Imatinib and Thyroid Dysfunction in BCR-ABL Positive CML Patients

Background: Thyroid dysfunction is a known adverse effect of some tyrosine kinase inhibitors like sunitiniband sorafenib while imatinib hasbeen shown to induce hypothyroidism and increased requirement of levothyroxine in thyrectomizedpatients. Very few retrospective studies are available for CML patients treated with imatinib,which havedemonstrated conflicting effects on thyroid function.Experimental design: We have prospectively studied thyroid function at baseline and at 6 months of imatinib treatment in 30 newly diagnosed BCR-ABL positive CML patients.Results: Two (6.7%) patients had subclinical hypothyroidism at diagnosis with the prevalence not being different from general population. Though the TSH levels increased significantly from baseline (3.80±2.00 mIU/L vs. 3.14±1.65 mIU/L, p =0.016) after6 months of treatment, 90% of the patients remained euthyroid. Only 3 patients had subclinical hypothyroidism.Conclusion: Imatinib did not have any significant impact on thyroid function in CML patients but may possibly alter the peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormones

Interpretation of Biochemical Tests for Iron Metabolism in Hyperthyroidism

Objective: Several studies suggest that thyroid hormones may affect erythropoiesis. However the mechanism by which thyroid hormones alter the ferritin concentration is not well known. Therefore, the present case-control study was designed to determine the changes due to hyperthyroidism in serum ferritin, iron and transferrin levels and to investigate the inter-relationship between these parameters.Material: This study was conducted on 50 newly diagnosed hyperthyroid patients and the results were compared with 50 age and sex matched healthy controls. Serum ferritin was assessed by two site sandwich immunoassay using direct chemiluminometric technology. TIBC and serum iron were estimated by colorimetric method.Results: Serum ferritin (314.43 ± 68.7 ng/mL) and iron concentration (159.88 ± 36.28 µg/dL) were found to be increased in hyperthyroid patients as compared to healthy controls (255.23 ± 45.5 ng/mL and 110.52 ± 20.52 µg/dL respectively). There was a significant difference between hyperthyroid patients and healthy controls in serum levels of ferritin and iron (p0.05 for both). Serum ferritin and iron were correlated significantly positive with thyroid parameters while a significant negative correlation was found with transferrin.Conclusion: Our data suggest that alterations in thyroid status in a given individual produce significant changes in serum ferritin, iron and transferrin levels. Increased ferritin levels seem to be protective against increased oxidative stress seen in hyperthyroidism but these also increase atherosclerotic risk. However, a large scale study is recommended to establish the fact

Evaluation of Ferritin and Nitric Oxide Levels in Breast Cancer

Breast carcinoma is one of the commonest malignancies in females. It is curable, if detected, at an early stage. Levels of serum ferritin and nitric oxide are found raised in various cancers including breast carcinoma. These parameters are sufficiently interlinked to be used as markers for breast cancer. In this study, the levels of ferritin and nitric oxide were estimated in 30 patients of early stage (stage I and II) and 30 patients of advanced breast cancer (stge III and IV). These levels were compared with 30 healthy females as controls. Serum ferritin and nitric oxide were found to be raised (p0.001) in all breast cancer patients as compared to controls. The rise in their levels was significantly more in advanced stage as compared to early stage carcinoma (p0.001). Treatment had a curative effect on these parameters also as shown by a decrease in their levels in both the groups. Thus, estimation of ferritin and nitric oxide may aid in diagnosis, assessment of severity and monitoring of breast cancer patients though results will be highly reliable in conjunction with other tumor markers

Immunocontraceptives: How far from reality?

Despite high expectations of safer, effective, economical, longer acting contraceptives, to date, there are no licensed contraceptive vaccines available in the market. Nevertheless, a role for vaccines undoubtedly exists as an aid to birth spacing and as a nonsurgical means of generating sterility. The research concerned in the area so far has been successful on the feline population, with room still for exhaustive studies on humans. The future of contraceptive vaccines holds great promise in terms of comfort, price, efficacy, rare complications, and possibly nonselective action on animal populations as well as on humans. This brief review deals with the basic aspects of immunocontraceptives along with the efforts done so far. There is a need for further research in aspects involving the rate of evolution of contraception resistance based on genetics, resistance phenotypes, or cross generation effects. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone and luteinizing-hormone have not been investigated in humans, as both reported impotency in animals; the follicle-stimulating hormone has been shown to cause oligospermia; zona pellucida has also not been studied in humans as it causes irreversible oophoritis, while the sperm has the potential for success in humans based on the data from immunoreproductive studies. Even as the position of the human chorionic gonadotropin vaccine looks hopeful, research on other possible targets continue with an eventual aim of discovering a vaccine that is more immunogenically effective

COMPARISION OF MYO-INOSITOL VERSUS METFORMIN ON ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS IN POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME IN WOMEN

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate and compare the effect of insulin sensitizers i.e. metformin and myoinositol on anthropometric parameters in patients of the Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).Methods: A prospective, open-labeled, randomized, comparative, clinical study was conducted on 60 patients. The patients were randomly divided into two groups of 30 each to receive either of the following two treatments: group A: Tablet myoinositol 1g twice daily. group B: Tablet metformin 500 mg thrice daily for 24 w. Anthropometric parameters were assessed by measuring body weight, Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio (WHR) at baseline and subsequently at the end of 12 w and 24 w.Results: In both the groups, there was a statistically significant improvement in over a period of 24 w. In group A, the values for weight at baseline, 12 w and 24 w expressed in mean±SEM are 63.96±.90, 62.33±.88 and 61.20±.85 while in group B the values were 63.58±1.88, 62.26±1.74 and 60.86±1.65. In group A, the values for BMI at baseline, 12 w and 24 w were 26.45±.41, 25.78±.42 and 25.31±.40 while in group B the values were 26.09±.76, 25.53±.71 and 24.96±.68 respectively. In group A, WHR values were 0.79±.007, 0.78±.007 and 0.78±.007 while in group B 0.79±.010, 0.79±0.108, 0.79±.011 at baseline, 12 w and 24 w respectively. However, on comparing both the groups at 12 and 24 w, no statistically significant difference was observed in all the parameters.Conclusion: There was a definite improvement in anthropometric parameters with both metformin and myoinositol but on comparing these drugs, no significant difference was observed. Thus, myoinositol can also be used as an alternative to metformin for the treatment of PCOS