ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to prove the efficacy of Doppler ultrasonography (US-Doppler) in the follow-up of patients with GD treated with radioactive iodine. METHODS: 97 patients (77 female and 20 male) with a mean age of 42 years (SD ±â15) and with prior diagnosis of GD were treated with radioiodine. In total, 88.5â% achieved euthyroidism or hypothyroidism after treatment. The study was documented before treatment and one, three, and six months after treatment with radioactive iodine (131I) by a single investigator. The volume, echogenicity, echotexture and vascularization of the glands as well as the peak systolic velocity (PSV) of the inferior thyroid arteries were evaluated and compared with the laboratory data. RESULTS: Thyroid volume and PSV had a statistically significant correlation with hormone levels (pâ<â0.05). The mean pre-dose therapeutic thyroid volume was 43.01â±â3.88âcm3 and was 11.58â±â11.26âcm3 6 months after treatment. The mean PSV before 131I was 90.06â±â44.13âcm/s and decreased significantly over time (pâ<â0.001). Six months after the therapeutic dose, the mean PSV was 32.95â±â16.36âcm/s. However, the subjective parameters did not have a significant correlation with the normalization of the thyroid hormones. CONCLUSION: Doppler US was useful for monitoring the therapeutic response of GD patients after treatment with radioiodine by evaluating the thyroid volume and peak systolic velocity.
Subject(s)
Graves Disease , Thyroid Neoplasms , Adult , Blood Flow Velocity , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Graves Disease/diagnostic imaging , Graves Disease/radiotherapy , Humans , Iodine Radioisotopes , Male , Ultrasonography, Doppler, ColorABSTRACT
The aim of the present study was to evaluate a new proposal for increasing compliance to the clinical management of patients with Graves' disease (GD) in a large and public University Hospital. The patients were carefully selected (no previous GD treatment, goiter volume less than 6 mL must be living in the metro area of São Paulo), received medication at no cost, were contacted frequently by the social worker and alerted for the date of consultation and only referred to a single endocrinologist during all phases of treatment. We recruited 229 patients with GD that were initially treated with methimazole (MMI--60 mg q.d) in a single daily dose followed by a combination of MMI (20 mg) plus L-T4 (100 microg) daily for 24 months. Only 83 patients (36.2%) completed the protocol and were subdivided in: Group 1 (n= 34) that were in remission for 3 years after discontinuation of the MMI and Group 2 (n= 49) that presented recurrence of GD between 2 and 36 months without MMI. Predictive factors associated with remission were: decrease of the glandular volume, serum TG< 40 ng/mL and normal TRAb values. We concluded that in spite of a careful protocol planned to increase compliance, more than 60% of patients with GD did not complete the therapeutic trial and were referred for radioiodine treatment. The solution for this low therapeutic success for GD should be the possible identification of factors that would indicate patients that are not inclined to follow a long period of clinical therapy.
Subject(s)
Antithyroid Agents/administration & dosage , Graves Disease/drug therapy , Health Care Costs , Methimazole/administration & dosage , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Antithyroid Agents/economics , Clinical Protocols , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Graves Disease/blood , Graves Disease/economics , Hospitals, Public , Hospitals, University , Humans , Male , Methimazole/economics , Middle Aged , Patient Compliance/statistics & numerical data , Patient Dropouts/statistics & numerical data , Recurrence , Retrospective Studies , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar esquema terapêutico medicamentoso para aumentar a aderência ao tratamento da moléstia de Graves-Basedow (MGB) em Hospital Público Universitário. Os pacientes foram selecionados segundo critérios rigorosos, que incluíam volume glandular inferior a 60cm³, origem da área urbana de São Paulo e não submetidos a terapia prévia da MGB. Receberam gratuitamente a medicação, eram avisados antecipadamente da data da consulta e