M Ferdeghini

The concomitant determination of different tumor markers in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer and benign ovarian masses: Relevance for differential diagnosis

The serum levels of CA 125 (cutoff limit, 65 U/ml), CA19.9 (cutoff, 40 U/ml), CA 15.3 (cutoff, 32 U/ml), CA72.4 (cutoff, 3.8 U/ml), and TATI (cutoff, 22 ng/ml) were preoperatively measured in 90 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer and in 254 patients with benign ovarian pathology. CA125 had a sensitivity of 75.6%, a specificity of 86.6%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 83.7% for epithelial ovarian cancer; CA19.9 had a sensitivity of 35.6%, a specificity of 81.1%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 69.2%; CA15.3 had a sensitivity of 57.1%, a specificity of 93.9%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 84.6%; CA72.4 had a sensitivity of 70.7%, a specificity of 91.8%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 86.2%; and TATI had a sensitivity of 47.3%, a specificity of 95.3%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 82.9%. CA 125 was the most sensitive marker for nonmucinous tumors, while CA19.9 and CA72.4 were the antigens more frequently expressed by mucinous malignancies. The sensitivities of serum CA 125 (81.1% vs 50.0%; P = 0.01) and TATI (55.2% vs 18.8%; P = 0.02) were higher in patients above 50 years of age than in younger patients while specificities were quite similar in both age groups. The association of serum CA125 and CA19.9 had a significantly higher sensitivity (93.2% vs 81.1%; P = 0.03) and a slightly lowered specificity (78.9% vs 86.0%; P = 0.46) than CA125 assay alone in the differential diagnosis of ovarian masses in patients above 50 years of age.

Plasma Parameters of the Prothrombotic State in Chronic Uremia

We measured plasma parameters of the prothrombotic state, namely thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), fibrinopeptide A (FPA). D-dimer (DD), von Willebrand factor (vWF), tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), beta-thromboglobulin (beta TG), platelet factor 4 (PF4) and serotonin (5HT) in a series of 51 adult patients with chronic uremia: 22 were on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and 29 on conservative dietary treatment. Serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) was determined as well. Uremics presented significantly higher levels of TAT, FPA, DD, vWF, TNF, beta TG and 5HT than normal controls. Patients on conservative treatment showed lower levels of TAT, DD, TNF and beta TG than patients on MHD. Our results provide evidence that a prothrombotic state exists in chronic uremia and that MHD patients have a higher degree of hypercoagulation. Both hemodialysis procedure and uremia-related factors are likely to contribute to the hemostatic derangement.

Identification and optimal postsurgical follow-up of patients with very low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinomas

CONTEXT Most papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (PTMCs; ≤ 1 cm diameter) are indolent low-risk tumors, but some cases behave more aggressively. Controversies have thus arisen over the optimum postoperative surveillance of PTMC patients. OBJECTIVES We tested the hypothesis that clinical criteria could be used to identify PTMC patients with very low mortality/recurrence risks and attempted to define the best strategy for their management and long-term surveillance. DESIGN We retrospectively analyzed data from 312 consecutively diagnosed PTMC patients with T1N0M0 stage disease, no family history of thyroid cancer, no history of head-neck irradiation, unifocal PTMC, no extracapsular involvement, and classic papillary histotypes. Additional inclusion criteria were complete follow-up data from surgery to at least 5 yr after diagnosis. All 312 had undergone (near) total thyroidectomy [with radioactive iodine (RAI) remnant ablation in 137 (44%) - RAI group] and were followed up yearly with cervical ultrasonography and serum thyroglobulin, TSH, and thyroglobulin antibody assays. RESULTS During follow-up (5-23 yr, median 6.7 yr), there were no deaths due to thyroid cancer or reoperations. The first (6-12 months after surgery) and last postoperative cervical sonograms were negative in all cases. Final serum thyroglobulin levels were undetectable (<1 ng/ml) in all RAI patients and almost all (93%) of non-RAI patients. CONCLUSION Accurate risk stratification can allow safe follow-up of most PTMC patients with a less intensive, more cost-effective protocol. Cervical ultrasonography is the mainstay of this protocol, and negative findings at the first postoperative examination are highly predictive of positive outcomes.

Dual PET/CT with 18F-DOPA and 18F-FDG in metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma and rapidly increasing calcitonin levels: Comparison with conventional imaging

BACKGROUND To evaluate the role of a multi-imaging PET with (18)F-DOPA and (18)F-FDG in comparison with conventional imaging (CI) in recurrent medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). METHODS 18 MTC patients who had thyroidectomy were included; they presented with elevated and rapidly increasing calcitonin levels during follow up. CI had revealed metastatic deposits in 9 patients. Patients were referred to us for a PET/CT with (18)F-DOPA and (18)F-FDG. Histologic/cytologic confirmation of recurrent MTC was obtained in at least one PET-positive lesion in all patients. RESULTS Foci of abnormal uptake were observed in 15 patients at (18)F-DOPA and in 11 at (18)F-FDG; 8 patients showed the same number of positive lesions with both tracers, 2 showed more lesions on (18)F-FDG, 1 was positive at (18)F-FDG alone and 5 at (18)F-DOPA alone. In 3 patients with a DOPA-positive loco-regional relapse a re-operation with curative intent was offered. SUV(max) values were higher for (18)F-FDG compared to (18)F-DOPA (mean 12.7+/-4.1 vs. 5.5+/-2.1, p<0.05). Calcitonin was higher in PET-positive patients compared to PET negative ones, while no significant differences were observed between (18)F-DOPA and (18)F-FDG positive patients. CONCLUSIONS In MTC patients with rapidly increasing calcitonin levels during follow up, (18)F-DOPA has a good sensitivity and a complementary role with (18)F-FDG PET/CT in detecting metastatic deposits. In our experience, the sensitivity of a multi-imaging (18)F-DOPA &(18)F-FDG PET/CT approach is greater than that obtained with CI. The higher SUV(max) values found with (18)F-FDG in some patients may reflect more aggressive tumors.

