Fatih Kuzu

Focused parathyroidectomy without intra-operative parathormone monitoring: The value of PTH assay in preoperative ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration washout

Background The accurate identification of hyperfunctioning parathyroid (HP) gland is the only issue for definitive surgical treatment in primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT). Various imaging and operative techniques have been proposed to confirm the localization of the diseased gland. Nevertheless, none of these methods proved to be the gold standard. The presented study aimed to assess the value of parathyroid hormone assay in preoperative ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration (FNA)-PTH washout fluid to verify the correct localisation for focused parathyroidectomy without intra-operative PTH monitoring. Material and Methods The retrospective analysis of 57 patients with pHPT who underwent FNA-PTH was conducted from a prospective database. Biochemical assessment together with radiological (ultrasonography) and nuclear (MIBI scan) imaging was reviewed. Associations between FNA-PTH washout values and localization technics were evaluated and compared in terms of operative findings. Results Focused parathyroidectomy without intraoperative PTH monitoring was performed to 45 patients with high FNA-PTH values. The median largest diameter of the target parathyroid lesion identified by ultrasonography was 13 mm (range, 6 to 36). The median serum PTH level was 190 pg/mL (range, 78 to 1709; reference range, 15 to 65) whereas the median washout PTH was 2500 pg/mL (range, 480 to 3389). According to operative findings high FNA-PTH levels correctly identified parathyroid adenoma in 40 cases (89% of sensitivity and 100% of specificity and positive predictive value) whereas MIBI scan localized the lesion in 36 of these cases (80% of sensitivity). Conclusions The higher level of PTH in preoperative ultrasound guided FNA washout is a considerable data to predict the correct localization of HP, particularly in circumstances of greater values than the serum PTH level. However, although its specificity is high, in cases of coexisting nodular thyroid disease, associated additional HP might be missed at focused parathyroidectomy without PTH monitoring, leading to recurrent disease.

Increased Serum Levels of IL-28 and IL-29 and the Protective Effect of IL28B rs8099917 Polymorphism in Patients with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

ABSTRACT Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is thought to result from decreased T helper type 2 (Th2) responses, leading to the progressive destruction of thyrocytes. IFN-λ1, -λ2, and -λ3 (also known as IL-29, IL-28A, and IL-28B, respectively) are recently described members of the IFN-λ family and have been shown to decrease the production of Th2 cytokines in vitro. However, the role and mechanism of IFN-λ1 in HT remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine whether IL29 and IL28B gene polymorphisms are susceptibility genes for the development of HT. Also, we investigated the effects of IL-29 and IL-28 serum levels in the pathogenesis of HT. Using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL28B rs8099917 (IL28 G/T) and IL29 rs30461 (IL29 T/C) were studied in 99 patients with HT and 100 healthy controls. Considering the allelic distribution of the IL28 G/T polymorphism, a higher frequency of the G allele was observed in the control group versus the HT group. Thus, it was suggested that the G allele may be protective against HT pathogenesis (OR = 0.388, 95% CI = 0.217–0.693; p = 0.001). Our findings also demonstrated that there was a statistically significant difference in serum IL-28 and IL-29 levels between case and control groups (p < 0.001). Increased serum levels of IL-28 and IL-29 were found in patients with HT. However, we did not find a relationship between the IL29 gene polymorphism and HT. In conclusion, the IL28B gene polymorphism and serum IL-28 and IL-29 levels seem to play a role in the pathogenesis of HT.

Assessment of Mean Platelet Volume and its Effect on Disease Control in Patients with Acromegaly.

BACKGROUND Morbidity and mortality rates due to cardiovascular diseases are more common in acromegalic patients than the healthy population. Platelets play a significant role in both the onset and progression of clotting which then cause the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Increased mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of platelet activation and known as an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic processes. The aim of this study was to compare MPV levels between acromegalic and non-acromegalic patients. METHODS The data of 56 acromegalic patients and 72 controls matched for age, gender, and the presence of diabetes were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS MPV levels were found to be higher in acromegalic patients compared to controls (8.82 ± 1.17 fL and 7.74 ± 0.87 fL, respectively, p < 0.001). Acromegalic patients were also classified according to their status of remission (a total of 27 patients were in remission and 29 patients were not in remission). Both age and gender were similar between the groups (p = 0.145 and p = 0.616, respectively). MPV levels at the time of diagnosis and after six months of treatment (p = 0.555 and p = 0.917, respectively) were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that MPV levels are higher in acromegalic patients than the controls until the early stages of treatment, independent of diabetes. Therefore, MPV levels may be an important determinant of acromegalic patients.

