Urinary bone resorption markers (deoxypyridinoline and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen) in healthy persons, postmenopausal osteoporosis and patients with type I diabetes.

PURPOSE: Deoxypyridinoline (DPD) is a derivative of hydroxypyridinium, which is released during bone resorption into the blood stream and is eliminated unmodified with urine. A further collagen-derived marker of bone resorption is the C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (beta-CTX-I, here abbreviated as CTX), which is released in bone resorption and almost entirely excreted by the kidneys. The aim of our study was to investigate different well-described patient groups as well as normal probands in view of differences and expected correlations of these two parameters: patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and healthy control persons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used a solid-phase chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay (Pyrilinks D-IMMULITE) for urinary DPD measurement and for the assessment of urinary CTX we used a quantitative ELISA (Osteometer Biotec A-S, CrossLaps ELISA). RESULTS: We found a highly significant correlation between both parameters in the group of healthy persons (r = 0.75, p < 0.05, n = 28) as well as in the group of patients with diabetes mellitus type I (r = 0.79, p < 0.05, n = 65). Also, a significant correlation was observed between DPD and CTX (r = 0.583, p < 0.05, n = 88) in the group of female osteoporotic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Despite good correlations between DPD and CTX in all of the investigated groups, these urinary markers were of limited diagnostic significance in the group of postmenopausal osteoporosis due to a wide spread (few patients showed concentrations above the range of healthy persons) in this newly diagnosed drug-naïve patient collective.

Telerobotic-assisted laparoscopic spleen-preserving partial resection of the pancreatic tail for insulinoma.

Laparoscopic pancreatic resection is rarely described. Telerobotic-assisted laparoscopy may offer some advantages for resection of the pancreatic tail. A 49-year-old woman was diagnosed with insulinoma located in the pancreatic tail. Telerobotic-assisted laparoscopic spleen-preserving resection of the pancreatic tail was performed. Operation time was 195 minutes. The postoperative course was uneventful. The previously described advantages of a telerobotic approach with extended range of motion and three-dimensional view make more complex operations like pancreatic resection possible and may offer extended indications for laparoscopic surgery.

Bone mineral density changes and bone turnover in thyroid carcinoma patients treated with supraphysiologic doses of thyroxine.

The aim of this one-year prospective study was to determine whether longterm thyroxine treatment is a risk factor for elevated bone turnover, loss of bone mass and subsequent development of osteoporosis. Premenopausal women (N = 19), and men (N = 9) suffering from differentiated thyroid gland carcinoma in the mean age of 39.0 +/- 8.0 years and 41.8 +/- 10.0 years were investigated. All of them had undergone a total thyroidectomy and subsequent thyroxine therapy. The duration of the TSH-suppressive therapy prior to the the beginning of our study was 9.4 +/- 6.4 years in the female and 8.1 +/- 6.0 years in the male group. The prospective observation was performed by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the spine and the femoral neck and by single-photon absorptiometry (SPA) at the distal radius. Laboratory testings included thyroid hormones T3, T4 and TSH, serum calcium, phosphate and PTH, and urinary calcium and phosphate from spontaneous and 24-hour urine samples. Markers of bone formation (osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase and PICP) and resorption (Ca/Cr and ICTP) were determined. Statistically significant loss of bone mass was observed only on the distal radius in males (p<0.05). At the lumbar spine and femoral neck, only a minor bone loss was registered in a small number of patients. Almost 50 % of the females showed values above the reference range. In more than 30 % of the females, and smaller number of male patients, ICTP values ranged above the reference range, corresponding to elevated bone turnover. These two variables exhibited a slight correlation with bone density at the measured skeletal areas, mostly considering the male group. The results are a proof that accelerated bone turnover and subsequent bone loss occurs during TSH-suppressive thyroxine therapy. In future prospective studies a prolonged time of observation will be necessary, as well as to increase the number of studied patients, in order to better assess the relative risk of osteoporosis in patients undergoing TSH-suppressive treatment more precisely.

