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OBJECTIVE: The majority of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) have good outcomes, although the identification of new predictors of a poor prognosis would be beneficial. Chronic thyroiditis is a precancerous condition in which proinflammatory cytokines enhance biologically aggressive features. This study investigated the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling proteins (SOCS) 1 and 3, which are negative feedback inhibitors, in PTC and benign thyroid nodules (BTN), and analyzed the relations among biomarker expression, pathological prognosis, and clinical features. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The pathological materials and clinical data of 100 patients with PTC and 40 with BTN were retrospectively analyzed. Immunohistochemical SOCS1 and SOCS3 staining were performed. Besides comparing SOCS1 and SOCS3 expression between PTC and BTN, we analyzed the expression according to pathological factors and clinical variables. RESULTS: The expression levels of the proteins were significantly higher in PTC than in BTN (p=0.001). SOCS1 expression was higher in older patients with PTC than in younger patients (p=0.001). Unlike SOCS1, SOCS3 was related to the risk group; these groups were distinguished based on the American Thyroid Association (ATA) risk stratification system (p=0.001). SOCS3 was also significantly related to lymph node involvement (p=0.007), capsule invasion (p=0.005), and extrathyroid extension (p=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: The increased SOCS1 and SOCS3 expression in PTC confirms their roles in thyroid carcinogenesis. Antibodies to both SOCS1 and SOCS3 might aid the diagnosis of PTC through immunohistological staining. SOCS3 provides information on lymph node status and aids risk stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of methimazole (MTZ) and propylthiouracil (PTU) treatments on osteopontin (OPN) and oxidative stress in Graves' disease (GD). Material and Methods. The study included 60 cases with GD in hyperthyroid state and taking no antithyroid treatment, and 30 healthy volunteers. GD patients were randomly separated into two groups; 30 of them took PTU, and the other 30 took MTZ treatments. Blood samples were taken from the patients with GD before the treatment, and three months after the treatment was begun, when they were in the euthyroid state; blood samples of the healthy control subjects were also taken at these times. Results. TAS and OSI levels before treatment were significantly higher in the GD group, when compared to the control group (p<0.001, for each). GD subjects taking PTU treatment had significantly higher TAS levels (p=0.001), and significantly lower TOS and OSI levels (p=0.008 and p=0.001, respectively). TAS levels significantly decreased in the patients taking MTZ treatment (p=0.029), but TOS and OSI levels did not change significantly (p>0.05). Pretreatment OPN levels were significantly higher in GD patients, when compared to the control group (p=0.014). OPN level significantly decreased in the GD group taking PTU treatment; however OPN levels in the group taking MTZ treatment did not change significantly when compared to the pretreatment value. Conclusion. PTU treatment is more effective in decreasing OPN and oxidative stress in GD patients, when compared to the MTZ treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to evaluate the activity of prolidase in controlled acromegaly patients and its association with oxidative stress. 25 acromegalic patients in remission who were followed in our outpatient clinic and 31 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Serum growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), total antioxidative status (TAS), total oxidative stress (TOS), total free sulfhydryl (-SH), paraoxonase (PON), arylesterase (ARE), lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) and prolidase activity levels were measured. Percent ratio of TOS to TAS level was accepted as oxidative stress index (OSI). Serum prolidase activity, TOS, OSI, and LOOH levels were significantly higher in acromegaly patients compared to the healthy control group (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). SH levels were significantly lower in the acromegaly patients compared to the healthy control group (p = 0.002). Prolidase activity were positively correlated with TOS, OSI, LOOH and negatively correlated with -SH in patients with acromegaly (r = 0.471, p < 0.001; r = 0.527, p < 0.001; r = 0.717, p < 0.001; r = - 0.516, p < 0.001, respectively). These associations were confirmed in the multiple regression analysis (R2 = 0.502, p < 0.001). In conclusion, serum prolidase activity and oxidative stress levels were high in controlled acromegaly patients. These results suggest that extracellular matrix changes continue eventhough the disease is controlled, and elevated oxidative stress is involved in the increased prolidase activity in acromegaly patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to evaluate the role of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) type II deiodinase enzyme gene (DIO2) expression in developing metabolic syndrome (MetS). A total of 51 obese patients with MetS and without MetS and 13 healthy subjects enrolled in the study. