Diffuse pulmonary metastases with negative ¹⁸FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography and positive post-radioiodine therapy scan of papillary thyroid cancer / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

A female papillary thyroid cancer patient with diffuse micronodular pulmonary metastases was confirmed only by post radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy whole body scan (RxWBS). Her diagnostic iodine-131 whole body scan (DxWBS), chest CT and 18FDG PET/CT scan were all negative. Attention and pitfalls of this case concerning surgical and RAI dose management are against current international guidelines on thyroid cancer.

Murine model of Graves disease induced by thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor gene transfected via liposome / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the efficacy of different expression vectors, target genes, and immunization procedures in transfecting mice via liposome to construct murine model of Graves disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We linked pCDNA3.1(+) and pUBC to full-length human TSHR and TSHR A subunit cDNA to yield four plasmids, which were later injected intramascularly or subcutaneously into female Balb/c mice via liposome. The blood anti-TSHR antibody (TRAb) were determined and the body weight were measured after each immunization. Serum thyroid hormone levels were measured after the animals were sacrificed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In mice immunized with pUBC, no significant variance with control in weight nor serum TRAb concentration was observed. Weight gain in pCDNA3.1(+) group was significantlyly slower than controls (p<0.05), and serum TRAb concentration was also significantly elevated. In pCDNA group, animals immunized with TSHR A subunit (TSHRA subgroup) as the target gene revealed even significantly slower weight gain (p<0.001) and even faster TRAb elevation than those immunized with full length TSHR. Significantly higher FT4 (p=0.023) was observed in TSHRA and TSHR subgroups, which was reversely correlated to weight gain, but no significant difference (p>0.05) in FT3 was observed. Weight gain and TRAb concentration mainly varied in the later period of immunization.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Immunization with pCDNA3.1(+) and TSHR A subunit gene together with higher immunization frequency increases the chance of model induction. Furthermore, FT4 is a better indicator for assessing the thyroid function in this model.</p>