Thyroid Function Rather Than Thyroid Antibodies Affects Pregnancy and Perinatal Outcomes: Results of a Prospective Study.

Context: Thyroid autoantibody positivity has been associated with an increased rate of obstetrical complications.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the role of thyroid autoantibodies in adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the Endocrinology Unit of Pisa Hospital.

CT features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia: experience of a single center in Southern Italy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to report the radiological features of chest CT scan of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) living in a town in Southern Italy where a significant outbreak of the disease occurred.

Methods: We revised the CT scan of 62 patients (34 male, 28 female, mean age 71 +/- 14 years) with clinical and laboratory signs of COVID-19, as assessed by positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing. All patients underwent chest CT at the time of admission to the hospital.

'Incidental' and 'non-incidental' thyroid papillary microcarcinomas are two different entities.

Objective: Papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (microPTC) may be 'incidental' (Inc-microPTC), occasionally found at histology after surgery for benign disease or 'non-incidental' (Non-Inc-microPTC), diagnosed on clinical grounds. It is unclear whether these different microPTC reflect the same disease. The aim of the study was to compare Inc-microPTC and Non-Inc-microPTC for clinical and histological features as well as for serum TSH, a known factor involved in PTC development.

Iodine, thyroid autoimmunity and cancer.

This review focuses on two different topics: (a) iodine and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and (b) AITD and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Iodine intake modifies the expression of thyroid diseases and has been associated with induction of AITD. Thyroglobulin (Tg) is an important target in iodine-induced autoimmune response due to post-translational modifications of iodinated Tg, as suggested in animal models.

Influence of iodization programmes on the epidemiology of nodular goitre.

Iodine is essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Iodine deficiency can affect human health in different ways, and is commonly referred to as iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). These range from defective development of the central nervous system during the fetal-neonatal life, to goitre in the adult.

Iodine contributes to thyroid autoimmunity in humans by unmasking a cryptic epitope on thyroglobulin.

Context: The mechanisms linking thyroid autoimmunity and iodine use in humans are unknown.

Objective: Our aim was to correlate iodine intake, thyroid autoimmunity, and recognition of thyroglobulin (Tg) epitopes after implementation of iodine prophylaxis.

Setting: The general community living in an Italian village was evaluated.

Medullary thyroid cancer secreting carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (Ca 19-9): a fatal case report.

Background: During follow-up for patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), the levels of serum calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen are important, and the doubling time of these biomarkers significantly correlates with disease progression. Other antigens are present in tumor tissue and the sera of patients with MTC, but there are scarce published data on the serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (Ca 19-9), a tumor marker primarily used for the diagnosis and follow-up of pancreatic and gastrointestinal neoplasias. Recently, the case of a 56-year-old woman with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B with high serum levels of Ca 19-9 was reported; this patient experienced rapid disease progression that led to her death.

A TSHr-LH/CGr chimera that measures functional TSAb in Graves' disease.

Context: Stimulating thyrotropin receptor (TSHr) autoantibodies (TSAb) are the cause of hyperthyroidism in Graves' disease. In a patient's serum, TSAb can coexist with antagonist TSHr autoantibodies that block TSAb stimulatory activity (TSBAb); both can vary in amount and time.

Objective: The objective of the study was to create a functional assay that detects only TSAb, thus having an increased accuracy for diagnosing Graves' disease.

Serum TSH and risk of papillary thyroid cancer in nodular thyroid disease.

Context: TSH is the main factor involved in the control of proliferation of thyrocytes. Recently, a strong relationship between serum TSH and risk of thyroid malignancy has been reported.

Objectives: The aim was to review published papers about the relationship between serum TSH and frequency of differentiated thyroid cancer.

IGF-II mRNA expression in breast cancer: predictive value and relationship to other prognostic factors.

Purpose: Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is an important regulator of tumor growth in breast cancer. In this study we have examined the prognostic value of IGF-II mRNA expression in breast cancer and its relationship to other predictive parameters.

Patients: Sixty-eight women with infiltrating ductal carcinoma were given the same treatments including mastectomy and antitumoral therapies and followed up for 5 years.

Testicular function after 131I therapy for hyperthyroidism.

Objective: Radioiodine-131 is commonly used for treatment of hyperthyroidism but there are few available data on the effects of this treatment on male gonadal function. The untoward effects of (131)I have been mainly studied in male patients treated with high doses for thyroid cancer. In the present work we studied the absorbed radiation dose to the testes and testicular function in hyperthyroid men after (131)I treatment.

Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9/gelatinase B) proteolytically cleaves ICAM-1 and participates in tumor cell resistance to natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Shedding of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) is believed to play a role in tumor cell resistance to cell-mediated cytotoxicity. However, the mechanism whereby ICAM-1 is shed from the surface of tumor cells remains unclear. In this study, we have addressed the possibility that matrix metalloproteinases are implicated in ICAM-1 shedding.

Induction of the interleukin-2/15 receptor beta-chain by the EWS-WT1 translocation product.

EWS-WT1 is a chimeric transcription factor resulting from fusion of the N-terminal domain of the Ewing sarcoma gene EWS to the three C-terminal zinc fingers of the Wilms tumor suppressor WT1. This translocation underlies desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT), which is noted for the abundance of reactive stroma surrounding islets of tumor cells, suggestive of paracrine signals contributing to tumor cell proliferation. Hybridization to high-density oligonucleotide microarrays can be used to identify targets of EWS-WT1.