Corticosteroid-binding globulin affects the relationship between circulating adiponectin and cortisol in men and women.

Inflammatory pathways are increasingly recognized to be tightly associated with insulin resistance in humans. The promoter region of the adiponectin gene--Apm1--encompasses consensus sequences for glucocorticosteroid receptor responsive element. Dexamethasone induced downregulation of adiponectin secretion in vitro, whereas prednisolone administration increased circulating adiponectin concentrations.

Glucose-to-insulin ratio rather than sex hormone-binding globulin and adiponectin levels is the best predictor of insulin resistance in nonobese women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the main androgen disorder in women, has been suggested to be associated with a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. In many PCOS patients, overweight or central obesity is generally associated with increases in fasting insulin levels, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance, and has been identified as a target for new therapeutic strategy, including early change in lifestyle. Early biochemical marker(s) for identifying at-risk patients will be useful for prevention studies.

Biopsy proven and biopsy negative temporal arteritis: differences in clinical spectrum at the onset of the disease. Groupe de Recherche sur l'Artérite à Cellules Géantes.

Objectives: To assess the clinical features of biopsy proven and negative biopsy temporal arteritis at the time of diagnosis and during a three year follow up.

Methods: Newly diagnosed cases of giant cell arteritis were included in a prospective, multicentre study. Initial clinical and biological features, season of diagnosis, and cardiovascular events occurring during the follow up were recorded.

Identification of thyroid hormone residues on serum thyroglobulin: a clue to the source of circulating thyroglobulin in thyroid diseases.

Thyroglobulin (Tg) present in the serum of normal individuals and patients with thyroid disorders could be partly newly synthesized non-iodinated Tg and partly Tg containing iodine and hormone residues originating from the lumen of thyroid follicles. With the aim of examining the contribution of the latter source of Tg to the elevation of serum Tg concentration in thyroid pathophysiological situations, we devised a procedure to identify thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3) residues on Tg from unfractionated serum. A two-step method, basedon (i)adsorption of Tg on an immobilized anti-human Tg (hTg) monoclonal antibody (mAb) and (ii)recognition of hormone residues on adsorbed Tg by binding of radioiodinated anti-T4 mAb and anti-T3 mAb, was used to analyze serum Tg from patients with either Graves' disease (GD), subacute thyroiditis (ST) or metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

Analyses of the molecular forms of serum thyroglobulin from patients with Graves' disease, subacute thyroiditis or differentiated thyroid cancer by velocity sedimentation on sucrose gradient and Western blot.

Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) concentration increases in diverse thyroid pathophysiological situations. We examined whether Tg molecules appearing in the serum of patients with Graves' disease (GD), subacute thyroiditis (ST) or differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) have distinctive biochemical properties. We used ultracentrifugation on sucrose gradient and Western blot to analyze structural parameters of immunoreactive Tg in complete serum from 40 patients with GD, ST or DTC.

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in autoimmune thyroid disease: relationship to antithyroperoxidase antibodies.

Thyroid antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) has been reported in autoimmune thyroid disease, and its relationship with antithyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAb) questioned. We studied the effect of highly purified human thyroperoxidase (TPO) on thyroid ADCC activity elicited by serum from patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. ADCC promoted by a pool of Graves' disease sera could be inhibited by the addition of TPO in a dose-dependent manner.

Human thyroglobulin reference material (CRM 457). 2nd Part: Physicochemical characterization and certification.

This report describes the characterization of a purified human thyroglobulin (Tg) reference material, and details the procedures used in its certification. The purified Tg is intended to be used as a primary reference material to establish calibration of working serum based reference material for immunoassay procedures. The programme involved the participation of 15 European laboratories and one laboratory from the United States.

Human thyroglobulin reference material (CRM 457). 1st Part: Assessment of homogeneity, stability and immunoreactivity.

This paper describes the assessment of the homogeneity and stability of a purified and lyophilized human thyroglobulin (Tg), and characterizes its immunoreactivity. The purified and lyophilized Tg is intended to be used as a primary reference material to establish calibration of working serum based reference material. The programme involved the participation of 15 European laboratories and one laboratory from the United States.

Assessment of antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity in autoimmune thyroid disease using porcine thyroid cells.

Antibody Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity (ADCC) appears to be involved in Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (AITD). Homologous system may trigger non-specific reactions which might obscure specific ADCC. Heterologous target cells may be useful for studying ADCC, provided relevant antigen(s) are expressed.

[Description of cell line established from human thyroid papillary cancer and secreting human chorionic gonadotropin hormone].

One of the difficulties in characterization of the oncogenes involved in thyroid carcinogenesis is the production of cell lines. Arising from a poorly differentiated thyroid papillary carcinoma we have established a cell line synthesizing the thyroglobulin and human chorionic gonadotropin (alpha and beta subunits) (HCG) hormones. These cells will allow research of the oncogenes involved or potentially involved in thyroid papillary carcinomas and evaluation of the role of the autocrine secretion of HCG.

Anti TSH-receptor antibodies in pregnant patients with autoimmune thyroid disorder.

