[Th1, Th2 and Th17 lymphocytes in autoimmune thyreopathies].

Among the most common organ-specific autoimmune diseases are autoimmune thyreopathies. We have focused on the importance of Th1, Th2 and Th17 lymphocytes in autoimmune thyroiditis (AT). The cohort consisted of 136 treated patients in the full clinical course of AT (24 men, mean age 41.

Relations of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes to the thyroid cancer.

Objective: Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) generally experience a higher incidence of cancer. However, the association between T2DM and thyroid cancer is inconclusive.

Methods: Case-control prospective study, 722 patients were screened for T2DM and prediabetes (PDM) and underwent thyroid ultrasound and biochemical tests.

Steroid profiling in pregnancy: a focus on the human fetus.

In this review we focused on steroid metabolomics in human fetuses and newborns and its role in the physiology and pathophysiology of human pregnancy and subsequent stages of human life, and on the physiological relevance of steroids influencing the nervous systems with regards to their concentrations in the fetus. Steroid profiling provides valuable data for the diagnostics of diseases related to altered steroidogenesis in the fetal and maternal compartments and placenta. We outlined a potential use of steroid metabolomics for the prediction of reproductive disorders, misbalance of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and impaired insulin sensitivity in subsequent stages of human life.

Trace elements and bone health.

The importance of nutrition factors such as calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K for the integrity of the skeleton is well known. Moreover, bone health is positively influenced by certain elements (e.g.

Influence of metals on cytokines production in connection with successful implantation therapy in dentistry.

Objectives: In most of patients in need of implantation treatment in the oral cavity, implants heal well, nevertheless, there are some individuals, in whom titanium implants fail for reasons, which remain unclear.

Design: The aim of our study was to determine if there is a difference between metal influenced IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ cytokines production in patients with successfully healed implants compared to those, whose implant therapy was unsuccessful.

Setting: The two study groups included 12 patients with failed dental titanium implants and 9 patients with successfully healed implants.

Steroid metabolome in plasma from the umbilical artery, umbilical vein, maternal cubital vein and in amniotic fluid in normal and preterm labor.

The boost in placental production of CRH in late pregnancy is specific for human. CRH receptors are expressed in the fetal zone of the fetal adrenal (FZFA). Hence, we evaluated the associations between the steroid metabolome and gestational age (GA).

Short-term effect of soy consumption on thyroid hormone levels and correlation with phytoestrogen level in healthy subjects.

Objective: Since soy isoflavones may influence the thyroid hormone feedback system by interference with their biosynthesis, secretion and metabolism, we tested whether their controlled shortterm consumption affects thyroid function.

Methods: Eighty six volunteers--university students (32 males and 54 females) were eating unprocessed boiled natural soybeans (2 g/kg body weight/day) for 7 consecutive days. Thyrotropin, free thyroid hormones, antibodies to thyroid peroxidase and to thyroglobulin, and actual levels of unconjugated major soy phytoestrogens, daidzein and genistein, were measured in sera collected before, at the end and one week after finishing soy meal consumption.

Autoimmune thyroiditis and Helicobacter pylori--is there a connection?

Objectives: In this study we examined the anti-Helicobacter pylori (anti-H. pylori) antibodies in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, with and without different polyglandular involvement, and in healthy controls.

Material & Methods: Patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AT) were divided into three groups: Group A: 23 patients with isolated AT, Group B: 30 patients with AT as a part of polyglandular activation of autoimmunity, and Group C: 7 patients with AT as a part of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type II.

Removal of dental amalgam decreases anti-TPO and anti-Tg autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis.

Objectives: The impact of dental amalgam removal on the levels of anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) antibodies was studied in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AT) with and without mercury allergy.

Methods: Thirty-nine patients with AT were tested by an optimized lymphocyte proliferation test MELISA for allergy (hypersensitivity) to inorganic mercury. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I (n = 12) with no hypersensitivity to mercury and Group II (n = 27) with hypersensitivity to mercury.

Serum levels of growth factors HGF (Hepatocyte Growth Factor), TGFbeta1 (transforming growth factor beta1) and IGF-I (Insulin Like Growth Factor I) in parathyroid tumors.

Introduction: HGF (Hepatocyte Growth Factor), TGFbeta1 (Transforming Growth Factor beta1) and IGF-I (Insulin Like Growth Factor I) are cytokines that are involved in the parathyroid tumors formation and growth. We tried to determine, if there are changes and relationships in the production of these cytokines by tumor cells of parathyroid tumors.

Material And Methods: We determined concentrations of HGF, TGFbeta1 and IGF-I in serum from peripheral blood of 16 patients with parathyroid adenoma and of 8 patients with parathyroid secondary hyperplasia before and after parathyroidectomy.

Thyroid surgery in children and adolescents.

Authors present 114 children and adolescents of the total 3865 patients that underwent surgery on the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Department of Otorhinolaryngology of IPVZ, Prague because of a thyroid disease in years 1991-2000. The male/female ratio in the group was 1:6.5, 16 (13.

Serum levels of angiogenic growth factors in patients with thyroid gland tumors and parathyroid adenoma.

Objective: Angiogenic growth factors bFGF and VEGF ensure vascularisation of the growing tumor tissue. We decided to investigate their peripheral serum concentrations in patients with thyroid gland adenoma and papillary carcinoma and with parathyroid adenoma. We wanted to find the possible serum marker of these tumor diseases.

Immunomodulatory cytokines in human seminal plasma correlate with immunomodulatory steroids.

7alpha-Hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone and its 7beta-hydroxyepimer, which act as local immunomodulatory agents, dehydroepiandrosterone, cortisol, and major androgens, together with four cytokines-interleukins 2, 4, 10, and IFN-gamma, reflecting the activity of TH1 or TH2 cells present in semen, were measured in seminal plasma from 35 male donors. Cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, its sulfate, 7-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone epimers, testosterone, and estradiol were also measured in their blood serum. Steroids and interleukins in semen as well as serum steroids and seminal interleukins were mutually correlated to find out whether a relationship between immunomodulatory steroids and cytokines influencing the immune environment does exist.

Simple plasma work-up for a fast chromatographic analysis of homocysteine, cysteine, methionine and aromatic amino acids.

Simplified sample workup obviating protein precipitation and eluent evaporation commonly employed in earlier reports using chloroformate-mediated derivatization of aminothiols prior to mass spectrometric (MS) detection is presented. The reduction of disulfides in plasma is accomplished with dithiothreitol within minutes. A simultaneous derivatization with ethyl chloroformate (ECF) and extraction of derivatives into organic phase takes place within seconds.

Novel and traditional biomarkers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women.

Urinary markers of bone collagen degradation such as N-terminal telopeptide, deoxypyridinoline, hydroxyproline and proline-hydroxyproline dipeptide as a novel marker were measured in both morning and daily urine samples collected from 40 postmenopausal women on 10 consecutive days. In addition, osteocalcin, bone alkaline phosphatase and procollagen C-terminal propeptide were analyzed in one serum sample from each of the women. DXA densitometry was employed to differentiate between osteopenic and osteoporotic women.

Mercury and nickel allergy: risk factors in fatigue and autoimmunity.

This study examined the presence of hypersensitivity to dental and environmental metals in patients with clinical disorders complicated with chronic fatigue syndrome. Three groups of patients were examined through medical history, dental examination, and by using a modified test of blast transformation for metals-MELISA(R). The three groups consisted of the following: 22 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis with or without polyglandular autoimmune activation; 28 fatigued patients free from endocrinopathy; and 22 fatigued professionals without evidence of autoimmunity.