Fine-needle aspiration biopsy represents the most reliable test for cytologic evaluation of thyroid nodules. However, inadequate samples may occur leading to a repetition of the procedure with the consequence of patients' discomfort and poor compliance. In this paper, we present results from biopsy of thyroid nodules obtained by combining: (1) ultrasound (US) guidance, (2) no-aspiration technique, and (3) on-site review of specimens. A total of 465 nodules were biopsied in 307 patients. Solitary nodules and multinodular goiter were present in 36.8% and 63.1% of patients, respectively. After collection, each sample was smeared in duplicates, one of which was stained with hematoxylin and checked on-site by a cytopathologist. In cases of inadequate smears, biopsies were immediately repeated. All slides were then processed for final cytologic results, which were reported as benign in 427 nodules (91.8%), malignant in 12 nodules (2.5%), with follicular proliferation or suspicious for malignancy in 23 nodules (4.9%). Inadequate final cytology was reported in 3 nodules (0.6%). No statistically significant relationship was found between nodule size and adequacy of specimens. We conclude that the combination of US guidance, capillary collection with no-aspiration technique, and on-site review of slides, characterizes an advantageous method for thyroid nodule fine-needle biopsy.

This study was performed in order to establish the secretory patterns and the possible relationships between the adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)/cortisol and arginine vasopressin (AVP) responses in normal men to the systemic administration of ghrelin, an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. For this purpose, a bolus of 1 µg/kg ghrelin was injected intravenously in 9 normal men. AVP, ACTH and cortisol significantly rose in response to ghrelin injection; however, in all subjects the AVP rise preceded the ACTH/cortisol responses. In fact, the mean peak levels of AVP, ACTH and cortisol after ghrelin injection were observed at 15, 30 and 45 min, respectively. When peak AVP responses to ghrelin were considered together with ACTH and cortisol peak levels, highly significant positive correlations were observed (AVP and ACTH, r = 0.94, p < 0.001; AVP and cortisol, r = 0.92, p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study shows that the AVP response to ghrelin precedes the concomitant ACTH/cortisol rise and that these hormonal responses are highly positively correlated. These observations support the hypothesis that AVP mediates ghrelin-induced ACTH secretion in normal men.

This study demonstrated that ER-beta, but not ER-alpha, IR is present in the endothelium of thyroid vessels. Furthermore, although data need to be confirmed in larger observations, these results suggest the lack of differences in the pattern of vascular ER-beta IR between MNG and PTC.

Estrogen administration for 1 year did not affect thyroid volume or the number and volume of thyroid nodules in postmenopausal women.

Introduction: It has been previously recognised that central obesity, as expressed anthropometrically by an increased waist circumference, may contribute to the development of arterial hypertension (HT), in close association with an insulin-resistant state. Endothelin (ET) system activation and an early proinflammatory state have also been suggested to be involved in the association among HT, central adiposity and an increased cardiovascular risk. AIM of this work was to investigate, in subjects with light-to-moderate HT, on the relationship of central obesity to blood pressure (BP) variability and some markers of endothelial activation and/or dysfunction and of systemic inflammation. Methods: Twenty-two male, non-smoker, light-to-moderate HT patients with waist circumference greater than 102 cm (W+) underwent the following measurement: 24 hours pressure BP monitoring (ABPM), body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose and insulin with derived HOMA index, lipids, uric acid, C-reactive protein (CRP), V-CAM-1, I-CAM-1, p-selectin, endothelin-1 (ET-1) and microalbuminuria. Data were compared to those of other 22 male patients comparable for age and clinic BP, but with waist circumference less than 102 cm (W-). Results: In W+ group, BMI (p BP was essentially the same along the 24H as well as at both day-and night-time, but in W+ group the variability of 24H systolic BP, as expressed by the standard deviation from its mean value, was significantly higher than in W-(19.6 ± 4.7 mmHg vs 15.0 ± 2.4, panalysis, waist circumference showed positive relationships to: variability of 24H systolic BP (p systolic BP (p<0.005). Conclusion:The present data show that, in light-to-moderate HT subjects with no evidence of systemic inflammation, a cluster of abnormalities, including higher systolic BP variability, insulin resistance and activation of ET system, is related to the degree of central adiposity. This indicates that even in such patients, without overt obesity or diabetes, central adiposity implicates early alterations potentially leading to an increased cardiovascular risk.