The study was designed to test further the usefulness of the radioreceptor assay of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) binding inhibitory immunoglobulins (TBII) and the bioassay of thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSAb) or TSH stimulated cAMP response inhibitory antibodies (TBkAb) in the prediction of neonatal thyroid dysfunction. Of 63 pregnant women with a current or past history of autoimmune thyroid disorder, 11 (one with active and six with a past history of Graves' disease and four with autoimmune thyroiditis) gave birth to a baby with transient hyper or hypo-thyroidism. Only high maternal titres (which could persist after partial thyroidectomy) of anti TSH-receptor antibodies (TRAb) led to neonatal hyperthyroidism.

[Serum thyroglobulin assay after total unilateral thyroid lobectomy in differentiated thyroid cancer].

Thyroglobulin (Tg) levels (ng/ml) were measured in the sera of 51 healthy volunteers (range: 0 to 20), 116 unselected blood donors (0 to 50) and 431 patients under thyrotropin suppression therapy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Among these 431 patients, 133 had undergone total thyroidectomy: 107 were in remission (mean +/- standard error of the mean = 0.84 +/- 2.

Thyroid hormone residues are released from thyroglobulin with only limited alteration of the thyroglobulin structure.

We have tried to characterize thyroglobulin (Tg) degradation products in purified pig thyroid lysosomes to determine whether the release of thyroid hormone residues from Tg involves a random proteolytic attack or discrete and selective cleavage reactions. The intralysosomal soluble protein fraction was prepared by osmotic pressure-dependent lysis of lysosomes purified by isopycnic centrifugation on Percoll gradients. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed the presence of a fraction of Tg (5-10% of total lysosomal protein) with the same molecular weight as that of the intact Tg subunit.

Rapid effectiveness of prednisone and thionamides combined therapy in severe amiodarone iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis. Comparison of two groups of patients with apparently normal thyroid glands.

Treatment of amiodarone iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis is often unsuccessful. Nevertheless, severe forms require a rapidly efficient therapy. Twelve patients with severe amiodarone iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis, as demonstrated on clinical and biological findings, were studied.

Selective enrichment of phytosphingosine in glycosphingolipids of isolated human thyrocytes as compared to the whole thyroid.

The glycosphingolipids of isolated human thyrocytes have been analyzed. As compared to the total thyroid gland, the pattern of gangliosides was found to be similar, whereas the neutral glycolipid profile was quite different, with glucosylceramide as the major glycosphingolipid of thyrocytes. Moreover, this glucosylceramide contains almost exclusively phytosphingosine (4-D-hydroxy-sphinganine) which is only a minor component in the long-chain bases of the glycosphingolipids extracted from the whole thyroid gland.

[Immunohistochemistry of thyroglobulin in the diagnosis of clear cell carcinomas of the cervical region].

6 thyroid gland and 3 cervical lymph node clear-cells carcinomas are investigated by means of indirect immunofluorescence detection of thyroglobulin. Immunofluorescence was positive only in 1 case, which was a primitive thyroid carcinoma. In 7 other cases, its negativity pointed at the metastatic nature of the lesion, from a clear cell carcinoma of kidney (in 4 cases, nephrectomy was very remote, and in 3 cases, the renal lesion was discovered after our examination of the thyroid tumour).

Alterations of the cerebroside fraction of human thyroid glycosphingolipids in Graves' disease.

The influence of Graves' disease in human thyroid neutral glycosphingolipids was investigated. The major alteration was in the cerebroside fraction. Although the total amount of cerebroside was not different, the relative proportion of the bands of glucosylceramide separated on borated thin-layer plates was greatly modified in the disease.

Sex-specific difference of the galabiosylceramide level in the glycosphingolipids of human thyroid.

The glycosphingolipids of human thyroid were isolated and characterized by gas-liquid chromatography and sequential enzymic hydrolysis. The major purified components were identified as glucosyl- and galactosyl-ceramides, lactosyl- and galabiosylceramides, globotriaosyl- and globotetraosylceramides. The long-chain base analyses showed a high proportion of phytosphingosine in glycosylceramide and galabiosylceramide.

Major gangliosides in normal and pathological human thyroids.

The major gangliosides of human thyroids were extracted, purified and then analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. In normal thyroid, GM3 and GD3 represented about 80% of lipid-bound sialic acid. GM3 contained more than 50% of long-chain fatty acids, whereas GD3 contained mostly short ones.

[Immunohistochemistry of thyroglobulin by indirect immunofluorescence in thyroid cancers].

The authors have developed an indirect immunofluorescence technique for histochemical detection of thyroglobulin and have tested it on 66 tissue sections. Fluorescence reflecting the presence of thyroglobulin was elicited in 57 samples of differentiated thyroid tissue, including healthy or hyperfunctional tissue and primary or metastatic papillary or follicular carcinomas. Thyroglobulin was found to be distributed heterogeneously between different areas and different cells.

Metabolic alterations induced by chronic heat exposure in the rat: the involvement of thyroid function.

The effects of chronic exposure to high environmental temperature (34 degrees C) on T4 production rate, food-intake, growth-rate and resting metabolic rate were investigated in adult male rats. This study was designed to examine the extent of variations and possible relationships between these parameters. As compared to control rats of the same body weight kept at 25 degrees C, rats exposed to 34 degrees C for 3-4 weeks exhibited a retarded growth-rate: 2.

[Effect of estrogens on the value of serum thyroglobulin].

Serum thyroglobulin (TG) is considered as a useful index of differentiated thyroid carcinoma evolution. Previous studies have suggested that TG levels might be dependent upon oestrogens. Here TG levels were determined in volunteers , free of any thyroid disease, divided into 5 groups according to estrogen level.