Acromegaly and pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between acromegaly and pregnancy in terms of disease activity, maternal and fetal outcomes. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted according to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for systematic reviews of etiology and risk. We focused on observational studies that included pregnant women with acromegaly. The outcomes were acromegaly activity, preterm birth, gestational diabetes, hypertension, eclampsia/preeclampsia, miscarriage, perinatal mortality, low birthweight, small for gestational age, and congenital malformations. Embase, Medline, LILACS, and CENTRAL were our source databases. To perform proportional meta-analyses, we used Stata Statistical Software 17. RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included encompassing a total of 273 pregnancies in 211 women with acromegaly. The overall frequency of control of acromegaly during pregnancy was 62%, and of tumor growth was 9%. No fetal or maternal deaths were reported. The overall frequency of worsening of previous diabetes or development of gestational diabetes was 9%, and of previous hypertension or preeclampsia/eclampsia was 6%. The overall frequency of premature labor was 9% [from 17 studies of 263 pregnancies; 95% confidence interval (CI), 5-13%]; of spontaneous miscarriage was 4% (from 19 studies of 273 pregnancies; 95% CI, 2-11%); of small for gestational age was 5% (from 15 studies of 216 newborns; 95% CI, 3-9%); and of congenital malformations was 1% (from 18 studies of 240 newborns; 95% CI, 0-7%). CONCLUSION: Pregnancy in women with acromegaly is frequently associated with disease control and is safe in relation to fetal and maternal outcomes, as in women without acromegaly.

Handgrip strength as a predictor of bone mineral density in outpatients with cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Osteoporosis is well recognized as a cirrhosis complication; however, most studies assessing this condition included only patients on liver transplantation lists with an elevated rate of bone diseases. While general population studies show that handgrip strength is clearly associated with bone mineral density, until now this tool has not been applied to patients with cirrhosis in relation to their bone condition. This study aimed to evaluate whether handgrip strength, bone, and liver tests may be useful as predictors of bone disease in outpatients with cirrhosis. METHODS: One hundred twenty-nine subjects were included (77 men and 52 women). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was applied to evaluate lumbar-spine and femoral-neck T scores. Osteoporosis/osteopenia rates were 26.3%/35.6% in the lumbar spine and 6.9%/41.8% in the femoral neck, respectively. Model selections were based on backward procedures to find the best predictors of low T scores. RESULTS: For lumbar spine, only low handgrip strength and high parathyroid hormone levels were clearly related to low T scores. For femoral neck, only age was associated with low T scores. CONCLUSIONS: Handgrip strength may serve as an effective predictor of low lumbar spine T score among outpatients with cirrhosis. As cirrhosis affects the lumbar spine more than the femoral neck, these results suggest that handgrip strength should be tested in all patients with cirrhosis as a first indicator of bone health.

The temperature and humidity in a low-flow anesthesia workstation with and without a heat and moisture exchanger.

BACKGROUND: The Dräger Primus anesthesia workstation has a built-in hotplate to heat the patient's exhaled gas. The fresh gas flow is mixed with the heated exhaled gas as they pass through the soda lime canister. A heat and moisture exchanger (HME) may also be used to further heat and humidify the inhaled gas. In this study we measured the temperature and humidity of the inhaled gas coming from the Dräger Primus with or without a HME. METHODS: Thirty female patients were randomly divided into 2 groups and their lungs ventilated by the Primus Dräger anesthesia workstation with or without a HME. The humidity and temperature of the inhaled gas were measured 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after connecting the patient to the breathing circuit. RESULTS: After 120 minutes of ventilation with a low-flow breathing circuit, the temperatures of inhaled gas were 25°C ± 1°C and 30°C ± 2°C without and with HME, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between groups (P < 0.001) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of 3.80°C to 6.40°C; and the absolute humidity values of the inhaled gas were 20.5 ± 3.6 mgH(2)O · L(-1) and 30 ± 2 mgH(2)O · L(-1) without and with HME, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between groups (P < 0.001) with 95% CI of 7.37°C to 13.03°C. CONCLUSIONS: The Primus anesthesia workstation partially humidifies the inspired gas when a low fresh gas flow is used. Insertion of an HME increases the humidity in inhaled gas, bringing it close to physiological values.

