Identification of exhaled volatile organic compounds that characterize asthma phenotypes: A J-VOCSA study.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is characterized by phenotypes of different clinical, demographic, and pathological characteristics. Identifying the profile of exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in asthma phenotypes may facilitate establishing biomarkers and understanding asthma background pathogenesis. This study aimed to identify exhaled VOCs that characterize severe asthma phenotypes among patients with asthma. METHODS: This was a multicenter cross-sectional study of patients with severe asthma in Japan. Clinical data were obtained from medical records, and questionnaires were collected. Exhaled breath was sampled and subjected to thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). RESULTS: Using the decision tree established in the previous nationwide asthma cohort study, 245 patients with asthma were divided into five phenotypes and subjected to exhaled VOC analysis with 50 healthy controls (HCs). GC/MS detected 243 VOCs in exhaled breath samples, and 142 frequently detected VOCs (50% of all samples) were used for statistical analyses. Cluster analysis assigning the groups with similar VOC profile patterns showed the highest similarities between phenotypes 3 and 4 (early-onset asthma phenotypes), followed by the similarities between phenotypes 1 and 2 (late-onset asthma phenotypes). Comparisons between phenotypes 1-5 and HC revealed 19 VOCs, in which only methanesulfonic anhydride showed p < 0.05 adjusted by false discovery rate (FDR). Comparison of these phenotypes yielded several VOCs showing different trends (p < 0.05); however, no VOCs showed p < 0.05 adjusted by FDR. CONCLUSIONS: Exhaled VOC profiles may be useful for distinguishing asthma and asthma phenotypes; however, these findings need to be validated, and their pathological roles should be clarified.

The relation between vaccination status and referral to a consultation-liaison psychiatry service for hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are likely to be affected by delirium and other psychiatric complications. We aimed to evaluate the relation between COVID-19 vaccination status and referral of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 for consultation-liaison psychiatry services. METHOD: From the medical records used for this retrospective, single hospital-based study, 576 patients were identified who were over 18 years-of-age and hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19 between March 2020 and March 2022. The data of 531 for whom the vaccine history was obtained from the medical records were available for analysis: 455 without and 76 with referral to consultation-liaison psychiatry. A history of COVID-19 vaccination at least two times was used in the analysis of the odds for referral to liaison psychiatric consultation: 95% confidence interval (CI) in multivariable logistic regression. The adjustment factors included sex, age, body mass index (BMI), severity of COVID-19, C-reactive protein level, medical history, and therapeutic factors such as the use of remdesivir, steroids, or mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: The prevalence of psychiatric consultation was 14.3%. Patients without vaccination had a 7-times greater OR (95%CI:2.08-23.58) than vaccinated patients for a referral for consultation-liaison psychiatry services after adjusting for confounding factors. CONCLUSION: Non-vaccination was associated with a greater likelihood of referral for consultation-liaison psychiatry service among these hospitalized Japanese patients with COVID-19, even after adjusting for clinical and therapeutic factors. It is possible that vaccination greatly lessens the need for the referral of COVID-19 patients for consultation-liaison psychiatry services.

Circulatory C-type natriuretic peptide reduces mucopolysaccharidosis-associated craniofacial hypoplasia in vivo.

Skeletal alterations in the head and neck region, such as midfacial hypoplasia, foramen magnum stenosis and spinal canal stenosis, are commonly observed in patients with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS). However, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), one of the major treatment approaches for MPS, shows limited efficacy for skeletal conditions. In this study, we analysed the craniofacial morphology of mice with MPS type VII, and investigated the underlying mechanisms promoting jaw deformities in these animals. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), a potent endochondral ossification promoter, on growth impairment of the craniofacial region in MPS VII mice when administered alone or in combination with ERT. MPS VII mice exhibited midfacial hypoplasia caused by impaired endochondral ossification, and histological analysis revealed increased number of swelling cells in the resting zone of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis (SOS), an important growth centre for craniomaxillofacial skeletogenesis. We crossed MPS VII mice with transgenic mice in which CNP was expressed in the liver under the control of the human serum amyloid-P component promoter, resulting in elevated levels of circulatory CNP. The maxillofacial morphological abnormalities associated with MPS VII were ameliorated by CNP expression, and further prevented by a combination of CNP and ERT. Histological analysis showed that ERT decreased the swelling cell number, and CNP treatment increased the width of the proliferative and hypertrophic zones of the SOS. Furthermore, the foramen magnum and spinal stenoses observed in MPS VII mice were significantly alleviated by CNP and ERT combination. These results demonstrate the therapeutic potential of CNP, which can be used to enhance ERT outcome for MPS VII-associated head and neck abnormalities.