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip circumference ratio (WHR), hip circumference, and systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP) of all subjects were recorded. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting plasma insulin, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) of all subjects were analyzed. Expression of the DIO2 gene in adipose tissue was determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). BMI, WC and WHR were not significantly difference between obese with and without MetS. SBP, DBP, FPG and TG were significantly higher in obese with MetS group than obese without MetS group. While the free triiodothyronine (T3) level was in the normal range in all group, it was significantly lower in the obese with MetS than both obese without MetS and control group. DIO2 expression was significantly lower in the obese with MetS group compared to the control. In correlation analysis, DIO2 expression was negatively correlated with DBP, TG and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels and positively correlated with free T3. In conclusion, the reduction of SAT DIO2 expression is negatively correlated with DBP and TG levels that are associated with the MetS. This might have an effect on developing MetS. We believe that DIO2 gene may be an important molecular target for future studies in developing targeted treatment options for obese people with MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 52-year old women was diagnosed with acromegaly 5 years ago, and transseptal transsphenoidal pituitary microsurgery has been performed. Later the patient did not come to controls and the complaints prior to operation growth of the hands and feet, headache, sweating and resistant hypertension have continued. She was referred to our clinic with the same complaints. Physical examination showed typical acromegalic features without typical Cushingoid features. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed the presence of a pituitary macroadenoma. Basal plasma levels of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels were high. GH suppression was not observed in 75 gr oral glucose suppression test. Due to refractory hypertension and central obesity hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis was evaluated. HPA showed a lack of circadian rhythm of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol, non-suppressibility to 1 mg overnight and classical 2 day low-dose dexamethasone, but suppressibility to high-dose (8 mg) dexamethasone. The tumour resected by transsphenodial surgery was histopathologically consistent with the diagnosis of adenoma. Immunostaining showed GH and ACTH producing cells. After surgery plasma GH and IGF-1 levels decreased to normal along with normalization of HPA axis. Hypertension disappeared without medical treatment after removal of the pituitary tumour. This is a very rare case of GH-producing pituitary adenoma causing typical acromegaly with concomitant production of ACTH causing subclinical Cushing's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate any relationship between serum ubiquitin levels and electroneurographic changes in peripheral nerves for patients with type 2 diabetes.Research Design and Methods: The study involved 34 patients (19 men, 15 women; mean age 46 +/- 13 years) with type 2 diabetes. Serum ubiquitin values were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay Measurement of nerve conduction velocity (NCV) was performed on three motor (median, tibial, and peroneal) and three sensory (median, ulnar, and sural) nerves. The value of motor compound muscle action potential (CMAP) was obtained from the sum of median, tibial, and peroneal motor nerve amplitudes, and sensory compound nerve action potential (CNAP) was computed as the sum of median and ulnar sensory nerve amplitudes.Results: Patients with diabetes were divided into three groups: group 1 (n = 8) had normal electroneurography results, group 2 (n = 8) had slowed NCV, and group 3 (n = 18) had low values of motor CMAP and/or sensory CNAP as well as slowed NCV. Mean ubiquitin level in group 3 (20.4 +/- 2.9 ng/dl) was significantly higher than that in group 1 (11.2 +/- 1.1 ng/dl, t = 11.5, P < 0.0001) and group 2 (13.2 +/- 2.7 ng/dl, t = 5.9, P < 0.0001). Serum ubiquitin levels were inversely correlated with motor CMAP (r = -0.68) and sensory CNAP (r = -0.61) values.Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that there could be a relationship between the diminished amplitudes of axons of the peripheral nerve and the increase in serum ubiquitin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Further studies are required to confirm this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]