Patients With Autoimmune Thyroiditis Present Similar Immunological Response to COVID-19 BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine With Healthy Subjects, While Vaccination May Affect Thyroid Function: A Clinical Study.

Background: This is the first study, that aimed: a) to compare immune response, namely the kinetics of neutralizing antibodies (Nabs), after vaccination with BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty, Pfizer/BioNTech) between patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and controls, and b) to investigate changes in thyroid function in healthy subjects with no history of thyroid dysfunction before and after vaccination with BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty, Pfizer/BioNTech).

Methods: The entire study consisted of two sub-studies. In the first sub-study, NAbs levels after BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination were compared between 56 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and 56 age and gender-matched healthy controls from the day of the first dose until a period of up to three months after the second dose.

Cytokines and insulin resistance after zoledronic acid-induced acute phase response.

Zoledronic acid is known to induce a transient acute phase response (APR). The aim of the study was to investigate whether an APR caused by zoledronic acid administration can induce insulin resistance in post-menopausal osteoporotic women and the potential involvement of different inflammatory markers, cytokines and adipokines to this response. Insulin resistance was calculated by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR).

Markers of inflammation after zoledronic acid redosing.

The symptoms of acute phase response (APR) following the first infusion of zoledronic acid (ZA) are attenuated after re-administration. We investigated the reasons for this attenuation, focusing on the changes in several hormones, bone markers and markers of inflammation occurring after the second ZA injection in patients who had experienced a severe APR after their first ZA infusion. Twenty-two postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and severe symptoms of APR following the first ZA infusion were included in the study (group A1).

Changes in TNM stage, reoperation and 131-I ablation rate during the use of newer methods for the preoperative diagnosis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Objective: To define and discuss the changes of important risk factors and TNM staging over the last 40 years in patients operated on for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), resulting from the introduction of newer sensitive diagnostic procedures in the preoperative evaluation of thyroid nodules.

Patients: We reviewed the medical records of 1251 patients with postoperative diagnosis of DTC who had undergone initial diagnosis, before surgery, at our unit, between 1971 and 2010. According to the period of diagnosis, the patients were divided into four groups (I, II, III, IV) corresponding to the four decades.

Diagnostic markers in combination improve the identification of growth-restricted neonates.

Background: The identification of growth-restricted neonates is hampered by the lack of an appropriate diagnostic tool.

Aim: To determine the value of combining diagnostic markers in detecting growth-restricted neonates.

Methods: A set of anthropometric indices, nutritional status and placental weight were assessed in the study population soon after birth.