Celiac disease is a chronic illness of the small bowel caused by gliadin intolerance in genetically predisposed subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate serum levels of IgA and IgG antigliadin antibodies, IgA antiendomysial antibodies, and IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies in 169 patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases, i.e. chronic thyroiditis and Graves´ disease. Antiendomysial antibodies were positive in 2 out of 169 persons (1.18 %), IgA antigliadin antibodies in 15.98 %, IgG antigliadin antibodies in 51.48 %, and IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase in 14.79 %. The prevalence of positivity was higher compared to the 1312 control blood donors described in our previous study (Vančíková et al. 2002) (p<0.05). Patients with chronic thyroiditis treated with a high replacement dosage of levothyroxin (125-200 μg daily) had higher serum levels of IgA antigliadin antibodies in comparison with patients treated with a lower dosage (50-100 μg daily) (medians: 13.00 vs. 19.69, p=0.033). We found a negative correlation of IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies and total calcium serum levels (r = -0.480, p=0.0236, n=22). We can conclude that in persons with autoimmune thyropathy there is a high prevalence of positive antigliadin, anti-tissue transglutaminase and antiendomysial antibodies. Latent celiac disease may lead to impaired resorption of therapeutically administered levothyroxine, calcium, or other substances., J. Jiskra, Z. Límanová, Z. Vaníčková, P. Kocna., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Thyroid nodules are a very frequent pathology among common population. Despite the vast majority of them are of benign origin, the incidence of thyroid cancer is currently rather rising. Although there are several risk factors of thyroid cancer and several clinical, ultrasound, biochemical and molecular diagnostic markers, the exact mechanisms of thyroid oncogenesis and the linkage between thyroid nodule ultrasound appearance and its biological character remain unclear. While ionizing radiation is the only one well-known risk factor for thyroid cancer, the significance of some others remains unclear. The aim of our review was to discuss some not completely known pathophysiological mechanisms involved in thyroid oncogenesis as hypothyroidism, mutations of genes regulating cell proliferation, thyroid autoimmunity and pregnancy and to describe pathophysiological background of some ultrasound markers of thyroid cancer (size, echogenicity, vascularization, calcifications and stiffness). Better knowledge in this field is crucial for development of novel diagnostic techniques and therapeutic approaches. For exampl e, the analysis of BRAF, RAS and other mutations in cytological samples may help to distinction between follicular thyroid carcinoma and follicular thyroid adenoma and may signific antly decrease the number of unnecessary surgery among patients with thyroid nodules. Alternatively, the different malign cells growth, angiogenesis, destructions of thyroid follicles, reparative changes, growth retardation, fibrosis and increased interstitial fluid pressure implicate the typical ultrasound appearance of papillary thyroid cancer (hypoechogenicity, irregular vascularization, microcalcifications, stiffness) which is essential to catch the suspicious nodules on the basis of their ultrasound appearance among large amount of benign nodules., J. Krátký, H. Vítková, J. Bartáková, Z. Telička, M. Antošová, Z. Límanová, J. Jiskra., and Obsahuje bibliografii