Identification of chosen apoptotic (TIAR and TIA-1) markers expression in thyroid tissues from adolescents with immune and non-immune thyroid diseases.

The aim of this study was to estimate sodium iodide symporter (NIS) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) expression in thyrocytes from patients with GD and no-toxic multinodular goitre (NTMG) in relationship with apoptotic (TIAR and TIA-1) markers. The investigation was performed on thyroid cells isolated from postoperation thyroid tissues from 15 patients aged 12-21 years old with GD and 15 cases aged 13-21 years old with NTMG. Detection of NIS and TPO was performed by immunohistochemistry. Analysis of apoptotic markers in thyroid tissues was performed using antibodies to TIAR and TIA-1 by Western Blot and immunohistochemistry. Identification of proapoptotic TIAR and TIA-1 molecules in the thyroid tissues revealed a higher expression of both proteins in patients with Graves' disease (+++; +, respectively) in comparison to patients with NTNG (+; 0). In addition, TIAR expression was detected in three bands [p50, p42, p38 (kDa)] and TIA-1 in two bands [p22, p17 (kDa)]. using Western Blot test in patients with thyroid autoimmune diseases. In patients with NTNG expression of both apoptotic proteins was lower and identified in single bands: 42 (kDa) for TIAR and 17 (kDa) for TIA-1. The analysis of expression of NIS and TPO in thyroid follicular cells was higher in patients with Graves' disease in compared to their detection in patients with NTMG. In addition, degree of thyroid antigen expression positive correlated with amount of proapoptotic markers (TIAR,

Autoimmune thyroiditis in antinuclear antibody positive children without rheumatologic disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Children are commonly referred to a pediatric rheumatology center for the laboratory finding of an Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) of undetermined significance. Previous studies regarding adult rheumatology patients have supported an association between ANA and anti-thyroid antibodies, with the prevalence of thyroid antibodies being significantly higher in patients referred to a rheumatology center for an ANA without evidence of connective tissue disease compared to the general population. The purpose of the present study was to determine the frequency of thyroid antibodies in children referred to a pediatric rheumatology center for a positive ANA without evidence of a connective tissue disease.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective chart review was performed on children who were referred to our pediatric rheumatology center between August 2003 and March 2007 for positive ANA with concurrent thyroid antibody and thyroid function tests performed who did not fulfill criteria for a specific connective tissue disease. Laboratory and clinical features were recorded and analyzed. Mean and standard deviation were used to describe continuous data. Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests were used to compare proportions between variables.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One-hundred and four ANA-positive patients with concurrent thyroid studies were evaluated (88% female, 93% Caucasian, mean age 11.9 ± 4.0 years). Half of patients had an ANA titer ≥ 1:320. The ANA pattern was speckled in 60% of the patients. Thyroid antibodies were detected in 30% of the patients. Anti-Thyroglobulin (ATG) was detected in 29% and Anti-thyroid peroxidase (ATPO) in 21% of the patients; of these children, 14% had hypothyroidism. ANA pattern and titer were not associated with anti-thyroid antibody positivity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Thyroid antibodies associated with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, ATG and ATPO, were detected significantly higher in ANA-positive children without a rheumatologic condition (30%) as compared to the general pediatric population (1.3 - 3.4%). ANA titer and pattern did not help predict the presence or absence of thyroid antibodies. Given the high frequency of thyroid antibodies and increased risk of developing hypothyroidism over time, routine evaluation of ATG and ATPO with thyroid function tests in ANA-positive children is recommended.</p

Increased percentage of L-selectin+ and ICAM-1+ peripheral blood CD4+/CD8+ T cells in active Graves' ophthalmopathy.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the percentage of CD4+/CD8+ peripheral T cells expressing CD62L+ and CD54+ in patients with Graves' disease and to assess if these estimations could be helpful as markers of active ophthalmopathy. The study was carried out in 25 patients with Graves' disease (GD) divided into 3 groups: 1/ 8 patients with active Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) (CAS 3-6, GO complaints pound 1 year), 2/ 9 patients with hyperthyroid GD without symptoms of ophthalmopathy (GDtox) and 3/ 8 patients with euthyroid GD with no GO symptoms (GDeu). The control group consisted of 15 healthy volunteers age and sex matched to groups 1-3. The expression of lymphocyte adhesion molecules was evaluated by using three-color flow cytometry. In GO group the percentage of CD8+CD54+, CD8+CD62L+, CD4+CD54+ and CD4+CD62L+ T cells was significantly higher as compared to controls (p&lt;0.001, p&lt;0.05, p&lt;0.01, p&lt;0.001 respectively). The percentage of CD8+CD54+ T lymphocytes was also elevated in GO group in comparison to hyperthyroid GD patients (p&lt; 0.05). CD4+CD62L+ and CD8+CD54+ percentages were also increased in GDtox and GDeu as compared to controls. We found a positive correlation between the TSHRab concentration and the percentage of CD8+CD62L+ T cells in all studied groups (r= 0.39, p&lt;0.05) and between the TSHRab level and CAS (r= 0.77, p&lt;0.05). The increased percentage of CD8+CD54+ and CD8+CD62L+ T cells in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy may be used as a marker of immune inflammation activity

