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Thyroid cancer in suppressed contralateral lobe of patients with hot thyroid nodule.

We studied 60 patients with thyrotoxicosis due to single toxic nodule. At surgery in 3 patients (5%) a papillary carcinoma has been detected in the contralateral suppressed lobe. Thyroid function tests and thyroid scan confirmed thyrotoxicosis. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was undetectable in all patients. It is common opinion that differentiated thyroid tumour growth is TSH dependent. On the basis of our study two hypotheses are possible: (1) the development of thyroid carcinoma precedes the adenoma and suppressed TSH levels inhibit tumour growth; (2) suppressed TSH levels do not protect patients from the occurrence of cancer. In the evaluation of hot thyroid nodule we suggest careful ultrasonographic control in order to look for nodules outside the adenoma. A complete surgical examination of the whole thyroid gland is required and intraoperative biopsies are advocated in abnormal areas.

Adenoma↗

Lean body mass as a determinant of thyroid size.

OBJECTIVE: Males have a larger thyroid gland than females, and this has been related to the difference in body weight. In view of the different body composition of men and women, we hypothesized that lean body mass is a better determinant of thyroid volume than body weight. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study in an area not deficient in iodine. SUBJECTS: 44 non-obese healthy adults (group I, 21 men, 23 women with equal distribution of sexes in age groups between 21 and 70 years) and 20 adults with marked obesity (group II, 8 men, 12 women, BMI > 30 kg/m2) were studied. None used medication and all had normal thyroid function tests. MEASUREMENTS: Thyroid volume was measured by ultrasonography, and lean body mass with a body impedance analyser. RESULTS: The thyroid volume in men was larger than in women in both groups; it was also larger in the obese than in the non-obese subjects. In the nonobese subjects, thyroid volume was related both to body weight (r = 0.42, P < 0.005) and to lean body mass (r = 0.55, P = 0.0001). In the obese subjects, thyroid volume was no longer related to body weight (r = 0.23, NS) but was still correlated with lean body mass (r = 0.54, P = 0.01). Taking both groups together, the correlation between thyroid volume and lean body mass (r = 0.64, P < 0.001) was stronger than between thyroid volume and body weight (r = 0.50, P < 0.001). Thyroid volume was also related to body length (group I, r = 0.42, P < 0.005; group II, r = 0.54, P = 0.01), but to body-surface area only in the non-obese subjects (group I, r = 0.45, P < 0.01; group II, r = 0.38, NS). The larger thyroid size in the obese was associated with slightly but significantly higher TSH and lower free T4 serum concentrations as compared to the non-obese subjects. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy adults, lean body mass rather than body weight explains the differences in thyroid volume between males and females and between obese and non-obese subjects. Lean body mass appears to be a major determinant of thyroid size.

Adult↗

Low plasma thyroid indices of depressed patients are attenuated by antidepressant drugs and influence treatment outcome.

Decreased turnover of thyroid indices and blunting of TSH release after TRH administration has been associated with depressive disorder. A further decrease in plasma thyroid hormone; during antidepressant treatment has been reported. However, the putative association between the plasma thyroid indices' concentration and response has not been addressed. In the present study 21 depressed inpatients underwent a four-week double blind antidepressant with amitriptyline and mianserin; their plasma thyroid hormone indices (total thyroxine [TT4], free thyroxine [FT4], total triiodothyronine [TT3], free triiodothyronine [FT3], thyrotropin [TSH], and thyroglobulin [TBG]) were quantified to elucidate their involvement in depression and during antidepressant drug treatment. Depressed patients' plasma TSH, when corrected for age, was significantly lower than that of healthy subjects. During antidepressant treatment the entire patient cohort showed a significant decrease in plasma TT4 and FT4 concentrations. Responders showed a significant drop in TT4 FT4, FT3, and T4/TBG, but nonresponders only a decrease in FT4. During mianserin treatment, a decrease was observed in TT4, FT4, FT3, and T4/TBG. FT4 and FT3 baseline levels correlated positively with the improvement in the Hamilton Depression Rating Score (HDRS). These findings show that depressed inpatients' serum TSH levels are within the reference range, but significantly lower than those of healthy subjects, and those patients who turn out to be nonresponders have potentially lower availability of thyroid hormones than responders. Therefore, we hypothesize that in order to assure clinical improvement in depression, an adequate capacity of the thyroid hormone pool is necessary to compensate for the additional antidepressant-provoked decrease in serum thyroid hormone availability.