Isolation of thyroid cells obtained by fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

Usually thyroid cells isolated from tissue obtained by surgery or thyroid cell lines are used to investigate the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases. Isolation and cultivation of thyrocytes from fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) has not yet been published. The aim of this study was to isolate and cultivate thyrocytes from samples of FNAB. FNAB samples were obtained from nine adults and nine children with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). The aspiration material was filtered resulting in small samples of tissue on the surface of the filter membrane. These tissue fragments were digested by collagenase I and dispase II. The yielding cells were cultivated for 3 weeks in Ham's F12 Kaighn's Modification medium in presence of 1 mU/mL bovine thyrotropin (TSH), 10 microg/mL human insulin, 6 microg/mL transferrin, and 10(-8) M hydrocortisone. Finally, isolated thyroid cells were characterized by determination of gene expression of thyrotropin receptor (TSHR), thyroperoxidase (TPO), and thyroglobulin (Tg) using a nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Thyroid cells obtained by FNAB can be maintained over a time period of approximately 3 weeks. Depending on the sample size a final number of 1000-14,000 cells was gained per FNAB. In addition, all cells isolated by the described method expressed TPO mRNA. TSHR mRNA was found in 4 samples, whereas 15 samples were Tg mRNA-positive. There were no differences with respect to the expression TSHR and TPO mRNA between samples from adults and children. The isolation and cultivation of thyroid cells obtained by FNAB has been established. In contrast to surgical specimen, this technique provides an easy access to thyrocytes derived from individual patients allowing repeated sampling to investigate the time progression of the chronic disease or the effect of treatment over time.

[Hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma--genotype-phenotype characterization]. / Hereditäres medulläres Schilddrüsenkarzinom--Genotyp-Phänotyp Charakterisierung.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is caused by germline mutations of the RET proto-oncogene. A genotype - phenotype correlation has been established, showing clustering of mutations in exons 10 and 11 in classical MEN 2 A syndrome, in exon 16 codon 918 in MEN 2 B syndrome and in exons 13-15 in familial MTC. A line of evidence suggested that the development and the aggressiveness of MTC in the different cancer syndromes is variable. Aim of this study was to compare the phenotype of exon 13-15 mutations with that of exon 11 mutation and possibly draw therapeutical consequences. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared the phenotype of 47 patients with mutations in exon 13-15 with 66 patients with exon 11, codon 634 mutation, the classical MEN2A. Patients were further subdivided as index and screening patients. RESULTS: Mean age of 19 index patients with codon 790, 791, 804 or 891 mutation was significant higher compared with 18 index patients with codon 634 mutation (mean age at diagnosis 50+/-12 years; range 30-69 y vs mean age 31+/-9 years; range 17-49 y), tumor stage at operation was favourable (C-cell hyperplasia n = 1; stage I n = 8; II n = 3; III n = 2; IV n = 2; no operation n = 1; no information n = 2 vs stage I n = 3; stage II n = 6; stage III n = 4, no information n =5), cure rate was better (56 % vs 38 %) and the death rate was lower (n = 2 vs n = 4). In screening patients no differences concerning the age, tumor stage, cure and death rate between patients with exons 13-15 and codon 634 mutations were seen. CONCLUSIONS: MTC in patients with exon 790, 791, 804, 891 mutations displayed a late onset and an indolent course compared to codon 634 mutation, this has to be taken into account when recommending timing and extent of prophylactic surgery.

[Optimal recurrence prevention of iodine deficiency related goiter after thyroid gland operation. A prospective clinical study]. / Optimale Rezidivprophylaxe der Jodmangelstruma nach Schilddrüsenoperation. Eine prospektive klinische Studie.

