European Thyroid Journal最新文献

Introduction: Secondary thyroid autoimmunity, especially Graves' disease (GD), frequently develops in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) following alemtuzumab treatment (ALTZ; anti-CD52). Thyroid eye disease (TED) can also develop, and rituximab (RTX; anti-CD20) is a suitable treatment.

Case presentation: A 37-year-old woman with MS developed steroid-resistant active moderate-to-severe TED 3 years after ALTZ, that successfully responded to a single 500 mg dose of i.v. RTX. Before RTX peripheral B-cells were low, and were totally depleted immediately after therapy. Follow-up analysis 4 years post ALTZ and 1 year post RTX showed persistent depletion of B cells, and reduction of T regulatory cells in both peripheral blood and thyroid tissue obtained at thyroidectomy.

Conclusion: RTX therapy successfully inactivated TED in a patient with low B-cell count derived from previous ALTZ treatment. B-cell depletion in both thyroid and peripheral blood was still present 1 year after RTX, indicating a likely cumulative effect of both treatments.

Global warming is now universally acknowledged as being responsible for dramatic climate changes with rising sea levels, unprecedented temperatures, resulting fires and threatened widespread species loss. While these effects are extremely damaging, threatening the future of life on our planet, one unexpected and paradoxically beneficial consequence could be a significant contribution to global iodine supply. Climate change and associated global warming are not the primary causes of increased iodine supply, which results from the reaction of ozone (O3) arising from both natural and anthropogenic pollution sources with iodide (I-) present in the oceans and in seaweeds (macro- and microalgae) in coastal waters, producing gaseous iodine (I2). The reaction serves as negative feedback, serving a dual purpose, both diminishing ozone pollution in the lower atmosphere and thereby increasing I2. The potential of this I2 to significantly contribute to human iodine intake is examined in the context of I2 released in a seaweed-abundant coastal area. The bioavailability of the generated I2 offers a long-term possibility of increasing global iodine status and thereby promoting thyroidal health. It is hoped that highlighting possible changes in iodine bioavailability might encourage the health community to address this issue.

objective：The management of thyroid eye disease (TED) has undergone significant changes for decades. The study sought to investigate current clinical practice on the management of TED in China.

Methods: An online questionnaire survey was conducted from April to May 2023. The questionnaire involved diagnostic criteria for TED, multidisciplinary treatment (MDT) collaboration, and treatment preference for mild, moderate, and severe TED.

Results: A total of 289 questionnaires were collected, with 165 from endocrinologists and 124 from ophthalmologists. Only 36.68% participants claimed there was MDT clinical pattern for TED in their institutions. The coverage of biologic agents was around 10% or lower. These were distinctly lower than western countries. 62.63% participants believed the incidence of TED has increased in recent years. Imaging techniques were used widely to assist in the diagnosis of TED. However, there was still controversy regarding the definition of proptosis in Chinese population. Most doctors managed risk factors and provided orbital supportive treatments of artificial tears and glasses. For mild active TED, endocrinologists (39.39%) inclined to recommend therapy for hyperthyroidism alone and ophthalmologists (43.55%) preferred orbital corticosteroid injections. Currently, the most widely used treatment for moderate to severe active TED was high-dose intravenous corticosteroid (94.81%), while orbital radiotherapy combined with immunosuppressive agents was the most recognized second-line therapy (43.60%).

Conclusion: The study documented the consistency and differences between current clinical practices on the management of TED in China and the recently updated guidelines. There was a remarkable difference between ophthalmology and endocrinology departments, warranting management optimization.

Background: Fatigue is a frequent adverse event during systemic treatments for advanced thyroid cancer, often leading to reduction, interruption or discontinuation. We were the first group to demonstrate a correlation between fatigue and primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI).

Aim: To assess the entire adrenal function in patients on systemic treatments.

Methods: ACTH, cortisol and all the hormones produced by the adrenal gland were evaluated monthly in 36 patients (25 on lenvatinib, 6 on vandetanib, and 5 on selpercatinib). ACTH stimulation test was performed in 26 cases.

Results: After a median treatment period of 7 months, we observed an increase in ACTH values in 80-100% of patients, and an impaired cortisol response to ACTH test in 19% of cases. Additionally, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, ∆-4-Androstenedione and 17-OH progesterone levels were below the median of normal values (n.v.) in the majority of patients regardless of the drug used. Testosterone in females and oestradiol in males were below the median of n.v. in the majority of patients on lenvatinib and vandetanib. Finally, aldosterone was below the median of the n.v. in most cases, while renin levels were normal. Metanephrines and normetanephrines were always within the normal range. Replacement therapy with cortisone acetate improved fatigue in 14/17 (82%) patients with PAI.

Conclusions: Our data confirm that systemic treatments for advanced thyroid cancer can lead to an impaired cortisol secretion. A reduction in the other hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex has been firstly reported and should be considered in the more appropriate management of these fragile patients.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common condition with a global estimated prevalence of 60 million cases, and the most common cardiac complication of hyperthyroidism, occurring in 5-15% of overtly hyperthyroid patients. Additionally, subclinical hyperthyroidism and high-normal free T4 have been associated with an increased risk in the development of AF. Hyperthyroidism-related AF is a reversible cause of AF, and the majority of patients spontaneously revert to sinus rhythm in 4-6 months during or after restoration of euthyroidism. Therefore, restoring thyroid function is an indispensable element in hyperthyroidism-related AF management. Rate control with beta-blockers consists another first-line therapy, reserving rhythm control in cases of persistent hyperthyroidism-related AF. It is still controversial whether hyperthyroidism is an independent risk factor of stroke in nonvalvular AF. As a result, initiating anticoagulation should be guided by the clinical thromboembolic risk score CHA2DS2-VASc score in the same way it is applied in patients with non-hyperthyroidism-related AF. Treatment with the novel direct oral anticoagulants appears to be as beneficial and may be safer than warfarin in patients with hyperthyroidism-related AF. In this review, we address the epidemiology, prognosis, and diagnosis of hyperthyroidism-related AF, and we discuss the management strategies and controversies in patients with hyperthyroidism-related AF.

