PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Constantoulakis

Publications and source records attributed to M Constantoulakis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Thyroid autoantibodies and thyroid function in patients with gastric cancer.

Antibodies against thyroid antigens are commonly found in patients with chronic gastritis type B (20-30%) and pernicious anaemia (50%), two disorders that predispose to gastric cancer. In addition, thyroid disease in increased incidence has been reported in breast and in colon cancer. In order to determine a) the incidence of antithyroid antibodies (ATA) in gastric cancer, b) the thyroid function in patients with ATA and c) the correlation between ATA and the presence of chronic gastritis, we examined the sera of 32 patients with gastric cancer (GC) for the presence of antithyroglobulin and antimicrosomal antibodies. T3, T4 and TSH values were also measured. The sera of 36 patients with malignant tumours of the GI tract other than stomach (OMT) and of 40 healthy blood donors were used as controls. Three of the 32 GC patients had antithyroglobulin antibodies, 4 had antimicrosomal and one had both types. Of the eight patients with ATA (25%) only two had hypothyroidism and another two histologically diagnosed chronic gastritis. Three sera of the healthy controls and one of the OMT had also antithyroid antibodies. To conclude, a significant number of patients with GC had ATA as compared to controls (p < 0.01) but the presence of ATA did not necessarily indicate an abnormality of thyroid function. The presence of antibodies did not correlate with chronic gastritis type B.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Thyroid function in patients with homozygous beta-thalassaemia.

Thyroid function was evaluated in 20 patients aged 8-30 years who were suffering from homozygous beta-thalassaemia. All patients have been receiving frequent blood transfusions and treated for the resulting transfusional iron overload with intramuscular injections of Desferrioxamine. Total thyroxine (T4), T3-uptake, total triiodothyronine (T3), and reverse triiodothyronine (rT3) were measured. In addition a standard TRH stimulation test was performed and blood samples were checked for the presence of thyroid antibodies. It was found that total T4 was significantly lower in the patients than in the controls. Total T3 and rT3 levels were similar in both patients and controls and all patients were negative for thyroid antibodies. T3 uptake in the patients was also statistically different from the controls resulting in significantly lower free thyroxine index (FT1). Basal TSH values were not different from the controls but the TSH increase following TRH stimulation was significantly higher in the patients suggesting, together with the low total T4 and FTI, a state of compensated hypothyroidism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Hepatitis on high dose isoniazid: reintroduction of the drug in severe tuberculous meningitis.

Hepatitis developed in two patients treated with high doses (1000 mg/day) of isoniazid for severe tuberculous meningitis. Isoniazid was discontinued and later readministered in gradually increasing intrathecal and subsequently oral doses, up to the final dose of 400 mg/day. Transaminases remained normal, during 12 months on this dose, suggesting dose dependence of hepatotoxicity or a metabolic adaptation to the injury. Continued isoniazid treatment can be important in similar cases and it may become possible, if oral or intrathecal doses significantly lower than the initial hepatotoxic ones, are used.

Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury↗
PubMed1978

Serum immunoglobulin concentrations before and after splenectomy in patients with homozygous beta-thalassaemia.

Serum IgM, IgA, and IgG concentrations were measured in 19 patients suffering from blood-dependent homozygous beta-thalassaemia. The study was prospective and the same patients served as presplenectomy controls. IgG levels rose rapidly and continuously after splenectomy IgA levels also rose but not so sharply. IgM fell to low levelr pattern was found in the cross-sectional part of the study comprising 39 splenectomised and 51 non-splenectomised patients who were tested once.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Complement levles in relation to certain antibodies in polytransfused thalassaemic patients.

Polytransfused patients are exposed to a variety of antigenic stimuli which may eventually trigger autoimmune reactions. The relation of serum complement to the occurrence of various antibodies has been investigated in a group of 75 polytransfused thalassaemic patients. The incidence of the antibodies studied was as follows: anti-HBs 77%, anti-Gm 64%, rheumatoid factor 31%, antinuclear 13%, anti-smooth muscle 47%. Anti-perietal cell, anti-thyroid and anti-kidney were only rarely found and antimitochondrial antibodies were never detected. Total hemolytic complement was low in 6 and incidentally decreased in 21 patients. A positive correlation was found between low serum complement and presence of rheumatoid factor. The high incidence of anti-smooth muscle antibodies seems to be unrelated to liver disease.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1975

Stature and longitudinal growth in thalassemia major. A study of 229 Greek patients.

A high percentage of Greek children with homozygous b-thalassemia were short and had a lag in growth, though some severely affected attained normal height. Bone age lagged significantly behind the chronologic age, even in those with normal height for their age. A longitudinal study demonstrated an initial normal growth velocity which decreased after the age of six for males and eight for females. No patient had a spurt of growth at adolescence. Height gain continued up to the age of 21 and then ceased. Statistical analysis with a multiple regression equation showed a significant relationship between the age and height of the patients. Low hemoglobin levels and severity of the disease seemed to hinder normal growth, but neither relationship was statistically significant.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1970

Atypical leukaemia of long duration with monoclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia.

A patient with atypical acute leukaemia is described. This patient has, in addition, monoclonal IgG hyperglobulinaemia without myelomatous lesions and is living and well three years after diagnosis. The cell types found in the blood and in the bone marrow are atypical, and the histochemical findings are discussed. The relationship between monoclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia and malignant blood diseases is also discussed, and the literature on the subject reviewed.

Blood Platelets↗