In summary the data of our study show: (1) Sonographically determined thyroid volume of patients with euthyroidism after surgery is found to be significantly lower with a combination therapy (iodide 150 microgram +Levothyroxine 75 microgram) compared to patients with iodide monotherapy (200 microgram). (2) Thyroid volume of patients with hypothyroidism after surgery is found to be significantly lower during a combination therapy (150 microgram iodide + 75 microgram L-thyroxine) compared to patients with a Levothyroxine monotherapy. (3) Patients with hypothyroidism and Levothyroxine monotherapy, however present with a significant increase of thyroid volume after surgery. (4) Urinary iodide excretion in the treatment groups with iodide or combination therapy increases significantly during therapy, however, patients with Levothyroxine monotherapy do not show changes. (5) Thyroid function is well stabilized in all treatment groups with adequate controls and adjustment of Levothyoxine dosage. There data clearly demonstrate that the combination therapy with Levothyoxine and iodide significantly improves prophylaxis of goiter recurrence.

[Autoimmune thyroiditis. Treatment with thyroid gland hormones in subclinical hypothyroidism or already in euthyroid state?]. / Autoimmunthyreoiditis. Behandlung mit Schilddrüsenhormonen bei subklinischer Hypothyreose oder schon bei Euthyreose?

In patients with subclinical hypothyroidism thyroid hormone therapy should be recommended more often with respect to analysis of effectiveness and risks. There is no cost-difference between treated patients and those who undergo thyroid hormone controls only, but thyroid hormone therapy probably induces improvement of clinical and laboratory parameters and reduction of cardiovascular risk factors. These therapeutic effects have to be elucidated in clinical prospective studies. Thyroid hormone therapy of patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and still euthyroid function obviously inhibits the autoimmune process and development of hypothyroidism. A final recommendation, however, can be given after the data of clinical studies with larger populations are available.

Detection of thyroid peroxidase mRNA in peripheral blood of patients with malignant and benign thyroid diseases.

The aim of this study was to evaluate thyroid peroxidase (TPO) mRNA expression in peripheral blood of patients with benign and malignant thyroid disease. Included were 120 thyroid cancer patients, 85 patients with goitre or Graves' disease (GD) and 54 healthy volunteers. TPO mRNA expression was analysed in peripheral blood by nested RT-PCR. In cancer patients, RT-PCR results were compared with staging, grading and serum thyroglobulin (TG) measurement. TPO transcripts were detected in 7/10 (70%) patients with known metastases of thyroid cancer and in 39 of 110 (36%) patients without metastases (P<0.05), in 15/44 (34%) patients with goitre, in 17/41 (41%) cases with GD and in 4/54 (7.4%) subjects in the control group (P<0.05, controls vs all patients with thyroid disease). Among cancer patients without metastatic disease, RT-PCR results correlated positively with lymph node status (P=0.05), grading (P=0.01) and elevated serum thyroglobulin levels (P=0.03). This is the largest study investigating the use of the TPO-RT-PCR assay. Positivity in TPO-RT-PCR correlates significantly with metastatic disease in cancer patients and with the presence of thyroid disease in general. To date, TPO-RT-PCR cannot substitute for standard techniques in the diagnosis of local recurrence or metastatic spread in thyroid cancer patients. However, as results of TPO-RT-PCR correlate significantly with lymph node status, grading and serum TG measurements in patients with non-metastatic disease, TPO seems to be an interesting molecular marker to look at in follow-up studies.

A recently described polymorphism in the CD28 gene on chromosome 2q33 is not associated with susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease with a strong genetic background. The CTLA4 gene region (IDDM12) has been implicated in genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes by genome scanning and both family- and population-based analyses. As the genes encoding the costimulatory molecules CTLA4 and CD28, which compete for the receptor B7, reside close together on chromosome 2q33 and have high sequence homology, we investigated a recently described polymorphism in intron 3 of the CD28 gene and the CLTA4 codon 17 polymorphism in 176 patients with type 1 diabetes and 220 healthy controls. Whereas CTLA4 was found to be associated with type 1 diabetes, the frequency of the CD28 polymorphism did not differ between patients and controls, either in the entire sample or after stratification for CTLA4 genotype. Thus, the CD28 intron 3 polymorphism does not appear to be associated with susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.

Differences in tumor cell proliferation, HLA DR expression and lymphocytic infiltration in various types of thyroid carcinoma.

