ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of thyroid follicular carcinoma by fine needle aspiration biopsy is a well known problem in thyroid pathology. METHODS: We evaluated telomerase activity (TA) in 85 fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) samples from patients with thyroid nodules. Surgery samples from patients with tumor or follicular adenomas were also analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty of the FNAB samples corresponded to carcinomas and were positive to telomerase assay (TA >10 Units). Among them, 4 follicular carcinomas and 1 papillary carcinoma were labeled as indeterminate by FNAB cytological examination. Four percent false positive cases and no false negative cases for TA in FNABs were reported. FNAB samples from follicular adenomas were diagnosed as indeterminate by cytological examination, but they showed no detectable TA. Tumor tissues from patients with follicular or papillary thyroid carcinomas presented TA >10 Units, whereas follicular adenoma tissues (benign nodules) showed no TA. CONCLUSION: Our results showed a good correlation between TA in FNAB samples and tumor/nodule thyroid tissue. This suggested that use of TA as a biological marker of malignancy might be a useful tool in the diagnosis of follicular thyroid carcinomas or follicular thyroid adenomas using FNAB samples.
Subject(s)
Biopsy, Fine-Needle/methods , Telomerase/metabolism , Thyroid Neoplasms/diagnosis , Thyroid Neoplasms/enzymology , Biomarkers, Tumor , Humans , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolismABSTRACT
An antioxidant mixture (LAROTABE) was evaluated in the treatment of Graves disease. Fifty-six hyperthyroid patients were treated with methimazol (MMI) (A), LAROTABE (B), or MMI plus LAROTABE (C). According to a clinical score, improvement was obtained at 8 weeks in A and 4 weeks in B and C. Group A diminished their thyroid hormone concentration to normal levels, while patients with LAROTABE did not reduce T3 and T4 unless MMI was introduced. Hyperthyroid patients had increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and SOD activity and decreased catalase activity compared to controls. Within group A, MDA decreased to control values while SOD was reduced 38.3% and catalase increased 21.6%. Similar results were obtained for MDA and for both enzymes after treatment with LAROTABE. Signs and symptoms of Graves disease might be related to an increase in free radicals; antioxidants could be a new therapeutic tool to improve the clinical manifestation of this illness.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/therapeutic use , Graves Disease/drug therapy , Adult , Aged , Antioxidants/administration & dosage , Antithyroid Agents/administration & dosage , Antithyroid Agents/therapeutic use , Combined Modality Therapy , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
We investigated the relationship between the level of c-myc mRNA and histologic aggressiveness in thyroid tumors obtained at surgery. In thyroid carcinomas, there was a positive correlation between these two parameters, while in benign tumors there was no correlation between cellularity and the expression of the proto-oncogene c-myc. These results might be useful in the prognosis of thyroid tumors and consequently helpful in the management of the patient.