Association between a soy-based infant diet and the onset of puberty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the association between a soy-based infant diet and the onset of puberty. We included studies in which children were fed a soy-based diet, and we compared them with those who were not. The primary outcomes were the onset of puberty in girls (thelarche, pubarche, and menarche age), boys (pubarche, voice change, testicular and penis enlargement age), and both (risk of delayed and precocious puberty [PP]). Search strategies were performed in PubMed, Embase, LILACS, and CENTRAL databases. Two reviewers selected eligible studies, assessed the risk of bias, and extracted data from the included studies. The odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) were calculated with a 95% confidence interval (CI) as a measure of the association between soy consumption and outcomes. We used a random-effects model to pool results across studies and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation to evaluate the certainty of evidence. We included eight studies in which 598 children consumed a soy-based diet but 2957 did not. The primary outcomes that could be plotted in the meta-analysis were the risk of PP and age at menarche. There was no statistical difference between groups for PP (OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.09 to 2.94, 3 studies, 206 participants, low certainty of evidence). No between-group difference was observed in menarche age (MD 0.14 years, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.45, 3 studies, 605 children, low certainty of evidence). One study presented this outcome in terms of median and interquartile range, and although the onset of menarche was marginally increased in girls who received a soy-based diet, the reported age was within the normal age range for menarche. We did not find any association between a soy-based infant diet and the onset of puberty in boys or girls. Trial Registration: PROSPERO registration: CRD42018088902.

Thyroglobulin/thyrotropin ratio for predicting long-term response in differentiated thyroid carcinoma: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Thyrotropin-stimulated thyroglobulin (STg) after total thyroidectomy is a prognosis marker for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). As Tg level is influenced by thyrotropin (TSH), perhaps the STg/TSH ratio is also a prognosis marker for these tumours. We aimed to compare STg/TSH ratio and first STg level in differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients for their ability to predict the long-term response to initial treatment. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated data from 181 DTC patients for first (1st) STg and STg/TSH ratio, at 1-3 months post-total thyroidectomy and before iodine-131 therapy, according to response to initial therapy [Excellent/Indeterminate or Incomplete (Biochemical/Structural)] observed at final evaluation, and with the survival time with excellent/indeterminate response. RESULTS: Cases with incomplete response presented higher STg level [225.13 ± 585.26 ng/mL versus (vs) 20.4 ± 192.9 ng/mL; p < 0.001] and STg/TSH ratio (3.01 ± 7.8 vs 0.27 ± 2.58; p < 0.001). Cutoffs of 5 ng/mL for STg and 0.085 for STg/TSH displayed sensitivities of 76.7% and 76.9%, and specificities of 79.2% and 82.6%, respectively, in predicting response to therapy. Values below these cutoffs were associated with longer survival time in excellent/indeterminate response (140.4 vs 15.9 and 144.6 vs 15.9 months, respectively). CONCLUSION: STg/TSH ratio has a similar performance to the 1st STg in predicting long-term response to initial therapy.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the safety of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine from randomized controlled trials on malarial and non-malarial conditions.

BACKGROUND: Despite the expectations regarding the effectiveness of chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) management, concerns about their adverse events have remained. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the safety of CQ and HCQ from malarial and non-malarial randomized clinical trials (RCTs). METHODS: The primary outcomes were the frequencies of serious adverse events (SAEs), retinopathy, and cardiac complications. Search strategies were applied to MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, CENTRAL, Scopus, and Trip databases. We used a random-effects model to pool results across studies and Peto's one-step odds ratio (OR) for event rates below 1%. Both-armed zero-event studies were excluded from the meta-analyses. We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system to evaluate the certainty of evidence. RESULTS: One hundred and six RCTs were included. We found no significant difference between CQ/HCQ and control (placebo or non-CQ/HCQ) in the frequency of SAEs (OR: 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76-1.26, 33 trials, 15,942 participants, moderate certainty of evidence). However, there was a moderate certainty of evidence that CQ/HCQ increases the incidence of cardiac complications (RR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.10-2.38, 16 trials, 9908 participants). No clear relationship was observed between CQ/HCQ and retinopathy (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: - 0.4-6.57, 5 trials, 344 participants, very low certainty of evidence). CONCLUSIONS: CQ and HCQ probably do not increase SAEs, with low frequency of these adverse events on malarial and non-malarial conditions. However, they may increase cardiac complications especially in patients with COVID-19. No clear effect of their use on the incidence of retinopathy was observed. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020177818.