The proliferative activity of various thyroid carcinoma forms (papillary, follicular, medullary, anaplastic) was investigated using two second generation antibodies against Ki-67 that can be used on paraffin-embedded sections. Poorly-differentiated carcinomas had a higher proliferation than well-differentiated forms. Papillary carcinoma stained significantly more often with either antibody than follicular carcinoma. A solid growth pattern correlated with high Ki-67 expression while an increase in follicular elements and a high amount of psammoma bodies coincided with lower proliferation.HLA class II expression and infiltrating lymphocytes are prerequisites for an immune defense against cancer. In this study, HLA DR was increased in poorly-differentiated carcinomas, especially in the anaplastic type. The increase in HLA DR was correlated with Ki-67 positivity. On tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, HLA DR was well expressed in papillary carcinoma and relatively poorly expressed in follicular carcinoma, but there was no significant correlation with carcinoma type or morphological parameters. CD 45 R0, which might recognize memory cells, was found mostly in anaplastic and papillary carcinomas, and correlated well with HLA DR expression. These findings imply that an active but variable immune response is present in thyroid carcinoma.

Circulating calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen m-RNA detected by RT-PCR as tumour markers in medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Detection of local relapse or metastasis in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) continue to pose a major diagnostic challenge. Besides established diagnostic studies such as serum calcitonin (CT) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), molecular detection of circulating tumour cells may be an additional diagnostic tool for the early detection of disease recurrence. We performed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on blood samples from patients diagnosed with MTC disease using primers specific for CT and CEA, respectively. CT mRNA was not detectable in peripheral blood of all patients with MTC (n = 11) and all controls (n = 32). CEA mRNA was significantly more often detected patients with MTC (72.7%) than in controls (34.4%; p = 0.038; Fisher exact test). With an example of a patient with MTC and massive tumour mass in the neck we demonstrate the failure of detection of CT mRNA over a period of 6 months, whereas CEA mRNA could be detected in peripheral blood of this patient. As a consequence, CT mRNA detected by RT-PCR in the peripheral blood can not be recommended as a tumour marker in MTC. However, the use of carcinoembryonic mRNA may provide a significant improvement in diagnosis of recurrent disease in MTC.

Expression of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and homing factor CD44 after engraftment of Graves' lymphocytes in xenotransplanted human thyroid tissue in athymic nude mice.

The expression of adhesion molecules on thyrocytes and endothelium cells plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Graves' disease (GD). The intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), the vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and the homing receptor CD44 are responsible for the specific migration of lymphocytes in autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) (homing). Eight weeks after transplantation of thyroid tissue from 26 patients with nonautoimmune thyroid disease (nontoxic nodular goiter [NTG]) into nude mice, peripheral (PBL) and intrathyroidal lymphocytes (ITL) from 14 patients with NTG and 12 patients with GD were grafted into the animals. Two days after lymphocyte engraftment, the thyroid transplants were examined histologically (HE) and immunohistologically stained with monoclonal antibodies directed against ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and CD44. After injection of GD lymphocytes, thyroid transplants expressed significantly more ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and CD44 than after injection of NTG lymphocytes. This expression was even more pronounced after grafting of GD intrathyroidal lymphocytes. Our data demonstrate that only GD lymphocytes induce the expression of adhesion molecules and homing factor CD44, both of which play an important role in the migration of lymphocytes and induction of the autoimmune process.

One-year prophylactic treatment of euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients with levothyroxine: is there a benefit?

