FreeStyle Mini blood glucose results are accurate and suitable for use in glycemic clamp protocols.

Objective: We assessed the accuracy of the FreeStyle Mini (FSM) meter for use in glycemic clamp and meal protocols in comparison with the HemoCue Glucose 201 DM Analyzer (HemoCue) and the YSI 2300 STAT Glucose Oxidase Analyzer (YSI).

Methods: Seven volunteers with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 35-69 years old, underwent a frequently sampled meal test and a graded hyperglycemic test, on two separate days, with one of the volunteers undergoing each test twice. Samples for glucose measurements were obtained from arterialized venous blood.

Thyroid fetal male microchimerisms in mothers with thyroid disorders: presence of Y-chromosomal immunofluorescence in thyroid-infiltrating lymphocytes is more prevalent in Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease than in follicular adenomas.

The presence of fetal cells in a maternal compartment is defined as fetal-maternal microchimerism, which has been detected in thyroids of mothers suffering from autoimmunity. We analyzed the immunohistology of paraffin-embedded thyroid specimen taken at surgery from 49 women with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (n = 25), Graves' disease (n = 15), or nodular or diffuse follicular adenomas (n = 9), whose childbirth history was positive for sons. By fluorescence in situ hybridization we screened for X-chromosome- and Y-chromosome-specific staining and compared the finding with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ types of the mothers and, where available, their offspring.

CYP27B1 polymorphisms variants are associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Germans.

CYP27B1 (25-hydroxyvitamin D(3)-1alpha-hydroxylase) catalyzes the metabolization of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) to 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) the most active natural Vitamin D metabolite. 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) plays a role in the regulation of autoimmunity and cell proliferation and prevents the development of autoimmune diabetes mellitus in animal models besides other autoimmune disorders. One hundred and eighty-seven families with one offspring affected with type1diabetes mellitus were genotyped for the polymorphisms in the promoter region (-1260 C/A) and intron 6 (2338 T/C) of the CYP27B1 gene on chromosome 12 q13.

No association of two Fas gene polymorphisms with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease.

Background: Apoptosis is a joint pathogenic process underlying autoimmune thyroid disease. Increased programmed cell death in thyrocytes causes hypothyroidism in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, whereas in Graves' disease infiltrating lymphocytes undergo apoptosis while thyrocytes appear to proliferate under protection of anti-apoptotic signals. The Fas/Fas ligand cascade represents a major pathway initiating apoptosis.

Fas ligand gene polymorphisms are not associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease represent the two most common autoimmune thyroid disorders. Whereas in Hashimoto's thyroiditis FasL expression causes thyrocytes to undergo apoptosis, additional anti-apoptotic molecules appear to protect these cells in Graves' disease. Mutations of the FasL gene were observed in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Vitamin D receptor genotype is associated with Addison's disease.

Objective: Autoimmune Addison's disease is a rare disorder which results from the T cell-mediated destruction of adrenocortical cells. A number of genetic susceptibility markers are shared by Addison's disease, type 1 diabetes, Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The vitamin D endocrine system has been shown to influence immune regulation.

Familial clustering of juvenile thyroid autoimmunity: higher risk is conferred by human leukocyte antigen DR3-DQ2 and thyroid peroxidase antibody status in fathers.

Thyroid autoimmunity is one of the most common immune disorders in females, and its polygenic background remains to be elucidated. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ region of chromosome 6 has been shown to confer susceptibility to thyroid autoimmune disease. The aim of our present investigation was to determine whether the transmission of high risk HLA DQ to patients with thyroid autoimmunity differs when transmission is from fathers as opposed to when transmission is from mothers.

Preliminary evidence that an endogenous retroviral long-terminal repeat (LTR13) at the HLA-DQB1 gene locus confers susceptibility to Addison's disease.

Objective: Addison's disease is associated with particular haplotypes of the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) region [DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 (DQ2) and DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302 (DQ8)]. This locus harbours several human endogenous retroviral (HERV) long-terminal repeats (LTR). LTRs within the HLA region have been shown to confer additional susceptibility to type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

A polymorphism within the vitamin D-binding protein gene is associated with Graves' disease but not with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis are common autoimmune thyroid disorders. Experimentally, 1,25(OH)(2) D(3) prevents Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Vitamin D serum levels in Graves' disease were found to be significantly lower than in nonautoimmune hyperthyroidism.

Vitamin D 1alpha-hydroxylase (CYP1alpha) polymorphism in Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: The vitamin D endocrine system plays a role in the regulation of (auto)immunity and cell proliferation. Vitamin D 1alpha-hydroxylase (CYP1alpha) is one of the key enzymes regulating both systemic and tissue levels of 1,25-dihyroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)). Administration of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3), whose serum levels were found to be reduced in type 1 diabetes and thyroid autoimmunity, prevents these diseases in animal models.

The variable endogenous retroviral insertion in the human complement C4 gene: a transmission study in type I diabetes mellitus.

A variable endogenous retroviral element has been identified in intron 9 of the complement C4 gene [HERV-K(C4)], which maps to the class III region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on chromosome 6p21.3. Genetic susceptibility to type I diabetes is mainly conferred by the MHC locus and the complement C4 region has been implied to contribute to human leukocyte antigen DQ (HLA-DQ) mediated disease risk.