High-throughput Screening in Combination With a Cohort Study for Iodothyronine Deiodinases.

Regulatory mechanisms of iodothyronine deiodinases (DIOs) require further elucidation, and conventional methods for evaluating DIOs are unsuitable for high-throughput screening (HTS). Here we explored factors of transcriptional regulation of 3 types of DIOs (DIO1, DIO2, and DIO3) from a chemical library using our designed HTS. We constructed HTS based on a promoter assay and performed a screen of 2480 bioactive compounds. For compounds that were clinically approved, we validated hit compounds through a retrospective cohort study in our department that evaluated changes in thyroid function in patients using the compounds as drug therapy. Furthermore, we verified the involvement of DIOs using mice treated with the compounds. Of the hit compounds, 6 and 7 compounds transcriptionally up- and downregulated DIO1, respectively; 34 transcriptionally upregulated DIO2; and 5 and 2 compounds transcriptionally up- and downregulated DIO3, respectively. The cohort study clarified the clinical effects of some hit compounds: ritodrine increased free triiodothyronine (fT3)/free thyroxine (fT4) ratio and decreased serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, tadalafil increased serum fT3 levels, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) decreased serum fT3 and fT4 levels and increased serum TSH levels. Following in vivo experiments using treated mice, consistent results were observed in ritodrine, which upregulated DIO2 in the thyroid gland. In conclusion, we completed HTS for DIOs and obtained attractive hit compounds. Our cohort study revealed the clinical significance of ritodrine, sildenafil, and TKIs. We hope our unique method will contribute to analyzing various targets and lists of hit compounds will promote understanding of DIOs.

Effect of C-type natriuretic peptide on craniofacial skeletogenesis in mice during the pubertal growth spurt.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effect of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) overexpression on craniofacial growth during the pubertal growth period in mice. DESIGN: Six-week-old C57BL/6 mice were injected with pLIVE-Empty vectors (Control mice) and pLIVE-NPPC vectors (CNP mice) using the hydrodynamic method. Morphological analyses were performed at the age of 12 weeks. RESULTS: Micro-computed tomography (µCT) images showed significant (p < 0.05) hyperplasia in the maxilla along the sagittal plane (CNP mice: 13.754 mm, Control mice: 13.215 mm). Further, the images revealed significant bone overgrowth in the sagittal direction in the sphenoid (CNP mice: 6.936 mm, Control mice: 6.411 mm) and occipital (CNP mice: 4.051 mm, Control mice: 3.784 mm) bones in the CNP mice compared with that in the Control mice. Compared with SAP-Nppc-Tg mice in previous studies, although there was no effect on nose length and nasal bone length, the effect was sufficient to improve craniofacial hypogrowth. Furthermore, CNP promoted sagittal cranial growth by increasing the thickness of the spheno-occipital synchondrosis in organ cultures and nasal septal cartilage in micromass cultures, which were derived from 6-week-old mice. CONCLUSIONS: We have previously shown that the elevated blood levels of CNP from the neonatal period affect midfacial skeletogenesis by promoting endochondral ossification using mice (SAP-Nppc-Tg mice). The overexpression of CNP, even in 6-weeks-old mice, promoted growth in the sagittal direction within the maxillary region. These findings indicate the therapeutic potential of CNP for the treatment of midfacial hypoplasia during the pubertal growth spurt.

