Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism: Is there a link?

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is present in up to 0.1% of the general population. The incidence is higher in women and increases with age. The majority of the cases is asymptomatic and up to 85% are due to single gland adenoma. Parathyroidectomy is the treatment of choice after localization of the hyperactive gland. Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (PTC) is the most common cancer of the thyroid and constitutes more than 70% of thyroid malignancies. PTC can present as a single nodule or can be Multifocal. The incidence is higher in women. Early treatment favors a good prognosis. PTC with PHPT has been reported in 2.3-4.3% of patients undergoing surgery for PHPT. The coexistence of parathyroid adenoma and incidental PTC is thought to be rare. The mechanisms underlying the relationship between PHPT and PTC have not been established. We suggest a possible hypothesis for the relationship based on shared embryological origin and genes, high parathyroid hormone (PTH), low 1,25 hydroxy vitamin D, hypercalcemia resulting in high levels of angiogenic growth factors. This promotes the formation of parathyroid adenomas and papillary thyroid carcinoma. Presence of these two diseases can complicate patient management due to untreated hypercalcemia, unrecognized thyroid cancer and need for second surgery if not screened for both diseases carefully.

Synthesis and characterization of polyethylene glycol (PEG) coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles by chemical co-precipitation method for biomedical applications.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method. With polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a stabilizer and dispersant. The X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) results show that the cubic inverse spinel structure of pure phase polycrystalline Fe3O4 was obtained. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and field emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM) results exhibited that the resulted Fe3O4 nanoparticles were roughly spherical in shape with narrow size distribution and homogenous shape. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results suggested that PEG indicated with Fe3O4 via its carbonyl groups. Results of vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) indicated that the prepared Fe3O4 nanoparticles exhibit superparamagnetic behavior and high saturation magnetization at room temperature. Such Fe3O4 nanoparticles with favorable size and tunable magnetic properties are promising biomedical applications.