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N Conte

Publications and source records attributed to N Conte.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Bone turnover in overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism due to autonomous thyroid adenoma.

Parameters of bone turnover were measured in 20 premenopausal women affected by autonomous thyroid adenoma: 7 patients were suffering from overt hyperthyroidism with raised values of free thyroid hormones; 13 were clinically euthyroid and had normal values of free thyroid hormones. In all cases serum TSH concentrations were below the lower normal limit of our laboratory (< 0.4 mU/l). Eleven healthy premenopausal women were studied as a control group. Patients with overt hyperthyroidism disclosed a significant enhancement of both bone resorption (increased serum calcium and urinary excretion of hydroxyproline) and bone formation (increased serum levels of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase) when compared both to controls and to patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism. No significant alterations of bone metabolism parameters were found in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism in comparison with controls. Therefore, in premenopausal women affected by autonomous thyroid adenoma the bone turnover appeared to be significantly increased when the serum values of free thyroid hormones were raised in the group of patients with overt hyperthyroidism.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1991

Increased serum beta 2-microglobulin concentrations in hyperthyroid states.

Serum beta 2-microglobulin concentrations were determined in 21 untreated hyperthyroid patients (12 with Graves' disease, and nine with toxic nodular adenoma) and in 20 healthy controls. All subjects had normal serum creatinine concentrations and urine analysis. Both total and free thyroid hormones were significantly higher in the hyperthyroid groups than in controls. Beta 2-microglobulin concentrations were significantly increased in both groups of hyperthyroid patients compared with controls. No difference was found in the thyroid hormone and beta 2-microglobulin concentrations between both sets of patients. The beta 2-microglobulin and thyroid hormone concentrations were not correlated. These data show that hyperthyroidism is another cause of increased beta 2-microglobulin production along with viral infections, immunologically mediated diseases, and malignant neoplasms. The increased serum beta 2-microglobulin concentration in thyroid hyperfunction is probably related to metabolic rate, even if autoimmunity might contribute to its overproduction.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1991

Clodronate treatment increases serum osteocalcin in normocalcemic osteolytic bone metastases.

28 consecutive patients with multiple osteolytic bone metastases due to various types of cancer were treated with 300 mg/day of sodium clodronate given intravenously as a 3-hour infusion, 16 patients were treated for 10 days and 12 for 20 days. Our findings showed that clodronate administration causes an increase in serum osteocalcin (sBGP) in the group of patients treated for 20 days (p less than 0.05), a reduction in serum Ca in both groups of patients (p less than 0.01), an increase in serum alkaline phosphatase (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.01), a reduction in urinary Ca (p less than 0.01) and a reduction in uOHP (p less than 0.05). The raise in sBGP may be attributed to the reduction of sCa and to the consequent secondary hyperparathyroidism. The increase in sBGP can be considered as the expression of osteoblasts stimulation following an adequate period of therapy with sodium clodronate.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Serum bone GLA-protein in hypercalcemia of primary hyperparathyroidism and malignancy.

Serum bone GLA-protein, a modern and sensitive marker of bone turnover, was measured in 15 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, 18 patients with hypercalcemia of malignancy, 41 patients with bone metastasis without hypercalcemia, and 29 healthy subjects. Serum bone GLA-protein was increased in primary hyperparathyroidism (17.6 +/- 3.9 ng/ml) and normal in hypercalcemia of malignancy (5.2 +/- 2.8 ng/ml; p less than 0.001 vs hyperparathyroidism) and in normocalcemic patients with bone metastases. In primary hyperparathyroidism parathyroid hormone correlated positively with urinary calcium excretion (p less than 0.05) and with urinary hydroxyproline excretion (p less than 0.001). The sensitivity of serum bone GLA-protein measurements in differentiating between primary hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemia of malignancy was 91% and the specificity 84%. Thus this marker appears to be a useful tool for the differential diagnosis of hypercalcemias.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

HLA antigens and haplotypes associated with idiopathic haemochromatosis in Veneto: peculiar association with HLA-A3,B35.

HLA-A and HLA-B antigens were determined in 16 unrelated subjects orginating from Veneto affected by idiopathic haemochromatosis (IH). HLA-A3 was found in 13/16 patients vs. 300/1,348 controls (p less than 0.00005). Prevalences of A3,B35 haplotype were 0.4375 in patients vs. 0.0816 in controls (p less than 0.0005). Linkage disequilibrium analysis proved the existence of a positive third-order linkage disequilibrium among IH, HLA-A3 and HLA-B35 alleles. Our data confirm the close association of IH and HLA-A3 and prove the peculiar association of the disease with A3,B35 haplotype in north-eastern regions of Italy. The positive third-order linkage disequilibrium suggests a remote event (mutation, recombination or immigration) as origin for IH and A3,B35 association.

