Dietary patterns as risk factors of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

UNLABELLED: Nutritional factors are known to be important in the development of different metabolic diseases. The history of nodular or diffuse goiter is closely related to risk of thyroid carcinoma. On account of the function of the thyroid gland, many studies focus on iodine intake. The aim of the study was to assess whether dietary patterns could be risk factors of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. MATERIAL/METHODS: The case-control study was based on a questionnaire, which included information about dietary patterns and was carried out on 284 patients comprising 30 males (mean age 58.4±13.7 years), and 254 females (mean age 52.1±13.8 years), as well as 345 randomly selected controls: 58 males (mean age 60.2±12 years) and 287 females (mean age 53.4±14.3 years) randomly selected from the Population Register and adjusted by age and gender to the group of TC. The main groups of nutritional products, i.e. starchy foods, meat, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and beverages, were analyzed. RESULTS: Consumption of vegetables, fruits, saltwater fish and cottage cheese was significantly lower in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma than in controls, quite the contrary to starchy foods, especially white bread. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary patterns appear to modify the risk of thyroid carcinoma. A diet rich in vegetables and fruit, as well as saltwater fish (a source of iodine) and low-fat meat, could be an important protective factor.

Positive family history of thyroid disease as a risk factor for differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Apart from the environmental risk factors for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), such as iodine deficiency and ionising radiation, it seems that there are also other, biological risk factors, for example, familial predisposition to thyroid disease. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence of thyroid disease in the families of patients with DTC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in a group of 232 patients with DTC and in 342 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. Eighty patients were diagnosed with follicular thyroid carcinoma, 127 with papillary thyroid carcinoma, and 25 with oxyphilic thyroid carcinoma. The questionnaire included questions on the presence of thyroid diseases in first-degree relatives. The relative risk of DTC and the effect of factors associated with thyroid diseases in the family were assessed by the logistic regression model. RESULTS: Thyroid disease was more common in the families of DTC patients than in the control group: 18.5% of the patients and 9.6% of the control group had a parent with thyroid disease (OR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.26-3.55); 16.8% of the patients and 7.7% of the control group had a sibling with thyroid disease (OR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.31-3.95). CONCLUSIONS: Familial thyroid disease may be a risk factor for DTC. A positive family history of thyroid disease is associated to a larger extent with the development of papillary thyroid carcinoma than with that of follicular thyroid carcinoma.

Thyroid disorders-assessments of trace elements, clinical, and laboratory parameters.

The trace elements studied in this work (Se, Cu, Zn) are the essential constituents or cofactors required to activate numerous enzymes and proteins, playing crucial role in various physiological processes. The disturbed levels of abovementioned elements may adversely affect the endocrine system, resulting in various thyroid disorders among other upsets. The aim of this study was to investigate possible associations between them and parameters of redox balance, thyroid function indices as well as clinical records (duration of disease and therapy, lag time between thyroid surgery and this study examination, LT4 dosage) in patients with different thyroid disorders, including malignant diseases of the gland. In the group of patients with papillary carcinoma, we found a statistically significant higher Cu concentration compared with controls and patients with Hashimoto disease. In the same groups, the parameter of Zn/Cu ratio demonstrated reciprocally arranged statistically significant differences. For the group of papillary cancer patients, there was a negative correlation between lag time since thyroid operation and GPX3 activity. Our data support hypothesis of indirect involvement of Zn and Cu in thyroid regulation. For selenium, lack of simple correlation between its serum level and thyroid indices implies the need for further research on other selenium status parameters more adequately depicting changes in endocrine system.

[Retrospective hormonal analysis of incidentally discovered and operated adrenal tumors for subclinical Cushing's syndrome]. / Retrospektywna analiza hormonalna przypadkowo wykrytych i zoperowanych guzów nadnercza pod katem subklinicznego zespólu Cushinga.

In the last twenty years the introduction of new imaging techniques has caused increasing incidence of accidental detection of adrenal tumors, which are usually mild and in most cases are hormonally inactive adenomas. Among hormonal disorders in patients with adrenal incidentalomas the hypercortisolism is often described, which, if not treated properly, leads to multiple organ complications, and further to the patient's death. The aim of the study was the retrospective analysis of the group of patients with adrenal incidentaloma, verified by histopathology for assessment of subclinical Cushing's syndrome. Among the group of 225 patients: 62 men and 163 women with incidentally detected adrenal tumors in age from 19 to 81 years diagnosed and treated in the Department of Clinical Endocrinology, University Hospital in Krakow, 59 patients was sent to surgery: 15 men and 42 women. Two groups of patients were analysed, divided on the basis of histopathological examination result. Group A consisted of patients with adrenal cortical adenoma: 38 people (11 men and 27 women). In group B there were people with so-called other hormonal inactive adrenal tumors - 17 people (4 men and 13 women). The average age of the patients in group A was 52.05 +/- 11.52 years, in group B 51.44 +/- 14.14 years. In group A the mean morning level of cortisol was 18.23 +/- 6.42 ug/dl and did not differ statistically significantly from the results of group B (mean morning cortisol level of 15.86 +/- 4.6 ug/dl). However a significantly higher nocturnal cortisol levels in the blood serum of patients with group A versus group B was observed (6.78 +/- 5.65 ug/dl vs. 3.57 +/- 1.77 ug/dl). There was no cortisol diurnal rhythm disorders in group B, while in group A slightly disrupted cortisol diurnal rhythm was found in 17 people. Mean values of 24-hour urine 17-OHCS and free cortisol were statistically higher in group A than in group B, although mean values remained within normal limits. In 24 patients from group A where abnormalities in the screening test with 1 mg DXA were found, a test with 2 and 8 mg was performed, which showed incomplete suppression of the excretion of steroid metabolites in the urine after administration of 8 mg in 17 subjects, and 3 of the total absence of suppression. In group B in 4 people there was no suppression in 1 mg of DXA test, while the suppression test with 8 mg of DXA was normal. A detailed analysis of the clinical signs, meticulously carried out and repeated hormonal diagnosis with the use of functional tests should be focused on the detection of subclinical hormonal disorders, which is crucial in preventing organ damage and making a decision of the right treatment of the patient, which is surgical.