Liquid Thyroxine Improves Outcomes in Hypothyroid Patients With Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Objective: Malabsorption of levothyroxine (LT4) is often seen in patients with hypothyroidism and gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Our study was designed to establish the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in patients with hypothyroidism and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and to demonstrate that liquid LT4 is more consistently absorbed vs tablet, leading to improvement in thyroid and GI symptoms.

Methods: This was a single-center, open label, prospective cohort study of liquid LT4 in 75 adult patients with hypothyroidism and IBS.

A randomised controlled trial of outpatient versus inpatient cervical cerclage.

Fifty patients with cervical incompetence were randomised to have cervical cerclage either as inpatients, spending 3 days in hospital post-procedure on supervised bed rest or as outpatients spending the time at home on bed rest. Both groups had a clinical diagnosis of cervical incompetence and both had either McDonald or Shirodkar cerclage with mersilene tape. Both groups were given salbutamol tablets for tocolysis, postoperatively.

The role of NK cell activity in the pathogenesis of poly I:C accelerated and spontaneous diabetes in the diabetes prone BB rat.

The development of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and diabetes in the diabetes prone (DP) BB rat animal model of IDDM is thought to be due to an autoimmune process. Natural killer (NK) cells have been implicated but not proven to play a pathogenetic role in BB rats due to the increased NK cell number and activity found in these animals. We have recently reported that poly I:C, an inducer of cytokines and a potent enhancer of NK cell function, accelerates the development of diabetes in DP BB rats and induces diabetes in diabetes resistant (DR) BB rats.

Fibroblast growth factor-4 enhanced G2 arrest and cell survival following ionizing radiation.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) bind to cell membrane receptors and activate signal transduction pathways related to cell growth, angiogenesis, and tumorigenesis. FGFs have been shown to be abundantly expressed in some of the human tumors, which are known to be poorly responsive to radiation therapy. Using adrenal cortical carcinoma cells genetically engineered to express FGF-4, we have tested cellular survival following exposure to ionizing radiation.

Analysis of solid renal dysplasia by flow cytometry: malignant potential?

Renal nodular blastema/nephroblastomatosis is a recognized precursor of Wilms tumor. It also has been shown that nodular renal blastemata are seen in association with dysplastic renal parenchyma secondary to obstructive uropathy (i.e.