Publications by authors named "Maria Cristina Burlacu"

Article Synopsis
  • An online survey of European thyroid specialists revealed that 28% believe thyroid hormone (TH) treatment may be appropriate for euthyroid patients with growing simple goiters, despite guidelines against this practice.
  • There were significant regional differences in support for TH treatment, with only 7% in The Netherlands compared to 78% in the Czech Republic.
  • Factors influencing the likelihood of recommending TH included the specialist's age and the historical iodine insufficiency of their region, while gender, country, and economic factors showed weak associations.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to assess how European thyroid specialists view levothyroxine (LT4) treatment for euthyroid women with positive thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) to improve fertility, as current evidence does not support this practice.
  • - An international survey (THESIS) revealed that 42.8% of over 2,316 respondents believe LT4 might be indicated for these patients, with significant variation across countries, highlighting a range from 22.9% to 83.7% of positive responses.
  • - Factors such as gender, age, and clinical experience influenced opinions; younger specialists and those who treat more thyroid patients were more likely to consider LT4, raising concerns about potential overtreatment risks in
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Background: Current guidelines recommend different postpartum approaches for patients started on levothyroxine (LT4) during pregnancy.

Objective: We studied the postpartum management of these patients and determined factors associated with long-term hypothyroidism.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary center between 2014 and 2020, with LT4 initiation according to 2014 ETA recommendations.

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Hypothyroidism is common, however, aspects of its treatment remain controversial. Our survey aimed at documenting treatment choices of European thyroid specialists and exploring how patients' persistent symptoms, clinician demographics, and geo-economic factors relate to treatment choices. Seventeen thousand two hundred forty-seven thyroid specialists from 28 countries were invited to participate in an online questionnaire survey.

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Introduction: Thyroid specialists influence how hypothyroid patients are treated, including patients managed in primary care. Given that physician characteristics influence patient care, this study aimed to explore thyroid specialist profiles and associations with geo-economic factors.

Methods: Thyroid specialists from 28 countries were invited to respond to a questionnaire, Treatment of Hypothyroidism in Europe by Specialists: an International Survey (THESIS).

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Background: Thyroperoxidase (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin (TgAb) antibodies are highly prevalent in Graves' disease (GD), but their significance is controversial.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed TPOAb and TgAb levels and evolution in 136 patients with newly diagnosed GD between 2000 and 2022, treated with anti-thyroid drugs (ATD) in a block-and-replace (B+R) regimen for at least 12 months and followed up for at least 1 year after ATD discontinuation or until disease relapse.

Results: At diagnosis, 98 out of 136 (72%) patients were TPOAb positive and 73 out of 136 (54%) patients were TgAb positive.

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We report a case of falsely elevated triiodothyronine (T3) due to anti-T3 antibody interference in two immunoassays (Cobas 8000 e602® module (Roche Diagnostics) and Architect® i2000 (Abbott)). The interference was investigated using various laboratory methods including the search for heterophilic antibodies, biotin detection and the polyethylene glycol precipitation of potential interfering macromolecules. The presence of anti-T3 autoantibodies was detected and measured by radioimmunoprecipitation.

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Context: Gut bacteria can influence host immune responses but little is known about their role in tolerance-loss mechanisms in Graves disease (GD; hyperthyroidism caused by autoantibodies, TRAb, to the thyrotropin receptor, TSHR) and its progression to Graves orbitopathy (GO).

Objective: This work aimed to compare the fecal microbiota in GD patients, with GO of varying severity, and healthy controls (HCs).

Methods: Patients were recruited from 4 European countries (105 GD patients, 41 HCs) for an observational study with cross-sectional and longitudinal components.

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Background: Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is subject to epidemiological and care-related changes. Aim of the survey was to identify trends in presentation of GO to the European Group On Graves' Orbitopathy (EUGOGO) tertiary referral centres and initial management over time.

Methods: Prospective observational multicentre study.

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Background: Hypothyroidism is a topic that continues to provoke debate and controversy with regards to specific indications, type of thyroid hormone substitution and efficacy. We investigated the use of thyroid hormones in clinical practice in Belgium, a country where currently only levothyroxine (LT4) tablet formulations are available.

Method: Members of the Belgian Endocrine Society were invited to respond to an online questionnaire.

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Background: Interpretation of thyroid function tests by means of biological variation (BV) data is essential to identify significant changes between serial measurements at an individual level. Data on thyroid parameters in adults are limited.

Objectives: We aimed at determining the BV of four thyroid function test (thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxin (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and thyroglobulin (Tg)) by applying recent recommendations to acquire BV data on a latest generation of immunoassay.

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Automated immunoassays used to evaluate thyroid function are vulnerable to different types of interference that can affect clinical decisions. This review provides a detailed overview of the six main types of interference known to affect measurements of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (T4) and free triiodothyronine (T3): macro-TSH, biotin, antistreptavidin antibodies, anti-ruthenium antibodies, thyroid hormone autoantibodies, and heterophilic antibodies. Because the prevalence of some of these conditions has been reported to approach 1% and the frequency of testing for thyroid dysfunction is important, the scale of the problem might be tremendous.

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Familial pituitary adenomas are found in multitumoral syndromes such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (NEM1) and type 4 (NEM4) and the Carney complex (CNC); it remains at present the only known condition in the category of familial isolated pituitary adenomas (FIPA). Familial adenomas account for 3-5% of all pituitary adenomas. Their pathogenesis is known in part: mutations of the menin gene in NEM1 (80%), of the CDKN1B gene in NEM4 (several cases described), of the PRKR1A gene in CNC (50%) and the AIP gene in 15% of FIPA cases (50% of the FIPA cases with a homogeneous somatotropic phenotype).

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Aims: The cardiac valvular risk associated with lower exposure to cabergoline in common endocrine conditions such as hyperprolactinemia is unknown.

Methods And Results: We performed a cross-sectional, case-control echocardiographic study to assess the valvular status in 102 subjects receiving cabergoline for endocrine disorders and 51 matched control subjects. Cabergoline treatment ranged from 12 to 228 months, with a cumulative dose of 18-1718 mg.

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Prevalence: The prevalence of pituitary tumors has been a topic of controversy for many years. Autopsy and radiological series show that pituitary incidentalomas may be present in one of six people. Recent epidemiological data suggest that clinically apparent pituitary adenomas have a prevalence of approximately one in 1,000 people in the general population.

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