Effectiveness of non-pharmacological strategies in the management of type 2 diabetes in primary care: a protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the increasing number of drugs and various guidelines on the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), several patients continue with the disease uncontrolled. There are several non-pharmacological treatments available for managing T2DM, but various of them have never been compared directly to determine the best strategies. OBJECTIVE: This study will evaluate the comparative effects of non-pharmacological strategies in the management of T2DM in primary care or community settings. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will perform a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA), and will include randomised controlled trials if one of the following interventions were applied in adult patients with T2DM: nutritional therapy, physical activity, psychological interventions, social interventions, multidisciplinary lifestyle interventions, diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES), technology-enabled DSMES, interventions delivered only either by pharmacists or by nurses, self-blood glucose monitoring in non-insulin-treated T2DM, health coaching, benchmarking and usual care. The primary outcome will be glycaemic control (glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (%)), and the secondary outcomes will be weight loss, quality of life, patient satisfaction, frequency of cardiovascular events and deaths, number of patients in each group with HbA1c <7, adverse events and medication adherence. We have developed search strategies for Embase, Medline, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Trip database, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Australasian Medical Index and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Four reviewers will assess the studies for their eligibility and their risk of bias in pairs and independently. An NMA will be performed using a Bayesian hierarchical model, and the treatment hierarchy will be obtained using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve. To determine our confidence in an overall treatment ranking from the NMA, we will follow the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As no primary data collection will be undertaken, no formal ethical assessment is required. We plan to present the results of this systematic review in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, conferences and the popular press. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019127856.

Thyroglobulin/thyrotropin ratio for predicting long-term response in differentiated thyroid carcinoma: a retrospective study

ABSTRACT Objective: Thyrotropin-stimulated thyroglobulin (STg) after total thyroidectomy is a prognosis marker for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). As Tg level is influenced by thyrotropin (TSH), perhaps the STg/TSH ratio is also a prognosis marker for these tumours. We aimed to compare STg/TSH ratio and first STg level in differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients for their ability to predict the long-term response to initial treatment. Subjects and methods: This retrospective study evaluated data from 181 DTC patients for first (1st) STg and STg/TSH ratio, at 1-3 months post-total thyroidectomy and before iodine-131 therapy, according to response to initial therapy [Excellent/Indeterminate or Incomplete (Biochemical/Structural)] observed at final evaluation, and with the survival time with excellent/indeterminate response. Results: Cases with incomplete response presented higher STg level [225.13 ± 585.26 ng/mL versus (vs) 20.4 ± 192.9 ng/mL; p < 0.001] and STg/TSH ratio (3.01 ± 7.8 vs 0.27 ± 2.58; p < 0.001). Cutoffs of 5 ng/mL for STg and 0.085 for STg/TSH displayed sensitivities of 76.7% and 76.9%, and specificities of 79.2% and 82.6%, respectively, in predicting response to therapy. Values below these cutoffs were associated with longer survival time in excellent/indeterminate response (140.4 vs 15.9 and 144.6 vs 15.9 months, respectively). Conclusion: STg/TSH ratio has a similar performance to the 1st STg in predicting long-term response to initial therapy.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid diagnosed as anaplastic carcinoma: failure in fine-needle aspiration cytology?

A case of primary squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) of the thyroid which had been initially diagnosed as an anaplastic carcinoma (ATC) is described: female, 73 years old, with a fast-growing cervical nodule on the left side and hoarseness for 3 months. Ultrasonography showed a 4.5 cm solid nodule. FNA was compatible with poorly differentiated carcinoma with immunoreactivity for AE1/AE3, EMA. Thyroidectomy was performed. Histopathological examination showed a nonencapsulated tumor. Immunohistochemistry disclosed positivity for AE1/AE3, p53,p63, and Ki67. The diagnosis was ATC. A second opinion reported tumor consisting of squamous cells, with intense inflammatory infiltrate both in tumor and in the adjacent thyroid, with final diagnosis of SCC, associated with Hashimoto thyroiditis. No other primary focus of SCC was found. Patient has shown a 48-month survival period. Clinically, primary SCCs of the thyroid and ATCs are similar. The distinction is often difficult particularly when based on the cytological analysis of FNA material.

