretory activities. On the other hand, cold neoplastic goitres seem to have lysosomal protease activities which are not associated with thyroidal secretory process. The assay of acid protease activity will be useful to understand the pathophysiology of lysosomal system in diseased thyroid glands.

Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases↗

The pathology of autoimmune thyroid disease: a review.

Lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid gland is the pathologic hallmark of autoimmune thyroid disease. Lymphoid cells are seen in the stroma of glands affected by Graves' disease. However, large lymphoid infiltrates are characteristic of that spectrum of diseases conveniently termed chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. In this review, the pathology of the various subtypes of chronic thyroiditis is enumerated, including recently defined lesions, i.e., painless thyroiditis, thyroiditis associated with interleukin chemotherapy, and peritumor thyroiditis are reviewed. The unifying morphologic characteristics seen in these conditions are discussed.

Chronic Disease↗

Thyroid disease: pathophysiology and diagnosis.

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that is located in the front of the neck just above the trachea; it weighs approximately 15 g to 20 g in the adult human. The thyroid produces and releases into the circulation at least two potent hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), that influence basal metabolic processes or enhance oxygen consumption in nearly all body tissues. Thyroid hormones also influence linear growth; brain function, including intelligence and memory; neural development; dentition; and bone development.

Humans↗

Ultrastructural localization of endogenous peroxidase activity in benign thyroid diseases.

Ultrastructural localization of endogenous thyroid peroxidase under benign pathological conditions such as toxic diffuse goiter, non-toxic multinodular goiter, and adenoma, and in normal tissue was studied. Peroxidase activity was visualized by a cytochemical reaction for electron microscopy. In toxic diffuse goiters and most non-toxic multinodular goiters, reaction product for peroxidase was observed not only in the cytoplasm but also at the external surface of microvilli of follicular cells. In normal thyroid tissues and adenomas, peroxidase was visualized only in the cytoplasm. Peroxidase activity at the external surface of microvilli of the follicular cells was found in the tissues obtained from the goiters which showed "hot" radioiodine scintigram. These findings suggest that follicles with peroxidase activity at the external surface of microvilli in non-toxic multinodular goiter are "autonomous follicles" and that peroxidase at the external surface of microvilli plays some role in active iodine uptake.

Adenoma↗

Value of re-aspirations in benign nodular thyroid disease.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the most useful procedure for the evaluation of thyroid nodules. The requirement for repeated aspirations in the follow-up of benign nodular thyroid disease, however, is controversial. To determine the value of re-aspirations in benign nodular thyroid disease, we studied 457 fine-needle reaspirations performed on 216 patients (197 female, 19 male) aged 42.9+/-12 years with uninodular (n = 65) and multinodular (n = 151) thyroid disease. Two hundred fifty-seven of these were second, 137 were third, 46 were fourth, and 17 were fifth re-aspirations of the same nodule, performed in a mean follow-up time of 43.9+/-31 (3-156) months. FNAC results were benign in 407 (89%), insufficient for diagnosis in 31 (6.8%), suspicious in 16 (3.5%), and papillary carcinoma (PC) in 3 (0.7%). An initial benign diagnosis did not change after multiple aspirations in 213 (98.61%) of the cases. Three patients with initial aspirations read as benign had a diagnosis of PC from their second biopsies, (diagnosis confirmed at surgery). Re-examination of the initial FNAC revealed atypical features in 1 of the 3 patients. These 3 patients likely represent a false-negative result of the initial FNAC rather than benign nodular disease transformed to a malignant one during the follow-up period. In conclusion, a second aspiration of clinically suspicious nodules may correct a few initial false-negative results, but routine additional re-aspirations are not useful for clinically stable disease.

Adult↗

Detection of thyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase, and RET/PTC1 mRNA transcripts in the peripheral blood of patients with thyroid disease.

PURPOSE: Detection of mRNA transcripts for thyroglobulin (TG), thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and RET/PTC1 in the peripheral blood of patients with thyroid disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: TG, TPO, and RET/PTC1 mRNA were analyzed in 52 peripheral-blood samples from 44 patients diagnosed with thyroid carcinoma (24 patients), adenoma (five patients), and nodular hyperplasia (15 patients) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: TG and TPO were identified in 13 patients (54.2%) with thyroid carcinoma, which includes five of eight patients with no clinical evidence of disease at the time of blood collection. Four of 5 patients had cervical lymph node metastases and/or extrathyroid extension at the time of the initial surgery. RET/PTC1 mRNA was detected in the peripheral blood of only one patient with papillary thyroid carcinoma. This sample was also positive for TG and TPO. TG and TPO were detected in two patients (10%) with benign thyroid nodules. All positive samples from patients with benign thyroid lesions were collected before surgery, whereas all samples collected after surgery were negative. RET/PTC1 mRNA was not detected in any of the patients with benign thyroid nodules. RT-PCR positivity for TG and TPO mRNA was higher in patients with carcinoma than in patients with benign lesions (P = .002). CONCLUSION: TG, TPO, and RET/PTC1 mRNA are detectable in the peripheral blood of patients with thyroid disease, which correlates with a diagnosis of carcinoma.

Adolescent↗

[Ultrasonic and scintigraphic diagnosis of thyroid diseases].

The paper is concerned with the results of ultrasonic scanning and scintigraphy in various thyroid diseases and neck tumors on the basis of an analysis of the results of the examination of 133 patients and 18 controls. The efficacy of ultrasonic and scintigraphic investigations in some thyroid diseases as well as their comparative informative value in the assessment of anatomotopographic, structural and functional peculiarities of the thyroid were demonstrated. A combined approach to the use of the above methods was substantiated and their priority was indicated.

Adult↗

[Color-coded Doppler sonography in thyroid diseases: initial experiences].

The thyroid gland was investigated in 43 persons (12 healthy volunteers, 31 patients with diseases of the thyroid gland) with a new colour Doppler system (angiodynography). In euthyroid persons (normal thyroid gland, diffuse or multinodular goitre) only a few vessels were detected. In cases with Graves' disease however, hypervascularization was evident. Autonomous adenomas had a hypervascular periphery, whereas our two carcinomas showed a high vascularisation in the nodule. Angiodynography might become an important diagnostic tool for the evaluation of thyroid glands. The number of radionuclide studies and punctures might be limited.

Color↗

Reactivity of anti-thyroid antibodies to thyroglobulin tryptic fragments: comparison of autoimmune and non-autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Studies concerning the antigenicity of thyroglobulin fragments allow the characterization of the epitopes but do not consider the role of heavier antigenic fragments that could result in vivo from the action of endoproteases. Here we assess the relative importance of the fragments obtained from thyroglobulin by limited proteolysis with trypsin and compare by immunoblotting their reactivity to serum from patients with autoimmune (Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis) and non-autoimmune (subacute thyroiditis) disease. The results showed no difference in frequency of recognition of any peptide by sera from patients with autoimmune thyroiditis. In contrast, sera from patients with subacute thyroiditis reacted more frequently with a peptide of 80 kDa. These results suggest the presence of antibody subpopulations directed at fragments produced in vivo by enzymatic cleavage of thyroglobulin. This fragment and antibodies to it may represent markers for subacute thyroiditis.

Antibodies↗