Coexistence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and pheochromocytoma in three cases of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) with a review of the literature.

It is well known that neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is uncommonly associated with pheochromocytoma development and also, to a larger extent, with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). We herein document three cases with the rare condition of NF1 coexisting with GIST and pheochromocytoma, while one of them also has a composite tumor and another has papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Serum 8-OHdG and HIF-1α levels: do they affect the development of malignancy in patients with hypoactive thyroid nodules?

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to evaluate 8-OHdG and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1α) levels in patients with hypoactive thyroid nodules (toxic multi-nodular goiter, Graves' disease, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis), as these parameters may be related to oxidative stress and the pathogenesis of cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included patients diagnosed with Graves' disease (n = 20), toxic multinodular goiter (n = 20), and Hashimoto thyroiditis (n = 20), and 20 healthy controls. HIF-1α levels were measured in blood samples and 8-OHdG levels were measured in urine - both via ELISA. RESULTS: HIF-1α and 8-OHdG levels were significantly higher in the patient groups than in the control group (p < 0.05). In the Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients a correlation was observed between 8-OHdG and thyroglobulin antibodies (p = 0.03). A significant relation was found between 8-OHdG and HIF-1α in the patient group (p < 0.01). Carcinoma was detected in 7 of 43 female patients, but not in any of the male patients. No difference was observed in 8-OHdG or HIF-1α levels between the patients with and without papillary carcinoma (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in 8-OHdG or HIF-1α levels between the patients with biopsy results that were benign, malignant, and non-diagnostic (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Serum HIF-1α and urine 8-OHdG levels were significantly higher in the patients with thyroid diseases; however, a relationship with cancer was not observed.

Use of oral antidiabetic drugs (metformin and pioglitazone) in diabetic patients with breast cancer: how does it effect serum Hif-1 alpha and 8Ohdg levels?

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate indicators related to DNA damage and cancer pathogenesis in Type II diabetes cases with breast cancer. It was planned to evaluate the relationship between these markers with oral antidiabetic drugs. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Fourty patients and 10 healthy individuals were included in the study. HIF-1α and 8-OHdG are examined in blood samples taken from these individuals with an ELISA Kit. Statistical analysis of data was performed with 95% confidence using Windows package program SPSS 15.0. RESULTS: HIF-1α parameters were found to be meaningfully higher in the patient group than the controls in both pretreatment and posttreatment periods (p<0.05). No significant differences in terms of 8-OHdG between patients and controls. However, posttreatment serum HIF-1α ve 8-OHdG levels was found lower than pretreatment levels in patients receiving metformin, but not with pioglitazone. Conversely, serum 8-OHdG levels decreased significantly in these patients. When patients were evaluated according to the treatment groups (pioglitazone vs. metformin) no significant differences in terms of serum HIF-1? and 8-OHdG levels between treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: HIF-1α levels decreased significantly in the patient group receiving metformin. However, there was no significant difference in terms of HIF-1α levels in the patients receiving pioglitazone.

Clinical experience of thyroid carcinoma: a study of 178 cases.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Thyroid carcinoma is the most common malignancy of endocrine organs. The prognosis varies. Factors such as age, sex, size of the tumor, stage of disease, presence of extrathyroidal spread, and completeness of resection have been found to significantly influence prognosis. We aimed to evaluate clinical features of our patients with thyroid carcinoma, prospectively. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated total 178 patients treated between 2010 and 2011 at the Department of Endocrinology, Izmir Atatürk Training Hospital, retrospectively. Data on patients, tumors, and therapeutic approaches were collected. All results are shown as mean ± standard deviation (SD). P values were based on two-sided tests with a cutoff for statistical significance of 0.05 and 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: There were no differences between female and male patients according to histopathological subtypes, demographic data and prognostic findings of thyroid cancer. The assessment of tumor size and other prognostic factors revealed that there was a correlation between tumor size and capsular and/or vascular invasion. In the postoperative evaluation we detected a correlation between metastases and vascular invasion and/or capsular invasion but there was no significant relation between focus (solitary/multifocal) and metastases. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in terms of gender and age (< 45 years of age and ≥ 45 years of age) among the patient groups (low risk/intermediate risk/high risk). By multiple regression analysis among metastasis and prognostic factors it was observed that vascular invasion and thyroglobulin levels affect development of metastases.