Comparison of efficacy and safety of parenteral versus parenteral and oral glucocorticoid therapy in Graves' orbitopathy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The most effective and safe treatment protocol for Graves' orbitopathy (GO) needs to be further assessed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy, safety and outcome of parenteral versus parenteral and oral glucocorticoid (GC) protocols in euthyroid patients with untreated and active moderate to severe GO. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study in 140 patients comparing intravenous GC pulses only (IVGC group, 74 patients, 51 ± 11 years) with historical controls of combined oral and intravenous GC therapy (CombGC group, 66 patients, 49 ± 10 years, P = ns). IVGC therapy included infusions of 500 mg of methylprednisolone weekly for the first six weeks, followed by infusions of 250 mg weekly for the remaining six weeks (cumulative dose 4.5 g). CombGC therapy included 500 mg of methylprednisolone in 500 mL of saline solution for two alternative days, followed by oral prednisone tapering dose repeated each month for the next 5 months (cumulative dose 10.2 g). RESULTS: The overall success of the treatment was 43/66 (65%) in the CombGC group and 37/73 (51%, P = .071) in the IVGC group. Deterioration of GO developed in four (6%) patients during CombGC therapy and in nine (12%, P = .214) patients during IVGC therapy. After 6 months, relapse of GO was observed in 10/37 (26%) in the IVGC group, whereas none of the patients in CombGC had a relapse (P < .001). There were significantly more side effects in the CombGC versus IVGC group (49/66, 74% vs 28/74, 38%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that CombGC therapy was more efficient with significantly less relapse rate, but with more side effects in comparison to IVGC therapy.

Variability of HOMA and QUICKI insulin sensitivity indices.

Assessment of insulin sensitivity based on a single measurement of insulin and glucose, is both easy to understand and simple to perform. The tests most often used are HOMA and QUICKI. The aim of this study was to assess the biological variability of estimates of insulin sensitivity using HOMA and QUICKI indices. After a 12-h fast, blood was sampled for insulin and glucose determination. Sampling lasted for 90 min with an intersample interval of 2 min. A total of 56 subjects were included in the study, and in nine subjects sampling was done before and after weight reduction, so total number of analyzed series was 65. To compute the reference value of the insulin sensitivity index, averages of all 46 insulin and glucose samples were used. We also computed point estimates (single value estimates) of the insulin sensitivity index based on the different number of insulin/glucose samples (1-45 consecutive samples). To compute the variability of point estimates a bootstrapping procedure was used using 1000 resamples for each series and for each number of samples used to average insulin and glucose. Using a single insulin/glucose sample HOMA variability was 26.18 ± 4.31%, and QUICKI variability was 3.30 ± 0.54%. For 10 samples variability was 11.99 ± 2.22% and 1.62 ± 0.31% respectively. Biological variability of insulin sensitivity indices is significant, and it can be reduced by increasing the number of samples. Oscillations of insulin concentration in plasma are the major cause of variability of insulin sensitivity indices.

[Employment opportunities and job satisfaction in the field of Public Health: a survey among recent graduates of the Hygiene and Preventive Medicine residency in Italy]. / Sbocchi professionali, aspettative e gratificazioni dei neo-specialisti in Igiene e Medicina Preventiva: risultati di un'indagine nazionale.

We conducted an on-line survey among 255 specialists in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine in Italy who completed their training between October 2014 and July 2016, to assess their training experience, employment opportunities and current job satisfaction. Response rate was 49%. Mean age was 35 years. A high employment rate within two years from obtaining specialist qualification was reported by the 125 specialists who completed the questionnaire (76% are currently employed). The three main work settings of the participating specialists are hospital health directions (37%), universities (19%) and local Prevention Departments (16%). Two thirds (66%) have temporary positions and only 6% permanent positions. Job, pay, and training satisfaction are often below expectations with geographical differences that would need to be further investigated.

Challenges in interpretation of thyroid hormone test results.

INTRODUCTION: In interpreting thyroid hormones results it is preferable to think of interference and changes in concentration of their carrier proteins. OUTLINE OF CASES: We present two patients with discrepancy between the results of thyroid function tests and clinical status. The first case presents a 62-year-old patient with a nodular goiter and Hashimoto thyroiditis. Thyroid function test showed low thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and normal to low fT4. By determining thyroid status (TSH, T4, fT4,T3, fT3) in two laboratories, basal and after dilution, as well as thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), it was concluded that the thyroid hormone levels were normal. The results were influenced by heterophile antibodies leading to a false lower TSH level and suspected secondary hypothyroidism.The second case, a 40-year-old patient, was examined and followed because of the variable size thyroid nodule and initially borderline elevated TSH, after which thyroid status showed low level of total thyroid hormones and normal TSH. Based on additional analysis it was concluded that low T4 and T3 were a result of low TBG. It is a hereditary genetic disorder with no clinical significance. CONCLUSION: Erroneous diagnosis of thyroid disorders and potentially harmful treatment could be avoided by proving the interference or TBG deficiency whenever there is a discrepancy between the thyroid function results and the clinical picture.