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Biomedical subjects

S Sakane

Publications and source records attributed to S Sakane.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Changes in serum autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase during antithyroid drug therapy for Graves' disease.

Thyroid microsomal antigen is considered to be identical with thyroid peroxidase (TPO). Although there have been many reports concerning changes in microsomal autoantibody during the course of antithyroid drug therapy for Graves' disease, little is known about this matter in relation to TPO autoantibody (TPOab). Therefore, in this paper, we studied serial changes in the latter autoantibody. Initial levels of serum TPOab (% immunoprecipitation) in 13 patients with hyperthyroid Graves' disease ranged from -11.3% to +84.5% (mean +/- SD, 38.9 +/- 31.8%). Of three patients with persistently increased serum TPOab throughout drug therapy, all had recurrence of hyperthyroidism after the drug was discontinued. Of seven patients whose TPOab levels were initially high but subsequently decreased, four had remission of the disease after drug therapy. Inhibition by TPOab of the TPO activity was also demonstrated by both guaiacol and iodide assays, and changes in this inhibitory activity during therapy varied among individuals. This inhibition was not correlated with disease remission. The decrease in serum TPOab observed in some antithyroid drug-treated patients may reflect a decline in disease activity or may be a direct effect of the drug.

Adolescent↗

Can the type of variant albumin in familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia be determined by measuring iodothyronines in serum?

A recent report documented the existence of three putative types of variant albumin in dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia (DH) and suggested that measurement of the total concentration of three iodothyronines (T4, T3 and rT3) in serum of affected subjects could aid in their differentiation. In the present report, we describe three affected subjects from a single family which DH exhibited, in addition to increased serum total T4 levels, variable changes in the concentrations of total T3 and rT3. The concentrations of the following iodothyronines were above the normal limit: T4, T3 and rT3 in the propositus, T4 and T3 but not rT3 in her sister, and T4 but not T3 and rT3 in her mother. These differences cannot be caused by structurally different types of variant albumins, because the three subjects are members of the same family. They rather correlated with the relative abundance of the variant albumin in serum of the affected family members. Although previously reported subjects with DH always had serum T4 levels above the normal limit due to the predominantly higher affinity of the variant albumin for T4, significant increases in the concentration of serum T3 and rT3, reaching at times values above the upper normal range, have also been observed. Since a number of factors, including the relative abundance of the variant albumin, influence the concentration of iodothyronines in serum, their measurement alone cannot be used to determine the inherited type of DH.

Adult↗

Impaired regulation of skin temperature in patients with diabetes mellitus evaluated by the cold exposure test.

This study aimed at evaluating vasomotor response of the hand in patients with diabetes mellitus. A skin temperature of the hand was measured before and after exposure to ice water, and the recovery rates of the skin temperature were determined at 3, 5, and 10 min after the cold exposure. Ninety-two diabetics ranging in age from 25 to 59 years and 43 normal subjects ranging from 23 to 69 years old participated in this study. Since the recovery rate was delayed in normal subjects over the age of 60, comparison was made between the diabetics and the normals under 60 years old. The skin temperature was significantly lower in 26 diabetics with severe peripheral neuropathy (PN) than 40 diabetics without PN. The recovery rate were markedly delayed in the patients with PN, and also delayed in diabetics with severe retinopathy. The recovery rate was not different between the patients with and without ischemic changes in electrocardiogram. The delayed recovery rate was most prominent in the diabetics who had both abnormal heart rate variation (HRV) and orthostatic hypotension, followed by those with abnormal HRV but without orthostatic hypotension. Recovery rates in the diabetics with abnormal HRV alone were within the normal range. Our data suggest that the dysfunction of the regulation of skin temperature in the patients with diabetes mellitus was due to peripheral sympathetic nerve abnormality. The cold exposure test would be useful in the estimation of the sympathetic nerve activity of the diabetics.

Adult↗

[Serum thyrotropin concentrations in patients with Sheehan's syndrome: reevaluation of the usefulness in the diagnosis].

Serum concentrations of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were determined, using a highly sensitive immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), in 10 patients with Sheehan's syndrome. Serum TSH levels in these patients were from 2.3 to 9.0 microU/ml, with the mean of 6.4 +/- 2.3(SD) microU/ml, and the data were similar to those measured by a conventional RIA method. The levels of serum TSH in these patients were normal or even higher than those of healthy women (1.8 +/- 1.3 microU/ml). After supplement therapy by cortisol, serum TSH levels decreased, but remained within the detectable range that was greater than 0.15 microU/ml. After supplement therapy by 1-thyroxine (T4), serum TSH levels moderately decreased in all patients, and excessive 1-T4 administration resulted in a fall of serum TSH levels to lower than the detectable limit. Thyroidal 123 I uptake was low in 3 out of 6 patients examined, which supports a recent hypothesis of reduced biological activity of the patient's TSH. While, the remaining 3 patients had normal thyroidal 123 I uptake, and administration of perchlorate had no effects on thyroidal radioactivity. Thus, it may be possible that in the former group of patients the TSH has a reduced biological activity, and in the latter group of patients, iodine trapping is intact but further synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormone from the gland are impaired. When the response of serum TSH to TRH was examined, the peak serum TSH levels increased in all patients. The peak TSH levels were 4.8 to 10.2 microU/ml with the mean of 7.5 microU/ml, but the data overlapped with those of normal subjects (peak level ranging 5.9 approximately 27.7 microU/ml).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Development of hyperthyroidism following primary hypothyroidism: a case report with changes in thyroid-related antibodies.