MacroTSH still interferes with TSH assays. We present here a case report illustrating the difficulties that can arise in such conditions, and attempt to discuss the steps involved in diagnosis.

Introduction

Two-thirds of metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients have radioiodine (RAI)-resistant disease, resulting in poor prognosis and high mortality. For rare NTRK and RET fusion-positive metastatic, RAI-resistant thyroid cancers, variable success of re-induction of RAI-avidity during treatment with NTRK or RET inhibitors has been reported.

Case Presentation and Discussion:

We report two cases with RAI-resistant lung metastases treated with larotrectinib: 83-year-old male presenting with an ETV6::NTRK3 fusion-positive tumor with the TERT promoter mutation c.-124C>T, and a 31-year-old female presenting with a TPR::NTRK1 fusion-positive tumor (and negative for TERT promoter mutation). Post-larotrectinib treatment, diagnostic I-123 whole body scan revealed unsuccessful RAI-uptake re-induction in the TERT-positive tumor, with a Thyroid Differentiation Score (TDS) of -0.287. In contrast, the TERT-negative tumor exhibited successful I-131 reuptake with a TDS of -0.060.

Conclusion:

As observed for RAI-resistance associated with concurrent TERT and BRAF mutations, the co-occurrence of TERT mutations and NTRK fusions may also contribute to re-sensitization failure.

Objective:

Maternal thyroid autoimmunity and thyroid function in early pregnancy may impact fetal neurodevelopment. We aimed to investigate how thyroid autoimmunity and thyroid function in early pregnancy were associated with language acquisition in offspring at 12-36 months of age.

Methods:

This study was embedded in the prospective Odense Child Cohort. Mother-child dyads were excluded in case of maternal intake of thyroid medication during pregnancy. The parents completed MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MB-CDI) every third month to assess their offspring’s productive vocabulary. All completed reports for each child were included in the analyses. Logistic growth curve models evaluated associations between MB-CDI scores and levels of maternal thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyrotropin, respectively, measured in early pregnancy (median gestational week 12). All models were stratified by offspring sex and adjusted for maternal age, education, pre-pregnancy body mass index, parity, breastfeeding, and offspring age.

Results:

The study included 735 mother-child dyads. Children born to mothers with TPOAb ≥11 kIU/L, opposed to TPOAb <11 kIU/L, had a lower probability of producing words at age 18-36 months for girls (OR=0.78, p<0.001) and 33-36 months for boys (OR=0.83, p<0.001). The probability of producing words was higher in girls at 30-36 months of age with low-normal maternal FT4 vs. high-normal FT4 (OR=0.60, p<0.001), and a similar trend was seen in boys. Results were ambiguous for thyrotropin.

Conclusion:

In women without known thyroid disease, TPOAb-positivity in early pregnancy was negatively associated with productive vocabulary acquisition in girls and boys. This association was not mediated by a decreased thyroid function, as low-normal maternal FT4, unexpectedly, indicated better vocabulary acquisition. Our results support that maternal thyroid autoimmunity per se may affect fetal neurodevelopment.

Thyroid hormones play an important role during the development and functioning of the different sensory systems. In order to exert their actions, thyroid hormones need to access their target cells through transmembrane transporter proteins, among which the monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) stands out for its pathophysiological relevance. Mutations in the gene encoding for MCT8 lead to the Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome (AHDS), a rare disease characterised by severe neuromotor and cognitive impairments. The impact of MCT8 deficiency in the neurosensory capacity of AHDS patients is less clear, with only a few patients displaying visual and auditory impairments. In this review we aim to gather data from different animal models regarding thyroid hormone transport and action in the different neurosensory systems that could aid to identify potential neurosensorial alterations in MCT8-deficient patients.

Context: Ultrasound-based risk stratification systems (Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (TIRADSs)) of thyroid nodules (TNs) have been implemented in clinical practice worldwide based on their high performance. However, it remains unexplored whether different TIRADSs perform uniformly across a range of TNs in routine practice. This issue is highly relevant today, given the ongoing international effort to establish a unified TIRADS (i.e. I-TIRADS), supported by the leading societies specializing in TNs. The study aimed to conduct a direct comparison among ACR-, EU-, and K-TIRADS in the distribution of TNs: (1) across the TIRADS categories, and (2) based on their estimated cancer risk.

Methods: A search was conducted on PubMed and Embase until June 2023. Original studies that sequentially assessed TNs using TIRADSs, regardless of FNAC indication, were selected. General study characteristics and data on the distribution of TNs across TIRADSs were extracted.

Results: Seven studies, reporting a total of 41,332 TNs, were included in the analysis. The prevalence of ACR-TIRADS 1-2 was significantly higher than that of EU-TIRADS 2 and K-TIRADS 2, with no significant difference observed among intermediate- and high-risk categories of TIRADSs. According to malignancy risk estimation, K-TIRADS often classified TNs as having more severe risk, ACR-TIRADS as having moderate risk, and EU-TIRADS classified TNs as having lower risk.

Conclusion: ACR-, EU-, and K-TIRADS assess TNs similarly across their categories, with slight differences in low-risk classifications. Despite this, focusing on cancer risk estimation, the three TIRADSs assess TNs differently. These findings should be considered as a prerequisite for developing the I-TIRADS.