Comparison of Electrochemiluminescence and Enzyme Immunoassay Methods for the Measurement of Salivary Cortisol

Purpose: The aim of the study was to compare electrochemiluminescence (ECL) and enzyme immunoassay (EI) methods for the measurement of salivary cortisol (SC). Material and Method: SC levels in 20 healthy subjects were measured by two different methods (EI and ECL). Results: The results obtained from EI and ECL methods were found to be significantly correlated. Discussion: Measuring SC by ECL method is faster and easier than EI in routine practice. Therefore, SC measured by ECL rather than EI may be used as a marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function

The potential impact of COVID-19 on thyroid gland volumes among COVID-19 survivors

Purpose Data about the effects of COVID-19 on the endocrine system are increasing over time. In the present study, we investigated the effects of COVID-19 on the thyroid gland among COVID-19 survivors by comparing them with healthy subjects. Methods Adult COVID-19 survivors who were managed and followed up in the Infectious Disease clinic were asked to participate in this study. COVID-19 survivors were recruited via a convenience sampling and those who agreed to participate in this study were seen by endocrinologists for assessments. The blood tests were obtained for thyroid antibodies and thyroid function tests. Thyroid ultrasonography (USG) was done by the same physician. The ellipsoid formula was used for the calculation of thyroid gland volume. Results 64 adult COVID-19 survivors and 70 control subjects were enrolled in the study. The COVID-19 survivors were evaluated at median 5.7 months (IQR: 4-6.5) (range: 2-7 months) after acute infection. The mean thyroid gland volume was significantly lower in COVID-19 survivors (10.3 +/- 3.4 mL) than in the controls (14 +/- 5.3 mL) (p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels between the groups. Among the twelve patients who had thyroid function evaluated in acute COVID-19, fT3 values were lower in acute COVID-19 than at the time of USG evaluation (3.04 +/- 0.41 vs 3.47 +/- 0.31 pg/mL), (p = 0.02). Among COVID-19 survivors, mild TSH elevation was detected in 4 (6.2%) patients and all of the other COVID-19 survivors (93.7%) were euthyroid. Conclusions At 6 months after acute COVID, COVID-19 survivors had smaller thyroid gland volume than healthy controls, and only a few of the COVID-19 survivors had abnormal thyroid function

The effect of additional acarbose on metformin-associated artificially high F-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in positron emission tomography/computed tomography

Aim Metformin causes diffuse and intense fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake more frequently in the colon and less frequently in the small intestine. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of simultaneous use of acarbose and metformin on FDG uptake in positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), which has not been investigated previously. Methods Totally 145 patients with a median age of 65 years (range: 18-80 years), who underwent FDG PET/CT in the Department of Nuclear Medicine of Erciyes University Medical School between 2018 and 2021, were involved in the study. The patients undergoing PET/CT were categorized as metformin plus acarbose users (group MA), metformin users (group M), and control subjects without diabetes (group C). The maximum and mean standard uptake values (SUVmax and SUVmean) of FDG uptake of the all intestine segments were measured separately. Results The number of participants in each group was 35, 51 and 59 in group MA, group M and group C, respectively. The FDG uptake of all intestine was significantly higher in group MA and group M than in group C. The FDG uptake of ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid colon was significantly lower in group MA than in group M. The FDG uptake of the small intestine was not different between group MA and group M. The FDG uptake of the rectum was lower in group MA than group M and it was significant for SUVmean, but not significant for SUVmax. Conclusion The addition of acarbose to metformin therapy decreased SUV and artificially high FDG uptake in the colon and may be an alternative recommendation to discontinuing metformin in patients going to PET/CT imaging