acompanhados por um único médico durante todo o tratamento. Foram incluídos 229 pacientes, tratados inicialmente com metimazol (MMI - 60mg/dia) em dose única diária, seguindo-se com combinação de MMI (20mg) com LT4 (100æg) em dose única diária por 24 meses. Apenas 83 pacientes (36,2 por cento) completaram o protocolo quando foram subdivididos em 2 grupos, após a suspensão do MMI+LT4: Grupo 1 (n= 34), que permaneceram em remissão por 3 anos, e Grupo 2 (n= 49), que apresentaram recidiva da doença entre 2 e 36 meses. Os fatores preditivos associados à remissão foram: decréscimo do volume glandular, tireoglobulina sérica < 40ng/ml e valores séricos normais de anticorpos anti-receptor de TSH. Constatamos que apesar do planejamento cuidadoso, mais de 60 por cento dos portadores de MGB não completaram o protocolo e foram encaminhados a tratamento com radioiodo. Admitimos que esse baixo êxito terapêutico poderia ser melhorado mediante identificação dos fatores capazes de indicar quais pacientes estariam propensos a seguir um tratamento de longa duração.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Antithyroid Agents/administration & dosage , Graves Disease/drug therapy , Health Care Costs , Methimazole/administration & dosage , Antithyroid Agents/economics , Clinical Protocols , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Follow-Up Studies , Graves Disease/blood , Graves Disease/economics , Hospitals, Public , Hospitals, University , Methimazole/economics , Patient Compliance/statistics & numerical data , Patient Dropouts/statistics & numerical data , Recurrence , Retrospective Studies , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
The detection of autoantibodies to the thyrotropin-receptor antibody (TRAb) is commonly used in clinical practice for the diagnostic assessment of Graves' disease (GD) and its differential diagnosis from toxic multinodular goiter (MNG) and autonomous adenoma. Additionally, TRAb assays can be useful during antithyroid drug treatment of GD to evaluate the risk of relapse and/or remission. The detection of TRAb was originally performed using a radioreceptor assay based on detergent-solubilized porcine thyroid membranes (TRAb). More recently new assays using purified porcine or recombinant human thyrotropin (TSH) receptor-coated plastic tubes (CT) have been developed (pCT-TRAb or hCT-TRAb). We have evaluated both assays (TRAb and pCTTRAb) in 300 individuals: healthy controls (n = 51); patients with GD before and after treatment (n = 200), patients with MNG (n = 29), and Hashimoto's thyroiditis [HT; n = 20]). All healthy controls and patients with HT had undetectable TRAb using both methods. Patients with active (not treated) GD had higher pCT-TRAb values (mean +/- standard deviation [SD], 58.2% +/- 20.3%, inhibition of TSH binding) compared to TRAb (41.2% +/- 15.4%, p < 0.01, Wilcoxon test). Results (as percent inhibition for both methods) had a positive and significant correlation (r = 0.68, p < 0.001). Moreover TRAb assay had a 97.3% sensitivity and 96.8% specificity; the pCT-TRAb sensitivity was 96.3% and specificity was 98.4% at a cutoff of 1.51 U/L. During treatment of GD, the TRAb method resulted in significantly lower (p < 0.05) values at 12, 24, and 30 months, while pCT-TRAb only exhibited significancy (compared to basal levels) at 30 months. The percent inhibition after 131I treatment of GD was significantly higher for pCT-TRAb (33.7 +/- 25.7) compared to TRAb (21.9 +/- 17.7, p < 0.01, Wilcoxon test). Only one patient with untreated MNG had a positive pCT-TRAb but negative TRAb value. Patients with MNG treated with 131I were divided into two groups: group 1 (only (131)I) or group 2 (hrTSH preceding (131)I). After MNG radioisotopic ablation, five patients had a positive pCT-TRAb and four had a positive TRAb (group 1) while in group 2, three patients had a positive pCT-TRAb and two had a positive TRAb assay. In conclusion, pCT-TRAb usually had higher percent inhibition values compared to TRAb in untreated GD, had a relatively lower decrease in percent inhibition values during treatment but exhibited a slightly increased sensitivity compared to TRAb. An advantage of the pCT-TRAb assay may be because of the coating system itself that might expose more receptor sites for the antibody.
