Intake of seaweed as part of a single sushi meal, iodine excretion and thyroid function in euthyroid subjects: a randomized dinner study.

OBJECTIVE: Globalisation has extended to the kitchen and the Asian cuisine has gained international popularity with sushi and seaweed now being widespread. We explored the possible acute adverse effects of an iodine load from a single sushi-and-seaweed meal as seaweed iodine may induce thyroid dysfunction. METHODS: Nine euthyroid participants were randomized into three groups: Halibut maki roll with either (A) newly harvested Greenlandic seaweed salad, (B) no seaweed salad on the side, or (C) Japanese seaweed salad purchased at a local store. We collected spot urine and blood samples daily for a week for measurement of iodine and creatinine in urine, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and estimated-free T4 (fT4) in serum. RESULTS: All participants ingested the full meal and the drop-out was nil. No adverse effects were reported. Pre-meal urinary iodine excretion (UIE) was 75 µg/g. UIE rose (p < 0.001) by 385%, 59% and 43% for groups A, B, and C, peaked in the 6-h spot urine sample at 393, 120, and 109 µg/g, and was down to pre-meal values by day 2. Serum TSH rose (p = 0.012) 150% on day 2 and was down to pre-meal values by day 3. Serum fT4 remained at the same level. No adverse reactions were reported. CONCLUSION: A sushi meal increased urinary iodine excretion by 40 µg/g, or 400 µg/g if a newly harvested seaweed salad was added. An ensuing rise in serum TSH was brief, and a single sushi meal with seaweed salad did not cause any adverse events.

Bowel dysfunction after sigmoid resection for cancer and its impact on quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have explored functional outcomes after rectal cancer surgery, but bowel dysfunction after sigmoid resection for cancer has hardly been considered. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and pattern of bowel dysfunction after resection for sigmoid cancer, and the impact of bowel function on quality of life (QoL) by comparison with patients who had polypectomy for cancer. METHODS: This was a national cross-sectional study. Data were collected from the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group database, and a questionnaire regarding bowel function and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 QoL questionnaire was sent to all Danish colonic cancer survivors treated with sigmoid resection or polypectomy between 2001 and 2014. RESULTS: A total of 3295 patients (3061 sigmoid resection, 234 polypectomy) responded to the questionnaire (response rate 63·8 per cent). Twelve bowel symptoms were more prevalent after sigmoid resection, including: excessive straining, fragmentation, bloating, nocturnal defaecation, bowel false alarm, liquid stool incontinence, incomplete evacuation and sense of outlet obstruction. QoL impairment owing to bowel symptoms was reported in 16·6 per cent of patients in the resection group and 10·1 per cent after polypectomy (P = 0·008). Obstructed defaecation symptoms (ODS) were encountered significantly more often after sigmoid resection than following polypectomy (17·9 versus 7·3 per cent; P < 0·001). In the resection group, patients with ODS had substantial impairment on most aspects of QoL assessed by the EORTC QLQ-C30. CONCLUSION: Sigmoid resection for cancer is associated with an increased risk of long-term bowel dysfunction; obstructed defaecation is prevalent and associated with substantial impairment of QoL.

[Effect of specific training on menstruation and bone strength]. / Specifik traenings indvirkning på menstruation og knoglestyrke.

Secondary amenorrhoea is found with increased incidence in female athletes performing hard endurance training, especially when combined with demands for a low body weight. The etiology is multifactorial, but the energy balance (energy intake) in relation to the amount and intensity of training probably plays a crucial role. Long-lasting amenorrhoea may reduce the bone mineral content, perhaps partly irreversibly, especially in the lumbar vertebrae in long-distance runners. In gymnasts and light-weight rowers with a similarly high incidence of amenorrhoea, a much less pronounced effect on the lumbar bone mineral content has been reported in a few, small studies, pointing to a possible positive influence of specific training. The finding of stress fractures in an amenorrhoeic athlete should lead to further evaluation of the bone mineral status.

Serum procollagen III peptide concentration in iron overload.

Patients with severe iron overload may develop hepatic fibrosis due to iron toxicity. Unfortunately, the follow-up of the fibrogenic activity during treatment by histological examination of tissue biopsies carries potential side effects, and may therefore not be justified ethically. Recently, the serum concentration of procollagen type III peptide (S-PIIINP) has been shown to be a valid serum marker of the activity of collagen metabolism in conditions with hepatic fibrosis unrelated to iron overload. In order to evaluate the potential usefulness of this test in patients with fibrosis due to iron overload, we investigated the relationship between the PIIINP serum concentration and the size of iron overload in 18 patients with hereditary haemochromatosis (HH) and in 14 patients with transfusional iron overload. A close correlation was found between S-ferritin and S-PIIINP (r = 0.73, p < 0.0001). Follow-up of 6 patients during iron depletion treatment revealed a normalization of the serum aminotransferase concentration before normalization of S-PIIINP was found. This may indicate that excess iron directly induces an increase in fibrogenesis rather than the increased fibrogenesis is secondary to hepatocellular injury caused by iron excess. Thus, serial measurements S-PIIINP may be useful in follow-up of the fibrogenic process due to iron overload.