Adult↗

Metabolic effects of low-dose fluconazole in healthy female users and non-users of oral contraceptives.

1. Azole antifungal agents such as ketoconazole act by inhibiting cytochrome P-450 mediated sterol synthesis in the fungal cell membrane and thus have the potential to interfere with mammalian steroidogenesis. Fluconazole is a novel orally-effective antifungal triazole which has been reported to have more specific effects on the cytochrome P-450 enzymes involved in fungal sterol synthesis. 2. Due to the potential value of systemic antifungal agents in the treatment of infections commonly occurring in women, we assessed the effect of oral fluconazole on the metabolic profile of 18 healthy premenopausal women, 10 of whom were taking combined oral contraceptives (OC). Each woman acted as her own control, being studied both before and 21-28 days after fluconazole therapy (50 mg daily), in the luteal phase of consecutive menstrual cycles. 3. The endocrinological profile included measurement of serum oestradiol, progesterone, testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations, short tetracosactrin adrenal stimulation test and thyroid function tests. Carbohydrate metabolism was investigated by means of an oral glucose tolerance test with measurement of plasma glucose, insulin and C-peptide concentrations. Serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins were analysed on samples taken after an overnight fast. 4. Minor biochemical changes associated with fluconazole treatment included increases in serum thyroxine and testosterone concentrations (but not in women taking OC as well as fluconazole) and in insulin and apolipoprotein B levels (but only in women taking OC as well as fluconazole). In general, these changes were small and of no clinical significance with the values remaining within the laboratory normal range. There were no adverse side-effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Thyrotoxicosis and dyspnoea.

Shortness of breath is a common symptom in thyrotoxicosis and it may have a number of causes. We have studied dyspnoea, skeletal muscle power and respiratory muscle power in eleven patients who had thyrotoxicosis with no evidence of heart failure. Four patients (36.4%) had a marked improvement with treatment in the maximal inspiratory pressure developed at the mouth. All four were breathless and had a proximal myopathy before treatment. This confirms the existence of a group of thyrotoxic patients with a reversible respiratory muscle myopathy which may explain the frequent finding of breathlessness on exertion in such patients.

Adult↗

Achilles tendon reflex in accidental hypothermia and hypothermic myxoedema.

The photomotogram (P.M.G.) of the Achilles tendon reflex was studied in 26 patients with hypothermia (rectal temperature 33.3 degrees C or less), 10 of whom also had myxoedema (serum protein bound iodine 2.8 mug/100 ml or less). No reflex could be elicited in eight (31%) of these patients, including three of those with myxoedema. Hypothermia increases both the contraction and the relaxation times of the reflex, the relaxation phase being particularly prolonged in those with myxoedema. In those patients from whom the reflex was elicited the ratio of the contraction time to the "half-relaxation time" in the P.M.G. was less than unity in six of the seven with myxoedema, and considerably greater than unity in eight of the 11 (73%) who were euthyroid. Thus, analysis of the Achilles tendon reflex P.M.G. correctly predicted the thyroid status in 14 of the 18 hypothermic patients in whom the Achilles tendon reflex was present (78%). The wider use of this rapid test of thyroid function would allow a more rational use of thyroid hormones in hypothermic patients and so lead to a better assessment of their value.

