Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid. (Clinical and endocrinological features of six cases).

This paper presents the results of the study of six patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MCT) and the epidemiological screening carried out on the families of individuals affected by MCT. Three patients had the familial and three the sporadic type of disease. In all the subjects the plasma calcitonin (CT) level was measured under basal conditions and after pentagastrin stimulation.

Failure of metergoline to affect the circadian periodicity of plasma cortisol levels in healthy man.

To investigate the role of serotoninergic system on the control of circadian periodicity of human hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, effect of a potent 5-HT antagonist, metergoline, on diurnal variation in plasma cortisol levels was studied in five male volunteers. The administration of metergoline did not result in a significant change of plasma cortisol concentrations and its circadian rhythmicity. These results suggest that metergoline does not influence the diurnal secretion of cortisol in normal subjects.

[Circadian variations of sinus rate in subjects with normal or pathological sinus node (author's transl)].

Circadian variation of sinus rate (SR) is well described in subjects with normal sinus node (SN). On the other hand there are on data in literature concerning the SR daily variations in patients with SN disfunction. In order to clarify this problem we studied the SR circadian variation in normal subjects (12, and in patients with intermittent bradycardia (11), persistent bradycardia (9) and intermittent 2:1 seno-atrial block (7).

Circadian variations of plasma TSH in patients with severe hypothyroidism.

Five patients with severe hypothyroidism were studied to determine diurnal variations in serum TSH and thyroid hormones. The results were based on blood samples withdrawn at 1-h intervals during a 24-h period. A statistically significant circadian rhythm in TSH was detected with the acrophase at 23(30); no significant diurnal periodicity was observed for serum T3.

Effect of bromocriptine on the control of plasma aldosterone diurnal variation in normal supine man.

In order to investigate the role of prolactin in the control of the circadian rhythm of plasma aldosterone (PA), plasma renin activity (PRA), cortisol (PC), aldosterone and prolactin (PRL) levels were determined in samples at 4-hour intervals from 5 normal supine men over a period of 24 h under basal conditions and subsequently over a period of 24 h during suppression of prolactin release by bromocriptine (CB-154). After suppression of prolactin, statistically signific1nt circadian rhythms in PC and PA have been detected with a moderate decrease of PA concentration, while the PC level remained unalterated. PRA rhythmicity persisted with a significant shift of acrophase and remarkable reduction of plasma levels.

[Study of circadian variations of plasma renin activity in the normal human in the supine position].

A study of circadian variations of plasma renin activity in normal supine man.--The cosinor analysis has detected circadian rhythm of PRA in fifteen normal supine men, aged 21-28, studied over a 24-hour span. The acrophase occurs at 05.

[Value of electromyography for the detection of peripheral neuropathies in the course of chronic hepatopathies].

It has recently been noted that peripheral nerve fibres are involved in the course of chronic liver disease. The existence of hepatic polyneuropathy is still a matter of debate. A series of 29 subjects (not including diabetics or alcoholics) were examined clinically and electromyographically.

A 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (reverse T3) radioimmunoassay.

In this paper are reported the results obtained by a simple, reproducible and sensitive rT3 RIA, in unextracted serum, using the PEG separation technique. The linear correlation coefficient of the results obtained from extracted and unextracted sera, in a population of 60 adults and 35 child controls was 0.984, with a minimal spread of the data.

[Evidence for circadian variability in the renin-angiotensin II system (author's transl)].

Circadian variations of P.R.A.