Compassion fatigue in a health care worker treating COVID-19 patients: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Doctors treating COVID-19 are under extreme stress. It was reported that healthcare workers providing palliative care could present elevated levels of compassion fatigue. We herein report a case if the attending doctor of severe COVID-19 cases who felt extreme psychological difficulty and suffered from compassion fatigue. CASE PRESENTATION: A 29-year-old female doctor presented with anxiety and insomnia. Her stress from overwork was exacerbated during the treatment of two related COVID-19 patients, a 47-year-old man with COVID-19 and his 76-year-old mother, who suffered acute stress disorder after the death of her son. The mother first refused treatment, but with psychiatric intervention she was able to recover and be discharged. In the course of these cases of COVID-19, their attending physician felt psychological distress and presented with insomnia and anticipatory anxiety due to the poor prognosis of the mother. After being presented with a systematic approach to improve her work situation by the hospital executive staff and undergoing psychotherapy for compassion fatigue, she recovered and was able to return to work. CONCLUSIONS: We report a physician in charge of severe cases of COVID-19, who suffered an adverse impact on her mental health. Excessively empathic engagement in the care of patients who do not survive and their relatives provides high risk for compassion fatigue. The stress-related distress of HCWs should be more widely recognized in order to improve support systems for them.

Thyroid hormone economy in mice overexpressing iodothyronine deiodinases.

In peripheral tissues, triiodothyronine (T3) production and consequent thyroid hormone actions are mainly regulated by iodothyronine deiodinases (DIOs) classified into 3 types: D1, D2, and D3. We aimed to investigate the effects of peripheral DIOs on thyroid hormone economy independent of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis. We cloned coding sequences of human DIOs with FLAG-tag and HiBiT-tag sequences into a pcDNA3.1 vector. To obtain full-length proteins, we modified these vectors by cloning the selenocysteine insertion sequence of each DIO (SECIS vectors). Western blot analyses and HiBiT lytic assay using HEK293T cells revealed that SECIS vectors expressed full-length proteins with substantial activity. Subsequently, in vivo transfections of pLIVE-based SECIS vectors into male C57BL/6J mice were performed by hydrodynamic gene delivery to generate mice overexpressing DIOs predominantly in the liver (D1, D2, and D3 mice). After 7 days from transfections, mice were analyzed to clarify phenotypes. To summarize, serum thyroid hormone levels did not change in D1 mice but D2 mice had higher serum free T3 levels. D3 mice developed hypothyroidism with higher serum reverse T3 (rT3) levels. Transfections with levothyroxine administration suggested that thyroid hormone action was upregulated in D2 mice. Our DIO-overexpressing mice provided insights on the physiological properties of upregulated DIOs: D2 augments local thyroid hormone action and recruits T3 into the circulation: D3 decreases circulating T3 and T4 levels with elevated rT3, leading to consumptive hypothyroidism. As D3 mice are expected to be a novel hypothyroidism model, they can contribute to progress in the field of thyroid hormone economy and action.

Bezafibrate induces hypothyroidism in a patient with resistance to thyroid hormone ß due to a G347R variant.

OBJECTIVE: A unique clinical course was observed in a patient with resistance to thyroid hormone ß (RTHß) caused by a variant of the THRB gene leading to the replacement of glycine with arginine in codon 347 (p.G347R). He presented with the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of thyrotropin (TSH) (free T4 [fT4]: 32.43 pmol/L, TSH: 4.67 mIU/L), but slowly developed progressive hypothyroidism (fT4: 8.37 pmol/L, TSH: 100.90 mIU/L) that resolved after suspending bezafibrate (BZ) treatment (fT4: 32.18 pmol/L, TSH: 7.14 mIU/L). This study clinically and experimentally evaluated this interesting phenomenon. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of non-RTHß patients was performed at Kyoto University Hospital. Data before BZ treatment were compared to the first data after treatment. Using reporter assays of iodothyronine deiodinases (DIO1, DIO2, DIO3) in HEK293T cells, we performed functional analyses of mutant thyroid hormone receptor ß with p.G347R (G347R TRß). Mice with G347R TRß were generated by hydrodynamic gene delivery. RESULTS: In non-RTHß patients (n = 7), BZ treatment did not change serum free T3 and TSH but significantly increased fT4 (p = .008). BZ administration increased DIO3 reporter activity in the context of G347R TRß, whereas did not change DIO1 and DIO2 reporter activity. In the livers of mice with G347R TRß, BZ administration increased reverse T3 content, which corresponded to an increase in Dio3 messenger RNA. CONCLUSIONS: While hypothyroidism associated with BZ treatment did not occur in non-RTHß patients, it was observed in a patient with RTHß due to the p.G347R variant. Liver DIO3 upregulation might involve this hypothyroidism.