Studies in animal models of spontaneous Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis (HT) show that prophylactic treatment with levothyroxine (LT4) can reduce incidence and degree of lymphocytic infiltration in HT. The aim of the present study was to clarify whether there is a benefit of prophylactic treatment with LT4 in patients with euthyroid HT with respect to the progression of the autoimmune process. Twenty-one patients with euthyroid HT were checked for thyroid function (thyrotropin [TSH], free triiodothyronine [FT3], free thyroxine [FT4]), thyroid volume, antibodies (thyroglobulin [Tg-Ab], thyroid peroxidase [TPO-Ab]), and lymphocyte subsets. Peripheral (PBL) and thyroid-derived lymphocytes (TL) were analyzed by triple color flow cytometry. One-half of the patients with euthyroid HT were treated with LT4 for 1 year (n = 10). The other half (n = 11) were never treated with LT4. TL were obtained by fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Thirteen healthy subjects (C) without medical history of thyroid disease served as controls concerning PBL, and patients with non-toxic nodular goiter (NG; n = 10) served as controls concerning TL. Thyroid-derived T-helper cells were found more frequently in euthyroid patients with HT compared to patients with NG (p < 0.01). After 1 year of therapy with LT4, TPO-Abs and B lymphocytes decreased significantly only in the treated group of euthyroid patients with HT (p < 0.05). In contrast, TPO-Abs levels did not change or even increased in untreated euthyroid patients with HT. Thyroid volume did not differ before and after therapy. Prophylactic treatment of euthyroid patients with HT reduced both serological and cellular markers of autoimmune thyroiditis. Therefore, prophylactic LT4 treatment might be useful to stop the progression or even manifestation of the disease. However, the long-term clinical benefit of prophylactic LT4 therapy in euthyroid patients with HT is yet to be established.

Screening for an AIRE-1 mutation in patients with Addison's disease, type 1 diabetes, Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis as well as in APECED syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a rare systemic autoimmune disorder of monogenic and autosomal-recessive inheritance. To date, 29 APECED causing mutations have been identified in the responsible gene AIRE-1, coding for a regulator of transcription. The aim of this study was to examine whether mutations in AIRE-1, in their heterozygous form, predispose to the more common isolated autoimmune endocrinopathies Addison's disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus, Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. DESIGN: Patients with isolated autoimmune endocrine disorders as well as healthy controls were analysed for two of the most common AIRE-1 mutations, mutation R257X in exon 6 and a 13-bp deletion in exon 8. Mutations were detected by polymerase chain reaction based techniques. PATIENTS: In total, 726 individuals were investigated for mutation R257X. Subjects comprised patients with Addison's disease, IDDM, Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. With regard to the 13 bp deletion we could screen 91 patients with Addison's disease. In addition, six patients with the APECED syndrome including one family were analysed for both mutations. RESULTS: Out of the 12 alleles in APECED patients six contained either mutation R257X or the 13 bp deletion, confirming that these mutations prevail in Europe. R257X was found in one subject with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in its heterozygous form. The 13 bp deletion was not detected in any subject with Addison's disease. CONCLUSIONS: The two studied AIRE-1 mutations are so rare in the general population that they can not contribute to susceptibility for the more common isolated autoimmune disorders.

The codon 17 polymorphism of the CTLA4 gene in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Several studies have demonstrated an association of CTLA4 (IDDM12) alanine-17 with type 1 diabetes, but CTLA4 variants have not yet been investigated in type 2 diabetes. The CTLA4 exon 1 polymorphism (49 A/G) was analyzed in 300 Caucasian patients with type 2 diabetes and 466 healthy controls. All patients were negative for glutamate decarboxylase and islet cell antibodies. CTLA4 alleles were defined by PCR, single-strand conformational polymorphism, and restriction length fragment polymorphism analysis using BBV:I. The distribution of alleles as well as the genotypic and phenotypic frequencies were similar among patients and controls [AA, 42 vs. 39%; AG, 47 vs. 46%; GG, 11 vs. 15%, P = not significant (n.s.); A/G, 65/35% vs. 62/38%, P = n.s.; alanine/threonine 92/58% vs. 85/61%, P = n.s.]. However, detailed analysis of clinical and biochemical parameters revealed a tendency of GG (alanine/alanine) toward younger age at disease manifestation (46.8 +/- 0.8 vs. 49.5 +/- 0.8 yr, mean +/- SEM), lower body mass index (21.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 24.4 +/- 0.5 kg/m(2), P = 0.042), and basal C-peptide level (0.33 +/- 0.07 vs. 0.53 +/- 0.07nmol/L), as well as earlier start of insulin treatment (5.8 +/- 1.2 vs. 8.7 +/- 0.6 yr) and higher portion of patients on insulin (71 vs. 61%). Patients with the AA genotype were significantly less likely to develop microangiopathic lesions (P < 0.0005). No differences were found for hypertension or family history of type 2 diabetes. In conclusion, CTLA4 alanine-17 does not represent a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Additional studies on larger groups and different ethnic groups are warranted to clarify the association of the GG genotype with faster ss-cell failure and the lower rate of microvascular complications in AA carriers.