The value of blood cell markers in patients with thyroid nodules including atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance cytology -

Atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS) is a heterogeneous that cannot be definitively diagnosed as benign, malignancy-suspect, or malignant. This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of mean platelet volume (MPV) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to predict the malignant potential of nodules diagnosed as AUS/FLUS. We retrospectively analyzed 101 patients for whom thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) analysis indicated AUS/FLUS and who underwent surgery between 2011 and 2015. Demographic, laboratory, and histopathological data were obtained from a database. The patients were categorized into two groups: malignant or benign and comparisons between groups were performed. Of the 101 patients, 26 (25.7%) had solitary nodules and 75 (74.3%) had multinodulary goiter. The malignancy rate was 33.7%, and there were no differences between the two groups in terms of age, gender and thyroid function tests. Median preoperative red cell distribution width (RDW) level was 13.4 in the benign group, while it was 14.4 in patients with malignancy, demonstrating a significant correlation. Both MPV and NLR were elevated in malignant nodules. The malignancy risk of AUS/FLUS evident upon thyroid FNAB was higher than anticipated by the Bethesda system (BS). MPV, NLR and RDW are useful for estimating the malignancy risks of these diseases.

The Clinical Values of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 and Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-3 Levels in Blood and Thyroid Nodules

Aim Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a potent mitogen for many cells. IGF-1 plays a role in the pathogenesis of various tumors with its mutagenic and antiapoptotic properties. The aim of this study was to determine both the serum and intranodular levels of IGF-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in patients with nodular thyroid diseases. Materials and Methods In this study, 80 subjects who performed fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) were required in order to investigate the effects of serum and intranodular IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in the pathogenesis of nodules. After performing FNAB, IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels were determined in blood and aspiration samples. Results The serum levels of IGF-1 (232.8 ± 12.9 ng/ml) and IGFBP-3 (4.8 μg/ml) were found significantly higher than that of the intranodular IGF-1 (39.1 ng/ml) and intranodular IGFBP-3 levels (0.173 μg/ml) (p < 0.01). Intranodular levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were higher in subjects with multinodular thyroid gland than those of subjects with solitary nodules (p = 0.043). A positive correlation between the nodule size and the serum IGFBP-3 levels was detected (p = 0.042, r = 0.23). Conclusion This study demonstrated the possible role of both IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in the growth and the formation of multinodularity of thyroid nodules.

Serum paraoxonase level and paraoxonase polymorphism in patients with acromegaly

Background: Acromegalic patients have increased cardiometabolic risk factors due to an elevation of growth hormone (GH) levels. Human serum paraoxonase (PON), a high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-related enzyme, is one of the major bioscavengers and decreases the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a key regulator in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated a potential relationship between serum PON levels or PON polymorphisms and acromegaly. Methods: A total of 48 acromegalic patients and 44 healthy controls were included in this study. Serum GH levels, insulin-like growth factor-1 levels and lipid profiles were measured. Serum PON levels, as well as PON 1 L55M and Q192R gene polymorphisms, were examined. Results: No significant differences were found in terms of age, gender, presence of diabetes, serum LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-C, or triglyceride levels between the case and control groups (P > 0.05). A statistically significant difference was found in serum PON levels between the cases and controls (P = 0.007). The median serum PON level was 101 ± 63.36 U/l in the case group and 63 ± 60.50 U/l in the control group. There was a significant correlation between serum PON levels and IGF-1 levels (P = 0.004, r = 0.319); however, no significant differences were found in PON1 L55M and PON Q192R polymorphisms between the patients and controls (P = 0.607 and P = 0.308, respectively). In addition, no significant differences were found in serum PON levels in acromegalic patients who were and were not in remission (P = 0.385), nor between those with PON1 L55M and Q192R polymorphisms (P = 0.161 and P = 0.336, respectively). Conclusions: Elevated serum PON levels were detected in acromegalic patients, independently of their remission status. This suggests protective effects for cardiometabolic risk parameters.