Immunohistochemical Expression of Choline Acetyltransferase and Catecholamine-Synthesizing Enzymes in Head-and-Neck and Thoracoabdominal Paragangliomas and Pheochromocytomas.

Paragangliomas (PGLs) are neural-crest-derived, non-epithelial neuroendocrine tumors distributed along the parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves. Head-and-neck PGLs (HNPGLs) have been recognized as nonchromaffin, nonfunctional, parasympathetic tumors. By contrast, thoracoabdominal paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas (PPGLs) are chromaffin, functional, sympathetic tumors. Although HNPGLs and PPGLs have the same histological structure, the zellballen pattern, composed of chief and sustentacular cells surrounded by abundant capillaries, the pathobiological differences between these types of PGLs remain unclarified. To determine the phenotypic features of these PGLs, we performed an immunohistochemical study using specific antibodies against choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), an enzyme involved in acetylcholine synthesis, and enzymes for the catecholamine-synthesis, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), in 34 HNPGLs from 31 patients, 12 thoracoabdominal PGLs from 12 patients, and 26 pheochromocytomas from 22 patients. The expression of ChAT, TH, and DBH was 100%, 23%, and 10% in the HNPGLs; 12%, 100%, and 100% in the pheochromocytomas; and 25%, 67%, and 100% in the thoracoabdominal PGLs, respectively. These results designate HNPGLs as acetylcholine-producing parasympathetic tumors, in contrast to PPGLs being catecholamine-producing tumors. The other most frequently used neuroendocrine markers are synaptophysin and chromogranin A expressed 100% and 80%, respectively, and synaptophysin was superior to chromogranin A in HNPGLs. This is the first report of HNPGLs being acetylcholine-producing tumors. Immunohistochemistry of ChAT could be greatly useful for pathologic diagnosis of HNPGL. Whether measurement of acetylcholine levels in the blood or urine could be a tumor marker of HNPGLs should be investigated soon.

Correlation of 4-meter gait speed with clinical indicators of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Measuring daily physical activity and exercise capacity is recommended in the routine care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The 4-m gait speed (4mGS) is simple and effective in stratifying patients according to exercise performance, dyspnea, health status, and prognosis. We assessed the reliability of the 4mGS as a clinical marker by examining its association with established clinical indicators among hospitalized patients with COPD. METHODS: This retrospective study included 78 patients hospitalized with COPD (mean age: 76.3 ± 0.9 years; males, n = 69) between January 2016 and June 2018 who were assessed using the 4mGS and divided into slow (<0.8 m/s) and normal (≥0.8 m/s) 4mGS groups. Clinical characteristics were compared, including death during the observation period, time to first exacerbation, and long-term oxygen therapy requirement. RESULTS: There were strong relationships between 4mGS performance, the 6-min walk test (R = 0.70; p < 0.0001), and the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (R = 0.68; p < 0.0001) among the 78 patients. The slow 4mGS group had a higher frequency of death during the observation period (p = 0.0095) and a greater requirement for long-term oxygen therapy (p = 0.0063). The 4mGS correlated with inspiratory capacity (IC) and IC/total lung capacity ratios, which are respiratory failure indicators. CONCLUSIONS: The 4mGS is a simple and easy method of assessing the physical condition as well as estimating the prognosis of patients with COPD, and may serve as a useful marker in home medical treatment or clinical settings.

Is C-type natriuretic peptide regulated by a feedback loop? A study on systemic and local autoregulatory effect.