Panhypopituitarism associated with severe retroperitoneal fibrosis.

A 43-year-old man, with a history of central diabetes insipidus diagnosed 3 years previously, complained about reduced libido. An MRI scan showed a suprasellar lesion just below the supraoptic recess of the third ventricle. A stereotactically guided biopsy revealed fibrous glia, but no other specific tissue and no inflammatory cells. Two months later the patient presented with fatigue and muscular weakness. Tertiary adrenal failure and hypothyroidism were diagnosed by endocrine function tests and therapy with levothyroxine and hydrocortisone was started. Another 2 months later the patient was admitted with giddiness, nausea, peripheral oedema and oliguria. Radiological imaging and an open transperitoneal kidney exploration showed severe fibrosis around both ureters. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis. Presumably the suprasellar tumour was the first manifestation of retroperitoneal fibrosis. Once the diagnosis 'idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis' is confirmed, fibrotic manifestations and complications involving extra-retroperitoneal tissues including the endocrine system, should be sought.

Effects of alpha-lipoic acid on microcirculation in patients with peripheral diabetic neuropathy.

Diabetic polyneuropathy is a serious complication in patients with diabetes mellitus. In addition to the maintenance of a sufficient metabolic control, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) (Thioctacid, Asta Medica) is known to have beneficial effects on diabetic polyneuropathy although the exact mechanism by which ALA exerts its effect is unknown. In order to study the effect of ALA on microcirculation in patients with diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy one group of patients (4 female, 4 male, age 60+/-3 years, diabetes duration 19+/-4 years, BMI 24.8+/-1.3 kg/m2) received 1200 mg ALA orally per day over 6 weeks (trial 1). A second group of patients (5 female, 4 male, age 65+/-3 years, diabetes duration 14+/-4 years, BMI 23.6+/-0.7 kg/m2) was studied before and after they had received 600 mg ALA or placebo intravenously over 15 minutes in order to investigate whether ALA has an acute effect on microcirculation (trial 2). Patients were investigated by nailfold video-capillaroscopy. Capillary blood cell velocity was examined at rest and during postreactive hyperemia (occlusion of the wrist for 2 minutes, 200 mmHg) which is a parameter of the perfusion reserve on demand. The oral therapy with ALA resulted in a significant decrease in the time to peak capillary blood cell velocity (tpCBV) during postocclusive hyperemia (trial 1: 12.6+/-3.1 vs 35.4+/-10.9 s, p<0.05). The infusion of ALA also decreased the tpCBV in patients with diabetic neuropathy (trial 2: before: 20.8+/-4,5, ALA: 11.74+/-4.4, placebo: 21.9-5.0 s, p<0.05 ALA vs both placebo and before infusions) indicating that ALA has an acute effect on microcirculation. Capillary blood cell velocity at rest (rCBV), hemodynamic parameters, hemoglobinA1c and local skin temperature remained unchanged in both studies. These results demonstrate that in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy ALA improves microcirculation as indicated by an increased perfusion reserve on demand. The observed effects are apparently acute effects. With the restriction of the pilot character of this investigation the findings support the assumption that ALA might exert its beneficial effects at least partially by improving microcirculation which is likely to occur also at the level of the vasa nervorum.

Molecular detection of thyroglobulin mRNA transcripts in peripheral blood of patients with thyroid disease by RT-PCR.