Frequency of various types of neoplasia in a group of acromegalic patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of colon cancer, primary hyperparathyroidism, thyroid tumor, and skin cancer in all acromegalic patients in follow-up at the Clinics Hospital - Botucatu Medical School, from 2005 to 2011. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: These patients were evaluated retrospectively for colon cancer, primary hyperparathyroidism, dermatological, and thyroid tumors. RESULTS: Of 29 patients included at the beginning of the study, two were excluded. Among 19 patients submitted to colonoscopy, one presented colon adenocarcinoma (5%). Thyroid nodules were present in 63% of patients, and papilliferous carcinoma was confirmed in two patients (7,7%). Four patients were confirmed as having primary hyperparathyroidism (15%). The most common dermatologic lesions were thickened skin (100%), acrochordons (64%), epidermal cysts (50%), and pseudo-acanthosis nigricans (50%). Only one patient presented basal cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Although a small number of acromegalic patients was studied, our findings confirm the high frequency of thyroid neoplasias and primary hyperparathyroidism in this group of patients.

Prevalence of dermatologic disorders in 15 patients with acromegaly.

Acromegaly is a chronic, insidious and rare disease, caused by hyper secretion of the growth hormone, which metabolic and trophic effects commonly result in cutaneous manifestations, sometimes preceding other clinical symptoms. The authors have assessed 15 patients with acromegaly and found dermatologic lesions in all of them, mainly skin thickening, acrochordons, epidermoid cysts, pseudoacanthosis nigricans, seborrheic keratosis, melanocytic naevi and lentiginous spots.

Frequency of various types of neoplasia in a group of acromegalic patients / Frequência de neoplasia de diversos tipos em um grupo de pacientes acromegálicos

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of colon cancer, primary hyperparathyroidism, thyroid tumor, and skin cancer in all acromegalic patients in follow-up at the Clinics Hospital - Botucatu Medical School, from 2005 to 2011. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: These patients were evaluated retrospectively for colon cancer, primary hyperparathyroidism, dermatological, and thyroid tumors. RESULTS: Of 29 patients included at the beginning of the study, two were excluded. Among 19 patients submitted to colonoscopy, one presented colon adenocarcinoma (5%). Thyroid nodules were present in 63% of patients, and papilliferous carcinoma was confirmed in two patients (7,7%). Four patients were confirmed as having primary hyperparathyroidism (15%). The most common dermatologic lesions were thickened skin (100%), acrochordons (64%), epidermal cysts (50%), and pseudo-acanthosis nigricans (50%). Only one patient presented basal cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Although a small number of acromegalic patients was studied, our findings confirm the high frequency of thyroid neoplasias and primary hyperparathyroidism in this group of patients.

OBJETIVO: Determinar a frequência de câncer de cólon, hiperparatireoidismo primário, tumores de tireoide e pele em todos os acromegálicos em seguimento no Hospital de Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu de 2005 a 2011. SUJEITOS E MÉTODOS: Esses pacientes foram avaliados retrospectivamente quanto a presença de câncer de cólon, hiperparatiroidismo primário, tumores da tiroide e pele. RESULTADOS: Dos 29 pacientes incluídos no início do estudo, dois foram excluídos. Dentre os 19 pacientes submetidos à colonoscopia, um apresentou adenocarcinoma de cólon (5%). Nódulos de tireoide estiveram presentes em 65% dos pacientes e carcinoma papilífero, em dois deles (7,7%). Quatro pacientes apresentaram hiperparatireoidismo primário (15%). A maioria das lesões de pele foram: espessamento (100%), acrochordons (64%), cistos epidérmicos (50%), pseudoacantose nigricans (50%) e apenas um paciente apresentou carcinoma basocelular. CONCLUSÃO: O tamanho da amostra é pequeno, mas nossos achados confirmam a alta frequência da neoplasia da tireoide e hiperparatireroidismo neste grupo de pacientes.