C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is a pivotal enhancer of endochondral bone growth and is expected to be a therapeutic reagent for impaired skeletal growth. Although we showed that CNP stimulates bone growth as a local regulator in the growth plate via the autocrine/paracrine system, CNP is abundantly produced in other various tissues and its blood concentration is reported to correlate positively with growth velocity. Therefore we investigated the systemic regulation of CNP levels using rodent models. In order to examine whether CNP undergoes systemic feedback regulation, we investigated blood CNP levels and local CNP expression in various tissues, including cartilage, of 4-week-old rats after systemic administration of sufficient amounts of exogenous CNP (0.5 mg/kg/day) for 3 days. This CNP administration did not alter blood NT-proCNP levels in male rats but decreased mRNA expression only in tissue that included cartilage. Decrease in expression and blood NT-proCNP were greater in female rats. To analyze the existence of direct autoregulation of CNP in the periphery as an autocrine/paracrine system, we estimated the effect of exogenous supplementation of CNP on the expression of endogenous CNP itself in the growth plate cartilage of extracted fetal murine tibias and in ATDC5, a chondrogenic cell line. We found no alteration of endogenous CNP expression after incubation with adequate concentrations of exogenous CNP for 4 and 24 hours, which were chosen to observe primary and later transcriptional effects, respectively. These results indicate that CNP is not directly autoregulated but indirectly autoregulated in cartilage tissue. A feedback system is crucial for homeostatic regulation and further studies are needed to elucidate the regulatory system of CNP production and function.

C-Type Natriuretic Peptide Restores Growth Impairment Under Enzyme Replacement in Mice With Mucopolysaccharidosis VII.

Growth impairment in mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) is an unresolved issue as it is resistant to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and growth hormone therapy. C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is a promising agent that has growth-promoting effects. Here we investigate the effects of CNP on growth impairment of MPSs using Gusbmps-2J mice, a model for MPS type VII, with combination therapy of CNP and ERT by hydrodynamic gene delivery. Although monotherapies were not sufficient to restore short statures of treated mice, combination therapy resulted in successful restoration. The synergistic effects of CNP and ERT were not only observed in skeletal growth but also in growth plates. ERT reduced cell swelling in the resting zone and increased cell number by accelerating proliferation or inhibiting apoptosis. CNP thickened the proliferative and hypertrophic zones. Regarding changes in the bone, ERT restored bone sclerosis through decreased bone formation and increased bone resorption, and CNP did not adversely affect this process. In addition, improvement of joint deformation by ERT was suggested by analyses of joint spaces and articular cartilage. CNP additively provided restoration of the short stature of MPS VII mice in combination with ERT, which improved abnormalities of growth plates and bone metabolism.

Exogenous C-type natriuretic peptide therapy for impaired skeletal growth in a murine model of glucocorticoid treatment.

Growth retardation is an important side effect of glucocorticoid (GC)-based drugs, which are widely used in various preparations to treat many pediatric diseases. We investigated the therapeutic effect of exogenous CNP-53, a stable molecular form of intrinsic CNP, on a mouse model of GC-induced growth retardation. We found that CNP-53 successfully restored GC-induced growth retardation when both dexamethasone (DEX) and CNP-53 were injected from 4 to 8 weeks old. Notably, CNP-53 was not effective during the first week. From 4 to 5 weeks old, neither CNP-53 in advance of DEX, nor high-dose CNP-53 improved the effect of CNP. Conversely, when CNP-53 was started at 5 weeks old, final body length at 8 weeks old was comparable to that when CNP-53 was started at 4 weeks old. As for the mechanism of resistance to the CNP effect, DEX did not impair the production of cGMP induced by CNP. CNP reduced Erk phosphorylation even under treatment with DEX, while CNP did not changed that of p38 or GSK3ß. Collectively, the effect of CNP-53 on GC-induced growth retardation is dependent on age in a mouse model, suggesting adequate and deliberate use of CNP would be effective for GC-induced growth retardation in clinical settings.

Exogenous C-type natriuretic peptide restores normal growth and prevents early growth plate closure in its deficient rats.

