Thyroid dysfunction in children with Down's syndrome.

UNLABELLED: Thyroid function tests were carried out on 320 children with Down's syndrome aged between 5 d and 10 y. Thyroid function was normal in 230 patients (71.9%) and abnormal in 90 (28.1%). Six patients (1.8%) had primary congenital hypothyroidism, one patient had acquired hypothyroidism and two had transient hyperthyrotropinaemia of the newborn. Sixteen of the remaining 81 patients (25.3%) had compensated hypothyroidism with increased thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels (11-20 mU l(-1)). Their T4 levels were found to be either normal or close to the lower limit of normal. These cases were started on thyroxine therapy. Sixty-five of the 81 patients had a mild compensated hypothyroidism with mild TSH elevation (6-10 mU l(-1)). None of the patients had hyperthyroidism. The antithyroid antibodies were positive in the acquired hypothyroidism case. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism was 1.8% in children with Down's syndrome while 25.3% of them had compensated hypothyroidism. It is suggested that Down's syndrome patients with normal thyroid functions and those with compensated hypothyroidism should be followed annually and every 3 mo, respectively. Besides congenital hypothyroidism cases, those with TSH levels between 11 and 20 mU l(-1) may benefit from treatment with low-dose thyroxine.

Selenium content of chicken meat in Croatia.

The selenium content in dark muscle and liver was determined in chicken meat. All samples had been collected from three large meat producing companies in Croatia. The samples were wet digested with a mixture of nitric and perchloric acids. The selenium content was analyzed by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry with the recovery from 97.8 to 98.2%. The correlation coefficient of 0.976 was determined after comparison with results of the fluorimetric method. Mean +/- standard deviation of the selenium concentration (ng Se/g dry matter) was 1330 +/- 20, 2000 +/- 30 and 2090 +/- 30 in liver, and 560 +/- 50, 520 +/- 70 and 740 +/- 50 in dark muscle.

[Serum selenium level as a diagnostic parameter in breast cancer]. / Seleniumspiegel im Serum als diagnostischer Parameter bei Mammakarzinom.

The level of selenium in blood serum was determined in 33 patients with breast cancer, 13 women with verified mastopathy, and 43 healthy subjects from the Zagreb area. In the second and third quartiles the values of selenium obtained from sick subjects (41-58 micrograms/l) and healthy subjects (73-89 micrograms/l) differed significantly (p less than 0.001). In the group of subjects with mastopathy, serum selenium in the same way ranged from 67-70 micrograms/l and did not differ significantly from the group of healthy women, but differed significantly from the patients with breast cancer (p less than 0.001). Such a result leads to the conclusion that determination of selenium in the blood could be used as a noninvasive diagnostic parameter in clinical assessment of malignant breast disease.

A contribution to the world selenium map.

Atomic absorption spectrophotometric method was used to determine the serum selenium levels of 86 healthy individuals. Variations in age, sex, and geographically different urban regions of Yugoslavia were investigated. A group of 63 healthy children, ages 8-15 yr, were examined. Mean +/- standard deviation of the serum selenium concentration was 57 +/- 9 micrograms/L; age and geographic area had no effect on the Se status of children, but the difference between boys and girls was significant (P less than 0.05). A group of 23 men from Zagreb, ages 22-37 yr, were examined. The group was divided into three age subgroups and no difference was found among these groups. The mean Se concentration was 69 +/- 18 micrograms/L, and a statistically significant difference was found only between the group of adults and the group of children (P less than 0.05).

Fast determination of ochratoxin A in serum by liquid chromatography: comparison with enzymic spectrofluorimetric method.

A rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of low concentrations of ochratoxin A in serum is described. The extraction procedure was simple and short, and liquid chromatographic analysis was carried out isocratically on a reversed-phase C18 column, with methanol-water-acetic acid (30:70:1) as mobile phase and fluorescence detection (excitation at 336 nm, emission at 465 nm). The examined concentration range, 5-50 ng/ml ochratoxin, the recovery method was 87-94%, compared with 62-67% for the enzymic spectrofluorimetric method. The high-performance liquid chromatographic method was faster because the extraction procedure was shorter, and more sensitive so that small sample volumes could be used.

Selenium in serum as a possible parameter for assessment of breast disease.

The level of selenium in blood serum was determined in 33 patients with breast cancer, 13 women with verified mastopathy, and 43 healthy subjects from the Zagreb area. In the second and third quartiles the values of selenium obtained from sick subjects (41-58 micrograms/L) and healthy subjects (73-89 micrograms/L) differed significantly (P less than 0.001). In the group of subjects with mastopathy, serum selenium in the same way ranged from 67-76 micrograms/L and did not differ significantly from the group of healthy women, but differed significantly from the patients with breast cancer (P less than 0.001). Such a result leads to the conclusion that determination of selenium in the blood could be used as a non-invasive diagnostic parameter in clinical assessment of malignant breast disease.