Percutaneous ethanol injection treatment of autonomous thyroid adenoma: hormonal and clinical evaluation

OBJECTIVE We have evaluated the efficacy of percutaneous ethanol Injection as an alternative to surgery and iodlne‐131 treatment in solitary autonomous thyroid adenoma.

Final height, gonadal function and bone mineral density of adolescent males with central precocious puberty after therapy with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues.

Abstract Few data are available on the outcome of boys with central precocious puberty (CPP) treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues. We report on final height, endocrine and exocrine testicular function, and bone mineral density (BMD) in nine males (age 16.7 ± 1.5 years) treated with GnRH analogues from the age 6.0 ± 1.8 years for a mean period of 5.6 ± 2.4 years. The following parameters were evaluated: final height, serum gonadotropin and gonadal steroid levels, spermarche, semen analysis, area and volumetric BMD. Final height (−0.4 ± 1.1 SDS) was significantly higher than pre-treatment predicted adult height (−2.0 ± 1.2 SDS) and not significantly different than midparental height (−0.1 ± 0.8 SDS). Pubertal response of gonadotropins to GnRH test occurred within 1.5 years (mean 0.7 ± 0.4 years) and spermarche (n=7) from 0.7 to 3 years (1.8 ± 0.9 years) after the discontinuation of GnRH analogue therapy. No alteration in semen analysis was found (n=6, sperm count, 106/ml: 52.0 ± 18.7; normal motility (%): 49.5 ± 18.7; atypical morphology (%): 44.5 ± 11.4). Area and volumetric BMD were not reduced (0.2 ± 1.0 SDS and −0.1 ± 0.9 SDS, respectively). Conclusion Long-term treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues improves final height in boys with central precocious puberty. Post-therapy data demonstrating normal endocrine and exocrine testicular function support the safety of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues on reproductive function. Long-term pharmacological suppression of testicular function in childhood does not impair bone mineral density in late adolescence.

Local insulin infusion stimulates expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and tissue-type plasminogen activator in normal subjects

PURPOSE Plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 are increased in obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Their correlation with insulin levels supports the hypothesis that hypofibrinolysis may affect the development of atherosclerotic complications in patients with insulin resistance. To investigate the effect of insulin on fibrinolysis, we evaluated levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) antigens during insulin infusion in the forearm vascular beds of 8 healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS Insulin was infused in the brachial artery of each subject to raise local venous concentrations to approximately 100 microU/mL. Blood samples were obtained from the brachial artery and vein at baseline, after 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes of infusion, and 30 minutes after the end of the infusion. RESULTS Following intra-arterial infusion of insulin, forearm blood flow (mean +/- SD) increased progressively from 2.7 +/- 0.6 to 4.0 +/- 0.6 mL/dL/min (P <0.01) and did not return to baseline after the end of the infusion. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 balance increased (345 +/- 160 versus 8 +/- 152 fmol/dL/min, P <0.02) at 60 minutes, reaching baseline levels after the end of the infusion. After 90 minutes, tPA balance increased (40 +/- 26 versus 7 +/- 29 fmol/dL/min, P <0.01) with a profile similar to forearm blood flow. CONCLUSIONS Local hyperinsulinemia induces regional vasodilation and expression of PAI-1 and tPA antigens. An alteration of this physiological process could be involved in the development of hypofibrinolysis and atherosclerosis in states of insulin resistance.

Blockade of cholinergic muscarinic receptors by pirenzepine and GHRH-induced GH secretion in the acute and recovery phase of anorexia nervosa and atypical eating disorders

In view of the important role played by the cholinergic system in the neural regulation of growth hormone (GH) secretion, the ability of pirenzepine, a selective antagonist of muscarinic cholinergic receptors, to blunt the GH response to GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) was studied in adolescent females with anorexia nervosa in the acute (AN-AP) five AN-AP patients, administration of GHRH 1-40 (1 microgram/kg IV) evoked a significantly higher GH response than in controls at established intervals, whereas in eight AN-RP and seven AED patients it was higher than in controls at only one (150-min) and two (150-min, 180-min) time intervals, respectively. In the AN-AP patients, pretreatment with pirenzepine (0.6 mg/kg IV) only partially blocked the GH response to GHRH, whereas in the same AN-AP patients tested during recovery, and in AN-RP and AED patients, the drug completely suppressed the GH response to GHRH, as it did in controls. In view of pirenzepines mechanism of action, these findings are best explained by the existence in the hypothalamus of AN-AP patients of a cholinergic hypertone and/or a diminished somatostatinergic function. Evaluation of the clinical and hormonal characteristics of the anorectic patients studied would indicate that factors other than undernutrition and its biological consequences, which subside in the recovery stage of the disease and are not present in AED patients, contribute to the anomalous GH response pattern of AN-AP patients.

Intrasellar Metastasis Mimicking a Pituitary Adenoma

An unusual case of pituitary metastasis from renal cell carcinoma mimicking an adenoma is reported. Panhypopituitarism and chiasmal compression were the first manifestations of the tumor. The clinical, endocrinologic, and pathologic features of pituitary carcinomatous metastasis are discussed.

Intrasellar cavernous hemangioma.

We present a very rare case of an intrasellar cavernous hemangioma mimicking, clinically and neuroradiologically, the presence of a nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma. It was possible to diagnose this benign, congenital vascular malformation only through a histological examination.