Endocrine Abstracts

Glucocorticoids may regulate the autoimmune response by influencing the shift in balance between type-1 and type-2 cytokine responses. To investigate the effect of steroids on peripheral cytokine expression in autoimmune thyroiditis we measured dexamethasone (Dex) and progesterone (Prg) inhibition of peripheral CD4+ T lymphocyte expressions of Interferon-gamma (IFN-g) (type-1 response) and Interleukin-4 (IL-4) (type 2 response) in both patients and healthy subjects.<p clas...

The presence of thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) is a marker of autoimmune thyroid disease and, when present in early pregnancy, is predictive of postpartum thyroiditis. In the course of undertaking the Controlled Antenatal Thyroid Screening Study we have taken the opportunity to measure TPOAb in a large number of samples from 11–16 weeks gestation by 3 different assays.The assays were (1) an in-house ELISA; (2) Bayer ADVIA Centaur anti-TPO ass...

Hormone dependent breast cancer is preferentially treated with Tamoxifen (TAM), an Estrogen Receptor antagonist. Although the initial response to TAM is tumour regression the majority of patients eventually relapse. Understanding the mechanisms that contribute to this resistant phenotype may influence the success of patient response to TAM and prevention of recurrence.A role for ER coactivator and corepressor proteins has been suggested to contribute to...

Thyroid physiology in early pregnancy is characterised by an increase of thyroxine binding globulin. This has been taken into account when using total T4 (TT4) if a ‘T3 uptake test (TUp)’ is used to derive the FTI. The American Thyroid Association Guidelines (1990) recommend ceasing the use of uptake tests, although in the USA they are still widely used. The aim of this study is to compare the TT4 and TUp to the FT4 in early gestation. TT4, TUp, FT4 and TSH were meas...

This study aims to recruit 22,000 women in early gestation to screen for thyroid failure. The trial is randomised such that half the women are being tested in early gestation (group1) while the remainder (group 2) are tested after delivery. As T4 is important for the developing foetal brain, the IQ of the children from group 1, whose mothers will have been treated with T4, is expected to be higher than that from group 2.Women are entered on the basis of ...

Normal pregnancy is associated with significant but reversible changes in thyroid function. However, maternal thyroid dysfunction during early pregnancy has been associated with neuro-intellectual impairment of the child. The CATS study, a randomised controlled study, has been initiated in order to ascertain if screening for abnormalities in thyroid function in early pregnancy (8 - 16 weeks gestation), with thyroxine replacement in appropriate cases, would be effective in redu...

Experimental evidence suggests that leptin plays an important role in modulation of cell-mediated immunity in organ-specific autoimmune diseases. This longitudinal study evaluates changes in serum leptin values in relation to development and outcome of postpartum thyroiditis (PPT). Materials and Methods: Fifty postpartum (6 week) euthyroid women with elevated thyroglobulin (TgAb) and/or thyro-peroxidase (TPOAb) antibodies were investigated. Body mass index (BMI), serum leptin ...

Introduction: We recently reported a high prevalence of |TgAb in sera from healthy Sri Lankan subjects. To characterise these further we have studied the reactions of these Abs with Tg in a competitive ELISA with a panel of 10 Tg monoclonal Abs (TgMabs). This is compared to a similar UK population of healthy subjects and AITD patients.Methods: The sera, all from females, comprised: 1. Healthy SL schoolgirls with high TgAb (HSL; n=33) 2. Healthy SL Tamil...

Background: Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) is a useful marker of recurrent or persistent disease in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC); the presence of interfering Tg antibodies (TgAb), even in low concentrations, can lead to a distorted evaluation of this marker. However, TgAb by itself has been shown to be a marker of disease following surgery. TgAb recognition of Tg epitopes differs in pathological and non-pathological states and may thus have p...

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNETs) are heterogeneous and have limited biomarkers to predict their behaviour, thus making their prognostication difficult. Ki-67 is a protein expressed in active phases of the cell cycle and is one of the biomarkers utilized in routine assessment of PitNET tissue. Current European Society of Endocrinology recommendations advise that histopathological analysis of PitNETs should as a minimum include Ki-67 proliferation index and anterior pi...