Case report: A 10-year-old girl with primary hypoparathyroidism and systemic lupus erythematosus

Hypoparathyroidism is a rare disease in children that occurs as a result of autoimmune destruction of the parathyroid glands, a defect in parathyroid gland development or secondary to physical parathyroid gland disturbance. Typical symptoms of hypoparathyroidism present as hypocalcaemia and hyperphosphatemia due to decreased parathyroid hormone secretion and may lead to nerve and muscles disturbances resulting in clinical manifestation of tetany, arrhythmias and epilepsy. Currently, there is no conventional hormone replacement treatment for hypoparathyroidism and therapeutic approaches include normalising mineral levels using an oral calcium supplement and active forms of vitamin D. We present the case of a 10-year old girl with primary hypoparathyroidism who had no prior history of autoimmune disorders, but who subsequently developed systemic lupus erythematosus

Chinese herb related molecules of cancer-cell-apoptosis: a minireview of progress between Kanglaite injection and related genes

Many kinds of Chinese herb had been confirmed to have the character of anti-tumor, clinical reports about anti-tumor effects of Chinese herb had also been found in recent years, but most of the reports were focused on the clinical treatment of effectiveness for Chinese herb, on the other hand, review about Chinese herbal related with molecules on cancer-cell-apoptosis was seldom, many scientists could not believe such kinds of clinical describes about anti-tumor effects for Chinese herb, because these describes were lack of molecular biology evidence. Kanglaite(KLT) injection is an anti-tumor new drug which extracts from Chinese medicine-coix seed with modern advanced pharmaceutical technology, it is also a new biphase extended-spectrum anticancer medicine, the food and drug administration(FDA) of United States also approved a phase II trial of KLT to test its efficacy in treating non-small-cell lung cancer. Some studies show it could inhibit some anti-apoptotic gene and activate some pro-apoptotic gene, its injection solution is one of the new anticancer medicine that can significantly inhibit a various kinds of tumor cells, so it has become the core of research that how to further explore KLT injection to promote tumor cell apoptosis by impacting on related genes. In this review, the relationship between KLT and some tumor cell apoptosis molecules had been discussed and reviewed generally

Effectiveness and Safety of rhIGF-1 Therapy in Children: The European Increlex® Growth Forum Database Experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We report data from the EU Increlex® Growth Forum Database (IGFD) Registry, an ongoing, open-label, observational study monitoring clinical practice use of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1 (rhIGF-1) therapy in children. METHODS: Safety and effectiveness data on rhIGF-1 treatment of 195 enrolled children with growth failure were collected from December 2008 to September 2013. RESULTS: Mean ± SD (95% CI) height velocity during first year of rhIGF-1 treatment was 6.9 ± 2.2 cm/year (6.5; 7.2) (n = 144); in prepubertal patients naïve to treatment, this was 7.3 ± 2.0 cm/year (6.8; 7.7) (n = 81). Female sex, younger age at start of rhIGF-1 therapy, and lower baseline height SDS predicted first-year change in height SDS. The most frequent targeted treatment-emergent adverse events (% patients) were hypoglycemia (17.6%, predictors: young age, diagnosis of Laron syndrome, but not rhIGF-1 dose), lipohypertrophy (10.6%), tonsillar hypertrophy (7.4%), injection site reactions (6.4%), and headache (5.9%). Sixty-one serious adverse events (37 related to rhIGF-1 therapy) were reported in 31 patients (16.5%). CONCLUSION: Safety and effectiveness data on use of rhIGF-1 in a 'real-world' setting were similar to those from controlled randomized trials. Severe growth phenotype and early start of rhIGF-1 improved height response and predicted risk of hypoglycemia