Achilles Tendon↗

Determination of IgG subclasses and avidity of antithyroid peroxidase antibodies in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism - a comparison with patients with overt hypothyroidism.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the immunoglobulin G subclasses of anti-TPO and antibody avidity in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (sH), overt hypothyroidism (H) and a control group (C). METHODS: According to the TSH, fT4 and anti-TPO antibody levels, appraised by immunometric assays, 95 female patients were divided into three groups (sH, H and C). IgG subclass levels and avidity were measured by a homemade ELISA. Results were analyzed by nonparametric tests and Spearman's rank correlation. RESULTS: The predominant IgG subclasses detected in both case groups were IgG1 and IgG4 with a significantly higher level of IgG4 in the sH group. Consequently, the IgG1/IgG4 ratio was significantly lower in sH patients. CONCLUSION: The higher levels of IgG4 anti-TPO reduced significantly the IgG1/IgG4 ratio in sH patients. These results permit to envisage that increasing this ratio could be useful as a positive predictive factor for the development of overt disease in such patients.

Adult↗

Longitudinal study of antibodies against thyroid in patients undergoing interferon-alpha therapy for HCV chronic hepatitis.

Seventy-five patients (50 M, 25 F), affected by chronic hepatitis caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV), without clinically overt thyroid disease, underwent r-interferon (IFN)-alpha-2a treatment (3-6 MU, 3 times/week) for 12 months. They were tested for thyroid function and for thyroid autoantibodies before (A), 6 (B) and 12 (C) months after the beginning of treatment and after 6 (D) months off therapy. Antithyroglobulin antibodies (Tg-Ab) and TSH were measured by IRMA, antiperoxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), free T3 (FT3) and free T4 (FT4) by RIA, thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TR-Ab) by RRA. None of the patients showed TR-Ab positivity throughout the study. The number of the patients with one or both antithyroid antibodies progressively increased during treatment (A 10.7%; B 26.7%; C 45.3%) and decreased when off therapy (D 22.7%) with none of them positive for Tg-Ab alone (TPO-Ab 6.7%; Tg-Ab+TPO-Ab 16%). Tg-Ab increased during rIFN (median: A 29.0; B 35.0; C 73.0 U/ml) but decreased when off therapy (D 29.0 U/ml). Instead, TPO-Ab significantly increased throughout the study (A 1.0; B 3.0; C 6.0; D 7.0 U/ml). However, some patients showed for the first time an appearance of antibodies when off therapy. Five patients showed both antibodies and thyroid dysfunction: 2 at B, 2 at C, and 1 at D. Only 1 developed mild transient hyperthyroidism while the other 4 developed hypothyroidism, persistent however only in 1 case. Our study confirms that rIFN-alpha-2a frequently induces thyroid autoimmunity. TPO-Ab seems more useful than Tg-Ab in monitoring the immunological response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

ACTH deficiency: hypothalamic or pituitary in origin?

The level within the hypothalamic-pituitary axis at which isolated ACTH deficiency occurs, can be more clearly identified by assessing this axis with corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and insulin induced hypoglycaemia. We report a case where lack of response to both tests, suggests a pituitary origin for this rare endocrine deficiency.

Adrenal Cortex Function Tests↗

Tolerability of iohexol after injection into healthy volunteers.

The effects of iohexol, a new non-ionic contrast medium, after intravenous injection into humans are reported. After injection of small doses into 2 subjects, iohexol was injected intravenously into 20 healthy male volunteers in doses of 125 to 500 mg I/kg body weight. A large number of physiologic, biochemical, hematologic and pharmacokinetic parameters were analysed. The results indicated that iohexol was well tolerated and that clinical trials in patients could be undertaken.

Adult↗

Combined therapy of T3, and antidepressants in depression.

Since there are some patient groups whos symptoms do not improve despite the fact that the use of the antidepressants will alleviate the symptoms to some extent, we have conducted a TRH test for depression and found that there are not a few cases who show a low TSH response. We therefore used a small amount of T3 together with the antidepressants in these cases and have found that the therapy is useful for improvement of tye symptoms. When the TRH test is made at the time of improvement of the symptoms due to the combined use of these two drugs and compared with the state at pre-treatment, it has been confirmed that the TSH response will go back to normal. Hence, we would like to present here two markedly improved cases due to the combined use of imipramine and clomipramine plus T, and to refer to the result of the TRH test.

Adolescent↗