Midkine: A Novel Biomarker to Predict Malignancy in Patients with Nodular Thyroid Disease

Background. Midkine (MK), a new heparin-binding growth factor, plays important roles in a variety of biological phenomena such as carcinogenesis, inflammation, and angiogenesis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate serum midkine (SMK) and nodular midkine (NMK) levels in patients with thyroid nodules to predict malignancy and whether there was any association between. Methods. A total of 105 patients (74 women, 31 men) with thyroid nodules were enrolled. The levels of SMK and NMK were measured. Any possible correlation between SMK, NMK, and biochemical, cytopathological, or radiological variables was investigated. Results. Both SMK and NMK were found to be higher in hypoechoic nodules with an irregular border and without a halo (p < 0.05). Serum MK levels were significantly higher in nodules with microcalcifications than nodules with macrocalcification or without calcification (p = 0.001). SMK levels were found to be correlated with NMK levels (SMK 0.63 ng/ml versus 1.04 ng/mL and NMK 0.55 ng/mL versus 0.55 ng/mL, r 2 = 0.54, p < 0.001). Conclusion. Both SMK and NMK can predict tumorigenesis of highly malignant/suspicious thyroid cytopathology and also well correlated with sonographic features of thyroid nodules. We suggest that MK levels may serve as an alternative biomarker, in conjunction with the cytopathological results in preoperative assessment of thyroid nodules.

A case of suppurative thyroiditis caused by Salmonella presented with thyrotoxicosis

1. Nishiyama RH. Overview of surgical pathology of the thyroid gland. World J Surg 2000;24:898-906. 2. Paes JE, Burman KD, Cohen J, Franklyn J, McHenry CR, Shoham S, et al. Acute bacterial suppurative thyroiditis: A clinical review and expert opinion. Thyroid 2010;20:247-55. 3. Kim KW, Park YJ, Kim TY, Moon MK, Han SW, Eun CJ, et al. A case of acute suppurative thyroiditis caused by pyriform sinus fistula with thyrotoxicosis. J Korean Soc Endocrinol 2004;19:69-75. 4. Yoo CH, Kim YN, Shon CB, Park EH, Choi YS, Park YH, et al. A case of acute suppurative thyroiditis with thyrotoxicosis. Korean J Med 2008;75:242-5. 5. Yu EH, Ko WC, Chuang YC, Wu TJ. Suppurative Acinetobacter baumanii thyroiditis with bacteremic pneumonia: Case report and review. Clin Infect Dis 1998;27:1286-90. Dear Editor,

The value of blood cell markers in patients with thyroid nodules including atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance cytology

Atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS) is a heterogeneous that cannot be definitively diagnosed as benign, malignancy-suspect, or malignant. This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of mean platelet volume (MPV) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to predict the malignant potential of nodules diagnosed as AUS/FLUS. We retrospectively analyzed 101 patients for whom thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) analysis indicated AUS/FLUS and who underwent surgery between 2011 and 2015. Demographic, laboratory, and histopathological data were obtained from a database. The patients were categorized into two groups: malignant or benign and comparisons between groups were performed. Of the 101 patients, 26 (25.7%) had solitary nodules and 75 (74.3%) had multinodulary goiter. The malignancy rate was 33.7%, and there were no differences between the two groups in terms of age, gender and thyroid function tests. Median preoperative red cell distribution width (RDW) level was 13.4 in the benign group, while it was 14.4 in patients with malignancy, demonstrating a significant correlation. Both MPV and NLR were elevated in malignant nodules. The malignancy risk of AUS/FLUS evident upon thyroid FNAB was higher than anticipated by the Bethesda system (BS). MPV, NLR and RDW are useful for estimating the malignancy risks of these diseases.