Subject(s)
Autoantibodies/immunology , Graves Disease/immunology , Receptors, Thyrotropin/immunology , Thyroid Diseases/immunology , Autoantibodies/blood , Biomarkers/blood , Female , Graves Disease/blood , Humans , Male , Reference Values , Thyroid Diseases/blood , Thyroxine/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Auto-anticorpos anti-receptores de TSH (TSHRAbs) foram avaliados por dois diferentes métodos [TRAb, como porcentagem de inibiçäo de ligaçäo do TSH por anticorpos séricos e produçäo de AMP cíclico em cultura de células CHO expressando o receptor de TSH humano recombinante (CHO-rhT-SHR)] em 52 pacientes (36F/16M) com moléstia de Graves-Basedow (DGB), tanto antes do tratamento como aos 6 e 12 meses de terapia contínua com metimazol (40-60mg/dia) e L-tiroxina (100pg/dia); outros 20 pacientes tireotóxicos (12F/8M) foram tratados com doses individualizadas de radioiodo. Os TSHRAbs determinados pelo radioreceptorensaio foram positivos em 47/52 pacientes (90,4 por cento) com valor médioñEPM de 56,7ñ3,9 por cento, diminuindo significantemente aos 6 (40,5ñ3,2 por cento) e 12 meses (43,5ñ4,7 por cento) de terapêutica, bem como após radioiodo (30,7ñ4,5 por cento). Os TSHRAbs foram discriminados pelo bioensaio em todos os 52 pacientes com DGB ativa (1122ñ409 por cento). Após 6 e 12 meses de terapêutica houve decréscimo (näo significante) dos valores iniciais. Nenhum indivíduo do grupo controle normal (n= 80) apresentou TSHRAbs detectado por qualquer dos métodos. Portanto, a sensibilidade da pesquisa dos anticorpos pelo bioensaio, nos 52 pacientes com DGB ativa, foi maior que nos mesmos indivíduos avaliados pelo radioreceptorensaio. Houve correlaçäo positiva (r= 0,59; p<0,001) entre TRAb e CHO-rhTSHR. Concluímos que a pesquisa dos TSHRAbs, realizada quer pelo radioreceptorensaio como pelo bioensaio, constitui recurso útil para se avaliar a atividade autoimune na DGB.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Adult , Middle Aged , Autoantibodies , Graves Disease/drug therapy , Receptors, Thyrotropin , Cyclic AMP/analysis , Antithyroid Agents , Biological Assay , Graves Disease/physiopathology , Methimazole , Iodine Radioisotopes/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Em homens obesos, os níveis séricos de globulina ligadora de hormônios sexuais (GLHS), bem como de testosterona total, (TT) estão diminuídos. Dados relativos aos níveis séricos de testosterona livre (TL) são controversos. Homens com obesidade mórbida apresentam valores plasmáticos de testosterona livre diminuídos, levando à alteração dos mecanismos de retro-regulação. O decréscimo funcional da amplitude do pulso de LH, bem como a diminuição dos níveis de LH, seriam a causa do hipoandrogenismo. Estudamos dois grupos de homens obesos: Grupo 1 (IMC /= 35kg/m 2 ) antes e após seis meses de dieta hipocalórica (1.200Kcal/dia). Todos os pacientes utilizaram dexfenfluramina (15mg 2x ao dia) durante todo o período do estudo. Níveis plasmáticos de insulina, bem como valores séricos de testosterona total, testosterona livre e LH foram dosados antes e após a perda de peso. Pacientes com obesidade moderada (IMC = 32,3 +/- 1,9kg/m 2 ) apresentaram diminuição significativa na concentração sérica de TT (390 +/- 120ng/dL), bem como de TL (média +/- DP 16,0 +/- 4,8pg/mL) quando comparados a normais. A concentração de LH sérico (4,5 +/- 2,9mIU/mL) foi considerada normal. Níveis de insulina mostravam-se elevados em todos os pacientes (46,3 +/- 30,1µU/mL). Após a perda de peso, notou-se aumento significante (p < 0,01) dos níveis séricos de LH, TT e TL concomitante à queda da concentração de insulina plasmática. Em homens com obesidade de grande porte (IMC = 43,0 +/- 6,7kg/m 2 ), os níveis de TT (320 +/- 110ng/dL), TL (11,0 +/- 2,1pg/mL) e LH (3,1 +/- 1,3mIU/mL) mostraram-se significativamente menores quando comparados ao Grupo 1 e aos controles normais. Como esperado, após a perda de peso, os níveis séricos de TT, TL e LH aumentaram significativamente enquanto a concentração plasmática de insulina diminuiu. Concluímos que os níveis de TL são dependentes do grau de obesidade: homens com obesidade de grande porte (IMC >/= 35kg/m 2 ) são considerados como candidatos a apresentarem baixos valores séricos de TL.