Signaling by C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) and its receptor, natriuretic peptide receptor-B, is a pivotal stimulator of endochondral bone growth. We recently developed CNP knockout (KO) rats that exhibit impaired skeletal growth with early growth plate closure. In the current study, we further characterized the phenotype and growth plate morphology in CNP-KO rats, and the effects of exogenous CNP in rats. We used CNP-53, an endogenous form of CNP consisting of 53 amino acids, and administered it for four weeks by continuous subcutaneous infusion at 0.15 or 0.5 mg/kg/day to four-week old CNP-KO and littermate wild type (WT) rats. We demonstrated that CNP-KO rats were useful as a reproducible animal model for skeletal dysplasia, due to their impairment in endochondral bone growth. There was no significant difference in plasma bone-turnover markers between the CNP-KO and WT rats. At eight weeks of age, growth plate closure was observed in the distal end of the tibia and the calcaneus of CNP-KO rats. Continuous subcutaneous infusion of CNP-53 significantly, and in a dose-dependent manner, stimulated skeletal growth in CNP-KO and WT rats, with CNP-KO rats being more sensitive to the treatment. CNP-53 also normalized the length of long bones and the growth plate thickness, and prevented growth plate closure in the CNP-KO rats. Using organ culture experiment of fetal rat tibia, gene set enrichment analysis indicated that CNP might have a negative influence on mitogen activated protein kinase signaling cascades in chondrocyte. Our results indicated that CNP-KO rats might be a valuable animal model for investigating growth plate physiology and the mechanism of growth plate closure, and that CNP-53, or its analog, may have the potential to promote growth and to prevent early growth plate closure in the short stature.

Live imaging analysis of the growth plate in a murine long bone explanted culture system.

Skeletal growth in mammals, which owes the growth of an individual, occurs at the growth plate and to observe and analyze its dynamic growth is of high interest. Here we performed live imaging analysis of the growth plate of a fetal murine long bone organ culture using two-photon excitation microscopy. We could observe a dynamic growth of the growth plate of explanted fetal murine ulna, as well as the resultant linear elongation of the explants. As for the factors contributing to the elongation of the growth plate, the displacement length of each chondrocyte was larger in the prehypertrophic or hypertrophic zone than in the proliferative zone. The segmented area and its extracellular component were increased in both the proliferative and prehypertrophic-hypertrophic zones, whereas an increase in cellular components was only seen in the prehypertrophic-hypertrophic zone. C-type natriuretic peptide, a known positive stimulator of endochondral bone growth mainly targeting prehypertrophic-hypertrophic zone, augmented all of the factors affecting growth plate elongation, whereas it had little effect on the proliferation of chondrocytes. Collectively, the axial trajectory of each chondrocyte mainly owes cellular or extracellular expansion especially in prehypertrophic-hypertrophic zone and results in growth plate elongation, which might finally result in endochondral bone elongation.

Effects of growth hormone on thyroid function are mediated by type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase in humans.

PURPOSE: Growth hormone (GH) therapy in adults alters thyroid function, and acromegaly often involves thyroid disease. The present study aimed to elucidate roles and mechanisms of GH in regulating thyroid function. METHODS: We performed two retrospective observational studies, which focused on consecutive patients with severe adult GH deficiency who received recombinant human GH (rhGH) therapy (n = 20) and consecutive patients with acromegaly who underwent transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) (n = 25). In both studies, serum free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), and fT3/fT4 ratio were examined before and after the interventions. We subsequently administered GH to four human cell lines (HepG2, TSA201, MCF7, and HTC/C3) in vitro, and examined changes in mRNA levels of iodothyronine deiodinases (D1, D2, and D3). RESULTS: Median serum fT3 level significantly increased after rhGH therapy from 2.38 to 2.78 pg/mL (p < 0.001), and fT4 decreased from 1.115 to 1.065 ng/dL (p = 0.081). TSS significantly decreased median serum fT3 from 3.03 to 2.53 pg/mL (p < 0.001), and increased fT4 from 1.230 to 1.370 ng/dL (p < 0.001). In vitro, GH significantly increased D2 expression at the mRNA level in HTC/C3 cells (p < 0.01), as well as D2 protein and its activity. CONCLUSIONS: GH increased serum fT3 level and decreased serum fT4 level in humans. Our results suggest that its mechanism involves D2 upregulation. Considering this GH effect on thyroid hormone metabolism, data on thyroid function could be useful in the management of GH deficiency and acromegaly.

