[Cortisol rhythm during Ramadan]

We studied the nyctohemeral cortisol secretion rhythm and the cortisol response to 1-24 corticotropin during Ramadan in 11 healthy, male volunteers aged 20-35 years. Their response to 250 mg 1-24 corticotropin was investigated 2 weeks before Ramadan by testing daily at 08:00 and 20:00 hours. After 16-22 days of fasting, their cortisol levels were measured at 08:00 hours and their response to 1-24 corticotropin at 20:00 hours. Before Ramadan, the baseline cortisol level was significantly higher at 08:00 hours than at 20:00 hours and the cortisol response to 1-24 corticotropin was also higher at 08:00 hours but this difference was not significant. During Ramadan, the cortisol level at 08:00 hours was lower than at the same time before Ramadan; the level at 20:00 hours was slightly higher than at the same time before Ramadan. There was no significant difference between the cortisol response to 1-24 corticotropin at 20:00 hours during Ramadan and the responses before Ramadan at 20:00 hours and 08:00 hours

Importance of free thyroxine in comparison with total thyroxine in thyroid exploration

The authors report a study about the more discriminative value of FTA versus TT4 in thyroid investigation. 196 patients have been tested: - 33 normal subjects. 48 patients suffering of hyper [n =24] or hypothyroidism [n = 24]. 115 patients who are clinically euthyroid but with disturbed TBG [75 impregnated with oestrogen, 17 undergoing a corticotherapy and 23 suffering of nephritic syndrome]. Their TT4, ET4 and TSH have been assedded by radioimmunoassay. In normal and dysthyroid patients the values of their three hormones agree with each other. The clinical euthyroid state of the third group is confirmed by their normal FT4and TSH values. Their apparent TT4 values are influenced by the disturbed value of their TBG [p < 0.0001].The assessment of FT4 associated to TSH seems to be an accurate test to investigate the thyroid function and the binding proteins

Place du phadiatop TM dans le depistage de l'allergie respiratoire

Phadiatop' is a new in vitro screening test for respiratory allergy. This test, based on the 'RAST procedure, detects in serum, the presence of specific lgE to a mixture of common inhalent allergens. Among 70 patients [26 children and 44 adults] consulting for respiratory syndrome, Phadiatop [Tm] was positive in 31 cases. There were a good correlation between this new test and skin tests [59% for adults and 92% for children], total lgE [70% for adults and 65% for children] and RAST [93% for adults and 96% for children]. Phadiatop [Tm], with a specificity of 100%. a sensitivity of 82% [76% for adults and 92% for children] and an efficiency of 90% [86% for adults and 96% for children], is a more accurate test than total IgE and could bean excellent in vitro screening test for respiratory allergy

Note preliminaire sur la production d'anticorps antiinsuline chez les diabetique traites par l'insuline porcine

In the present study, we have tested the sera of sixty five diabetic patients treated with insulin, Researching the action of some physiologic and therapeutic factors [sex, age, insulin dose and time of treatment], to production of anti-insulin antibodies. Our results have shown that an important percentage of diabetic patients treated by porcine insulin produce antibodies: 72% of studied patients, concerning chiefly all the women and patients under-forty years old. However our results have not pointed out any relation between the administered insulin doses versus the anti-insulin antibodies production, in spit of the early production of these antibodies in a great part of the patients