The sensitive detection of circulating tumour cells in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer may precede the detection of relapse by other diagnostic studies--such as serum thyroglobulin-and thus may have important therapeutic and prognostic implications. We performed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on blood samples from patients diagnosed with thyroid disease using two different RT-PCR sensitivities. Additionally, tissue specificity of TG mRNA-expression was determined using RNA extracts from 27 different human tissues. The lower limit of detection was 50-100 TG mRNA producing cells/ml blood using a 'normal' RT-PCR sensitivity and 10-20 cells/ml blood using a 'high' sensitivity. With the normal sensitivity TG mRNA was detected in 9/13 patients with thyroid cancer and metastasis, 63/137 patients with a history of thyroid cancer and no metastasis, 21/85 with non-malignant thyroid disease and 9/50 controls. With the high sensitivity TG mRNA was detected in 11/13 patients with thyroid cancer and metastasis, 111/137 patients with a history of thyroid cancer and no metastasis, 61/85 with non-malignant thyroid disease and 41/50 controls. Interestingly, using the normal RT-PCR sensitivity TG mRNA transcripts are specific for thyroid tissue and detectable in the peripheral blood of controls and patients with thyroid disease, which correlates with a diagnosis of metastasized thyroid cancer. However, with a high RT-PCR sensitivity, TG mRNA expression was found not to be specific for thyroid tissue and was not correlated with a diagnosis of thyroid cancer in patients. As a consequence, to date TG mRNA detected by RT-PCR in the peripheral blood cannot be recommended as a tumour marker superior to TG serum-level.

Evaluation of factors controlling glucose tolerance in patients with HCV infection before and after 4 months therapy with interferon-alpha.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data suggest that chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may contribute to the development of diabetes mellitus. Therapy of HCV infection with recombinant interferon-alpha (r-IFN-alpha) can also impair of glucose metabolism. METHODS: To investigate the impact of HCV infection and the therapy with r-IFN-alpha on glucose metabolism we measured insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness, and first and second phase insulin secretion, using the minimal modelling analysis of frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests in 13 nondiabetic patients with HCV-induced liver disease before and after therapy with r-INF-alpha (6 x 106 U, subcutaneously, three times a week over 4 months). Liver biopsy was performed to evaluate and score liver fibrosis as a marker of HCV-induced cell injury. RESULTS: Insulin sensitivity (r = - 0.59, P < 0.05) and first phase insulin secretion (r = - 0.66, P < 0.03) were negatively related to the fibrosis score. Insulin sensitivity rose from 1.96 (SEM 0.37, n = 8) to 5.69 (SEM 0.99, n = 8) 10-4 min-1 per microU mL-1 (P < 0.01) in responders and from 2.51 (SEM 0.61, n = 5) to 6.95 (SEM 1.99, n = 5) in nonresponders after 4 months r-INF-alpha therapy. Fasting free fatty acids decreased significantly to about 50% (P < 0.01) in patients with and without therapy response after 4 months, whereas first phase insulin secretion did not change. CONCLUSIONS: HCV-induced liver injury is related to the deterioration of insulin sensitivity and first phase insulin response, thus impairing glucose homeostasis in these HCV-infected patients. The administration of r-INF-alpha three times a week over 4 months is not associated with an impairment of glucose homeostasis.

No association between the deltaF508 cystic fibrosis mutation and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common recessively inherited disorders in Caucasian populations and is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. A three base deletion known as deltaF508 occurs on about 70%, of CF chromosomes and accounts for the high prevalence of the disease. Since type 2 diabetes mellitus occurs more frequently in relatives of patients with CF than in the normal population, we addressed the hypothesis whether heterozygosity for deltaF508 might be a genetic risk factor for type 2 diabetes. We screened 301 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus which had been treated for at least three years from diagnosis by diet or oral antihyperglycemic agents. Healthy controls (n = 282) had no family history for diabetes. The genotype distribution did not differ significantly between patients with type 2 diabetes (2% heterozygotes) and controls (3% heterozygotes). According to these results, we conclude, that the deltaF508 mutation in its heterozygous form does not represent a major genetic risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus.