Endokrynologia Polska 2010, tom 61, nr 6

Maternal iodine deficiency (ID) during pregnancy and lactation is a well recognised, and preventable, cause of brain damage in the foetus and infant [1–5]. The degree of neurodevelopmental impairment depends on the severity of ID. In areas of severe ID ( < 20 μg/day) 5–15% of the population suffers endemic cretinism and the general IQ of the population is 13.5 points lower than in iodine-sufficient areas [6, 7]...

One of the key features of thyroid cancer evaluated at palpation is stiffness [1]. However, this clinical parameter is subjective and depends on the experience of the examiner, the nodule size and the location within the thyroid gland [2]. Elastography, sometimes called ‘electronic palpation’, is a non-invasive US technique, introduced in 1990, that estimates tissue stiffness by measuring the degreeof local tissue displacement after a small compression [3]...

The autoimmune thyroid diseases Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) and Graves’ disease (GD) are the most common organ-specific autoimmune diseases. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis occurs as a result of autoimmune inflammation of the thyroid gland. It has a chronic course and is usually associated with hypothyroidism...

Due to its high prevalence, congenital hypothyroidism (CH), being the most common endocrine disorder and preventable cause of mental retardation in neonates, is considered a major health problem in Iran. The condition affects about 1:3000 to 1:4000 infants and may be caused by thyroid dysgenesis or dyshormonogenesis [1, 2]...

Thyroid carcinoma comprises as little as 1% of all neoplasms; however, they are the commonest form of endocrine gland cancer [1–5]. The growth of interest in this group of carcinomas in the 1990s was the consequence of advances in diagnostics, especially ultrasonographic thyroid examination, which contributed to a massive increase in random recognition of thyroid carcinoma (‘incidentaloma’)...

Adipose tissue is a highly active metabolic and endocrine organ secreting a range of bioactive peptides with both local and distant actions [1–3]. Some of these factors, known as ‘adipokines’ or ‘adipose tissue hormones’, are specific fat-related hormones that are involvedin regulating energy homeostasis, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and the function of the cardiovascular system [1-3]...

In the course of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), several perturbations in the immune system take place. Some of these disturbances are related to cytokines [1–3]. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is such a cytokine and has a pivotal role in regulation of many biologicalprocesses, including cellular proliferation and differentiation, modulation of immune response, extracellular matrix deposition, angiogenesis and tissue repair [4]...

Inhibin B belongs to the family of transforming growth factors. It is produced by Sertoli cells and is thought to be a marker of their function. Inhibin B influences interactions between Sertoli cells and germ cells and shows a negative feedback-loop with FSH [1–4]. Serumconcentrations of inhibin B and FSH closely correlate with the functional status of Sertoli cells [5, 6]...

The toxic influence of glucose on different tissues (so called glucotoxicity) has been known for a long time [1, 2]. Experiments on animal models as long ago as the mid-1980s pointed to the phenomenon of ‘metabolic memory’. Between 2000 and 2002, the results of clinicaltrials showed that an early intensive therapy aimed at normalising metabolic control can reduce the negative processes in cells and minimise the risk of chronic complications [3–5]...

Multiple drugs are often used in a single patient. During treatment, drug-drug interaction occurs when the presence of one drug affects the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of another drug through absorption, metabolism or disposition and therefore affects the bioavailability, efficacy and toxicity in the patient...