Insulinoma with a History of Epilepsy: Still a Possible Misleading Factor in the Early Diagnosis of Insulinoma.

A delayed diagnosis of insulinoma remains a clinical issue. Hypoglycemic symptoms can mimic neuropsychiatric disorders such as epilepsy. A 27-year-old woman with a history of epilepsy and anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) developed repeated seizures and neuropsychiatric symptoms after a 9-year asymptomatic interval. She had received transient treatment with AEDs before the possibility of hypoglycemia was considered. Following a clinical diagnosis of insulinoma, distal pancreatectomy was performed; her seizures didn't occur again. The early diagnosis of insulinoma requires vigilance not only for hypoglycemia in patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms but also for the possible masking effects of a history of epilepsy and preceding AED usage.

Hyponatremia in an Elderly Patient due to Isolated Hypoaldosteronism Occurring after Licorice Withdrawal.

Hyponatremia is one of the most common electrolyte disorders encountered in the elderly. We present the case of an 81-year-old man who developed hyponatremia due to isolated hypoaldosteronism occurring after licorice withdrawal. He had severe hypokalemia with hypertension and was diagnosed with pseudoaldosteronism. He had been taking a very small dose of licorice as a mouth refresher since his early adulthood. Five months after licorice withdrawal, he developed hypovolemic hyponatremia, which was resolved with administration of fludrocortisone acetate. Our experience with this case suggests that isolated hypoaldosteronism occurring after licorice withdrawal should be considered as a potential cause of hyponatremia in elderly patients.

Thyroid hormone replacement therapy for primary hypothyroidism leads to significant improvement of renal function in chronic kidney disease patients.

BACKGROUND: The interactions between kidney and thyroid functions have been known for many years; however, there are few studies on the extent of the improvements and long-term changes of renal function after thyroid hormone replacement therapy (THRT) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. The purpose of this study was to determine how THRT affects the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in CKD patients with primary hypothyroidism. METHODS: A retrospective investigation was performed on 51 Japanese patients (15 men and 36 women) with primary hypothyroidism. The changes in eGFR after THRT were examined according to the existence of CKD and severity of thyroid function. RESULTS: eGFR increased rapidly over the first 6 months after THRT in CKD patents, which was followed by a plateau. There was a correlation between eGFR and the severity of hypothyroidism, which was independent of age, and eGFR in severely hypothyroid patients significantly increased up to levels that were similar to mildly hypothyroid patients after THRT. eGFR improved more in the lower initial eGFR group and increased about 30 % in CKD patients (47.5 ± 7.7 vs. 62.1 ± 9.5 ml/min/1.73 m(2), P < 0.01). Moreover, eGFR in CKD patients with mild to moderate hypothyroidism was significantly increased compared to that in non-CKD patients. CONCLUSION: Our data suggested that hypothyroidism contributed to the reduction in eGFR, especially in CKD patients; therefore, patients with CKD should positively be examined for thyroid function, and appropriate THRT should be started if needed.

A rare ring-shaped anomaly of the main pancreatic duct accompanying a branch duct IPMN.

The patient was a 74-year-old female. Screening computed tomography for examination of the abdomen showed a cystic mass in the pancreatic body. Close investigation using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed a very rare finding: the main pancreatic duct bifurcated at the pancreatic body, and these two ducts converged at the caudal side. A multilocular cystic mass in the pancreatic body and mucus discharge from the orifice of major papilla were observed. There was no protruded lesion in the main pancreatic duct. No findings suggested apparent malignancy. The patient was diagnosed as having hyperplastic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of branch type showing a ring-shaped pancreatic duct, and was placed under follow-up.