Fine-needle biopsy of thyroid nodules and the contribution of molecular analysis of BRAF and RAS mutations.

Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. There is a significant overdiagnosis of thyroid carcinomas that would never clinically manifest, with consequent unnecessary surgical treatment. The fine-needle biopsy and subsequent cytologic examination is of crucial importance in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules.

Influence of autoimmune thyroiditis on the prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Objectives: The association of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has been studied for over 60 years, yet their causal relationship has not been elucidated. Most published papers report a better prognosis of the patients with tumour in the field of thyroiditis. In our work we aimed to find out the differences in the clinical behaviour of PTC depending on the presence of autoimmune inflammation.

High-density lipoprotein profile in newly-diagnosed lower extremity artery disease in Slovak population without diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To assess the relationship of high density lipoprotein subfractions to newly-diagnosed lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) in individuals without diabetes mellitus and without hypolipidemic therapy.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involves 106 subjects: 51 had newly diagnosed LEAD and no diabetes anamnesis and were not on hypolipidemic therapy; and 55 controls were without clinical presentation of LEAD and were normolipidemic. Analysis of HDL subclasses was performed by an innovative electrophoresis method on polyacrylamide gel (PAG), the Lipoprint HDL System.

Microparticles: a component of various diseases.

Microparticles (MPs) are phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous population of microvesicles. Although MP formation represents a physiological phenomenon. A multitude of pathologies, including inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, atherosclerosis, and malignancies, are associated with a considerable increase in circulating MPs.