Alleles↗
PubMed1987

Apparently nonfunctioning metastases of parathyroid carcinoma.

A 41-year-old woman was operated on for severe hyperparathyroid syndrome. At surgery a parathyroid tumor with the histopathologic pattern of carcinoma was found. After surgery serum calcium settled within normal limits (10.5 mg/dl, N.V. 8.5-10.8), whereas parathormone and calcitonin reached progressively high levels, respectively 400 ng/dl (N.V. up to 250) and 500 pg/ml (N.V. up to 100 ng/ml). Serum ultrafiltration analysis for parathormone and calcitonin showed many peaks of immunoreactivity with high molecular weight of both hormones. One year after surgery, metastases developed in the lymph nodes of the neck and the mediastinal, pleural and pancreatic regions. After death for tumor wasting, immunohistochemical study of the tumoral tissue with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique showed a relatively high density of calcitonin-containing cells. The findings in this case suggest that: several cells in this parathyroid cancer could secrete both parathormone and calcitonin; the hormonal secretion was impaired as suggested by the high molecular weight of both hormones found at gel-filtration analysis; the macromolecular profile of parathormone could explain the apparent function of the parathyroid cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

The endogenous secretion rate of human calcitonin in normal conditions.

This paper presents a study on secretion rate for calcitonin in normal healthy subjects, evaluated by an indirect method. A specific radioimmunoassay for monomeric calcitonin was used and the obtained results are lower than those reported by Kanis in 1982. In normal healthy subjects the secretion rate for calcitonin is 1.4 MRC U/day, i.e. ten times less than the value calculated by Kanis. These results will be able to clarify the role of calcitonin and its effects in normal conditions and in several osteoarticular and metabolic bone diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Hypercalcemia in malignancies: treatment with dichloromethylene diphosphonate (Cl2MDP).

Eleven hypercalcemic patients affected by various kinds of cancer were treated with dichloromethylene diphosphonate (Cl2MDP), 400 mg diluted in 500 ml of saline solution, i.v., during 3 h. Drug administration normalized plasma calcium levels in all treated patients, within 72 h for patients with lung cancer; within a longer period for other kinds of cancer. Moreover, Cl2MDP also reduced calciuria in treated patients. The use of the drug was not followed by side effects and was also well tolerated in patients with kidney insufficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Demonstration of human chorionic gonadotropin during the second half of the menstrual cycle in plasma of regularly menstruating women users of copper IUds.

An attempt has been made of demonstrating the beta subunit of HCG in the plasma of 13 regularly menstruating women wearing a copper IUD. Eighteen menstrual cycles were explored with a total of 94 specimens obtained at 3-day intervals starting from the 16th day of the cycle. A cross reaction with LH was excluded by simultaneous assay of this hormone. Progesteron was also assayed so as to exclude anovulatory cycles. Five out of 12 ovulatory cycles yelded positive results with HCG values ranging from 171 to 692 mIU per ml. We therefore agree with the hypothesis according to which copper IUDs do not interfere with fecundation but with subsequent stages, specifically about the time of nidation of the blastocyst in the uterus.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

[Case of pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism].

A case of pseudo-pseudo-parathyroidism, in which normal blood chemistry data were accompanied by marked shortening of the 4th metacarpus and metatarsus, and a suggestion of syndactyly, is reported.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Beta-2-microglobulin in hyperthyroidism].

The aims of the study were to clarify the cause of increased serum beta 2-microglobulin as a marker of thyroid hyperfunction. Serum beta 2-microglobulin was measured in 31 untreated hyperthyroid patients, all of them with normal renal function. Twenty-one subjects were affected by diffuse toxic goiter and 10 by toxic adenoma. Serum free thyroid hormones, TSH, anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsomal antigen autoantibodies were determined, too. Thyroid hormone and creatinine levels did not differed between both sets of patients. beta 2-microglobulin was higher than normal in 90% of cases with diffuse toxic goiter and in 70% of those with toxic adenoma (p less than 0.05), but mean beta 2-microglobulin concentrations didn't differ between the two groups. No difference was found in beta 2-microglobulin levels in diffuse toxic goiter group according to the presence or absence of autoantibodies. beta 2-Microglobulin and thyroid hormones were not correlated in either diffuse toxic goiter and toxic adenoma groups. These data confirm the high prevalence of elevated beta 2-microglobulin concentrations in hyperthyroidism. As renal function was normal, this rise is due to beta 2-microglobulin overproduction. This increased production is a hormone mediated effect, even if lymphocyte activation may contribute in diffuse toxic goiter. beta 2-microglobulin is not correlated with thyroid hormone concentrations so that at present it isn't a useful marker of hyperthyroidism severity for practical purposes.

Adenoma↗