We report a 48-year-old woman who developed hyperthyroidism following primary hypothyroidism. The serum T4 level was initially low and serum TSH level was high with clinical signs of hypothyroidism. The thyroid gland was not enlarged. Therapy with L-T4 was started. Three years later she developed hyperthyroidism; serum free T4 increased to 29.1 pmol/l after cessation of L-T4 therapy. The 123I thyroid uptake was increased with no suppression by exogenous T3. When she was hypothyroid, the activity of thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSAb) in serum measured by cyclic AMP production in cultured porcine thyroid cells were negative at 93.4% (normal less than 140%), while thyroid stimulation-blocking antibodies (TSBAb) determined by inhibition of TSH-induced cyclic AMP increase were positive at 96.1% (normal less than 40%). When hyperthyroidism subsequently occurred, TSBAb became negative (30.9%), while TSBAb became positive (163.3%). The findings indicate that hypothyroidism due to the potent TSBAb activity is not always persistent, but can be changed when various types of thyroid-relating antibodies change in the course of the disease.

Antibodies↗

Enhanced thyroid iodine metabolism in patients with triiodothyronine-predominant Graves' disease.

Some patients with hyperthyroid Graves' disease have increased serum T3 and normal or even low serum T4 levels during treatment with antithyroid drugs. These patients with elevated serum T3 to T4 ratios rarely have a remission of their hyperthyroidism. The aim of this study was to investigate thyroid iodine metabolism in such patients, whom we termed T3-predominant Graves' disease. Mean thyroid radioactive iodine uptake was 51.0 +/- 18.1% ( +/- SD) at 3 h, and it decreased to 38.9 +/- 20.1% at 24 h in 31 patients with T3-predominant Graves' disease during treatment. It was 20.0 +/- 11.4% at 3 h and increased to 31.9 +/- 16.0% at 24 h in 17 other patients with hyperthyroid Graves' disease who had normal serum T3 and T4 levels and a normal serum T3 to T4 ratio during treatment (control Graves' disease). The activity of serum TSH receptor antibodies was significantly higher in the patients with T3-predominant Graves' disease than in control Graves' disease patients (60.5 +/- 19.2% vs. 20.4 +/- 18.2%; P less than 0.001). From in vitro studies of thyroid tissue obtained at surgery, both thyroglobulin content and iodine content in thyroglobulin were significantly lower in patients with T3-predominant Graves' disease than in the control Graves' disease patients. Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) activity determined by a guaiacol assay was 0.411 +/- 0.212 g.u./mg protein in the T3-predominant Graves' disease patients, significantly higher than that in the control Graves' disease patients (0.129 +/- 0.112 g.u./mg protein; P less than 0.01). Serum TPO autoantibody levels determined by immunoprecipitation also were greater in T3-predominant Graves' disease patients than in control Graves' disease patients (52.6 +/- 27.7% vs. 32.4 +/- 11.4%; P less than 0.05). Binding of this antibody to TPO slightly inhibited the enzyme activity of TPO, but this effect of the antibody was similar in the two groups of patients. The data suggest enhanced iodine metabolism in the thyroid gland of patients with T3-predominant Graves' disease, which may relate to the discordant T3 overproduction in patients with this type of Graves' disease.

Adolescent↗

[Pathological characteristics of the thyroid gland in patients with triiodothyronine-predominant Graves' disease].

Pathology of the thyroid gland tissue was characterized in patients with Triiodothyronine (T3)-predominant Graves' disease who had normal levels of serum T4 but increased levels of serum T3 during antithyroid drug therapy. In order to compare this group of patients with an usual type of Graves' patients, age, sex, dietary intake of iodide, duration of antithyroid therapy and the dose of thionamide drugs were matched between the two groups of patients. Thyroid tissue was obtained from subtotal thyroidectomy. In examining the histology of the thyroid gland, integration eye piece plate II with regularly arranged 100 lattice points was set on eye lens of a microscope. The number of crossing points which were projected on each 4 histological elements was counted in randomly selected 10 fields of vision in each patient's thyroid. Assuming that the every histological element is arranged in a random manner, errors of each visual field by this method would be less than 12%. In consequence, the significant difference was demonstrated in the weight of subtotally resected thyroid and the ratio of each histological element except interstitial tissue occupied in the total thyroid tissue between T3-predominant Graves' disease and control Graves' disease. The volume composition of the epithelial cells and vacuoles in patients with T3-predominant Graves' disease was significantly greater than that of patients with control Graves' disease (24.7 +/- 10.6 vs 14.4 +/- 6.5%, 5.9 +/- 3.9 vs 2.0 +/- 1.0%, Mean +/- SD, respectively, p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Graves Disease↗