Protective role of selenium on thyroid morphology in iodine-induced autoimmune thyroiditis in Wistar rats.

Excess iodine may induce and exacerbate autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) in humans and animals. In order to assess the potential protective mechanisms of selenium (Se) in thyroid autoimmunity, the effects of inorganic Se (sodium selenite) administration on thyroid morphology and follicular cytology were investigated in adult Wistar rats with iodine-induced AIT. A total of 48 adult Wistar rats (24 females, 24 males) were allocated to one of four dietary regimens: C0, control; C1, only potassium iodine (KI); C2, concomitant KI and Se; C3, only KI initially, followed by Se administration. For AIT induction the rats were fed with 0.05% KI for 56 days. Se-treated rats received 0.3 mg/l sodium selenite in drinking water. Thyroid tissues were collected for pathologic diagnosis after 7 days in C0 group, 56 days in C1 and C2 groups, and 112 days in C3 group. In C1 group, moderate to severe thyroiditis was observed in 83% of males and 50% of female rats (P=0.223). In C3 group 16.7% of male rats developed moderate thyroiditis and none in C2 group, whereas no females were identified with moderate to severe thyroiditis in C2 or C3 group. Thus, the administration of Se was proven to have protective effects against thyroiditis cytology in both male and female Wistar rats.

Coexistent papillary thyroid carcinoma diagnosed in surgically treated patients for primary versus secondary hyperparathyroidism: same incidence, different characteristics.

BACKGROUND: The coexistence of hyperparathyroidism and thyroid cancer presents important diagnostic and management challenges. With minimally invasive parathyroid surgery trending, preoperative thyroid imaging becomes more important as concomitant thyroid and parathyroid lesions are reported. The aim of the study was to evaluate the rate of thyroid cancer in patients operated for either primary (PHPT) or secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). METHODS: Our retrospective study included PHPT and SHPT patients submitted to parathyroidectomy and, when indicated, concomitant thyroid surgery between 2010 and 2017. RESULTS: Parathyroidectomy was performed in 217 patients: 140 (64.5%) for PHPT and 77 (35.5%) for SHPT. Concomitant thyroid surgery was performed in 75 patients with PHPT (53.6%), and 19 papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) were found, accounting for 13.6% from all cases with PHPT and 25.3% from PHPT cases with concomitant thyroid surgery. Thirty-one of operated SHPT patients (40.3%) also underwent thyroid surgery and 9 PTC cases were diagnosed (11.7% of all SHPT patients and 29% of patients with concomitant thyroid surgery). We found differences between PHPT and SHPT patients (p < 0.001) with respect to age (54.6 ± 13y versus 48.8 ± 12y), female-to-male ratio (8:1 versus ~ 1:1), surgical technique (single gland parathyroidectomy in 82.8% PHPT cases; versus subtotal parathyroidectomy in 85.7% SHPT cases) and presurgical PTH (357.51 ± 38.11 pg/ml versus 1020 ± 161.38 pg/ml). Morphopathological particularities, TNM classification and multifocality incidence of PTC were similar in the two groups. All PTC from patients with SHPT were thyroid microcarcinomas (TMC, i.e. tumors with a diameter smaller than 1 cm), whereas seven out of the 19 cases with PTC and PHPT were larger than 1 cm. CONCLUSIONS: PTC was frequently and similarly associated with both PHPT and SHPT irrespective of presurgical PTH levels. Thyroid tumors above 1 cm were found only in patients with PHPT. Investigators should focus also on associated thyroid nodular pathology in patients with PHPT.

Association of intracellular lipid accumulation in subcutaneous adipocyte precursors and plasma adipokines in bariatric surgery candidates.

BACKGROUND: The adipocyte expansion is a critical process with implications in the pathogenesis of obesity associated metabolic syndrome. Impaired adipogenesis leads to dysfunctional, hypertrophic adipocytes, local inflammation and peripheric insulin resistance. METHODS: We assessed the relationship between the adipogenic differentiation capacity of the subcutaneous adipose derived stem cells (ASCs), evaluated by total lipid accumulation, and the metabolic and hormonal profile in a group of obese female patients proposed for bariatric surgery (N = 20) versus normal weight female controls (N = 7). RESULTS: The lipid accumulation (measured as optical density at 492 nm) of ASCs during their differentiation to adipocytes was significantly lower in ASCs isolated from obese patients as compared to ASCs isolated from normal weight patients (0.49 ± 0.1 vs. 0.71 ± 0.1, p < 0.001). Significant negative correlations between lipid accumulation in adipogenic differentiated ASCs and plasma concentrations of triglycerides (p < 0.01), insulin (p < 0.001), HOMA-IR (p < 0.01), adiponectin (p < 0.05) and leptin/adiponectin ratio (p < 0.05) were found in obese group. CONCLUSIONS: In severely obese female patients, the abnormal adipogenesis is related to insulin resistance and leptin/adiponectin ratio. The abnormal lipid accumulation in the mature adipocyte derived from obese ASCs could possible predict the further development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in severely obese patients and influence the selection of patients for bariatric surgery.

IMPLICATIONS OF GHRELIN AXIS IN BREAST CANCER--REVIEW.

Breast cancer is, by far, the most frequent cancer among women and many factors influence the physiological and pathological growth and development of the mammary gland. There is developing evidence that the hormone ghrelin, known for the growth hormone releasing effect and food intake modulator, could also play a role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and may represent a new diagnostic marker and a potential therapeutic target. We performed a PubMed Database search of relevant studies and ten papers were included in our systematic review. Ghrelin axis seems to be definitely involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, although a precise role has not been yet established. In order to verify the precise role of ghrelin axis in breast cancer further studies with larger populations are necessary that should include the analysis of metabolic, genetic and environmental factors which are expected to influence the results.