Since the release of The Cancer Genome Atlas study of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in 2014, additional genomic studies of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) using massively-parallel sequencing (MPS) have been published. Recent advances in MPS technology have started to provide important insights into the molecular pathogenesis of DTC. In the genomic landscape, the most recurrently altered genes in DTC, which has a low mutational burden relative to other cancers, are
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The development of next generation sequencing (NGS) has led to marked advancement of our understanding of genetic events mediating the initiation and progression of thyroid cancers. The NGS studies have confirmed the previously reported high frequency of mutually-exclusive oncogenic alterations affecting
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The identification of disease-causing genetic variations is an important goal in the field of genetics. Advancements in genetic technology have changed scientific knowledge and made it possible to determine the basic mechanism and pathogenesis of human disorders rapidly. Many endocrine disorders are caused by genetic variations of a single gene or by mixed genetic factors. Various genetic testing methods are currently available, enabling a more precise diagnosis of many endocrine disorders and facilitating the development of a concrete therapeutic plan. In this review article, we discuss genetic testing technologies for genetic endocrine disorders, with relevant examples. We additionally describe our research on implementing genetic analysis strategies to identify novel causal mutations in hypocalcemia-related disorders.
Whether or not Graves' hyperthyroidism can be really cured, depends on the definition of “cure.” If eradication of thyroid hormone excess suffices for the label “cure,” then all patients can be cured because total thyroidectomy or high doses of 131I will abolish hyperthyroidism albeit at the expense of creating another disease (hypothyroidism) requiring lifelong medication with levothyroxine. I would not call this a “cure,” which I would like to define as a state with stable thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine, and triiodothyronine serum concentrations in the normal range in the absence of any thyroid medication. Surgery and radioiodine are unlikely to result in so-defined cures, as their preferable aim as stated in guidelines is to cause permanent hypothyroidism. Discontinuation of antithyroid drugs is followed by 50% recurrences within 4 years; before starting therapy the risk of recurrences can be estimated with the Graves' Recurrent Events After Therapy (GREAT) score. At 20-year follow-up about 62% had developed recurrent hyperthyroidism, 8% had subclinical hypothyroidism, and 3% overt hypothyroidism related to TSH receptor blocking antibodies and thyroid peroxidase antibodies. Only 27% was in remission, and might be considered cured. If the definition of “cure” would also include the disappearance of thyroid antibodies in serum, the proportion of cured patients would become even lower.
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The signaling network of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) and mitohormesis is a retrograde signaling pathway through which mitochondria-to-nucleus communication occurs in organisms. Recently, it has been shown that the UPRmt is closely associated with metabolic disorders and conditions involving insulin resistance, such as alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver and fibrotic liver disease. Scientific efforts to understand the UPRmt and mitohormesis, as well as to establish the mitochondrial proteome, have established the importance of mitochondrial quality control in the development and progression of metabolic liver diseases, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In this review, we integrate and discuss the recent data from the literature on the UPRmt and mitohormesis in metabolic liver diseases, including NAFLD/NASH and fibrosis.
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Gerald Reaven was often called the “father of insulin resistance.” On the 1-year anniversary of his death in 2018, we challenge three myths associated with insulin resistance: metformin improves insulin resistance; measurement of waist circumference predicts insulin resistance better than body mass index; and insulin resistance causes weight gain. In this review, we highlight Reaven's relevant research that helped to dispel these myths associated with insulin resistance.
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The Korean Endocrine Society (KES) published clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of acromegaly in 2011. Since then, the number of acromegaly cases, publications on studies addressing medical treatment of acromegaly, and demands for improvements in insurance coverage have been dramatically increasing. In 2017, the KES Committee of Health Insurance decided to publish a position statement regarding the use of somatostatin analogues in acromegaly. Accordingly, consensus opinions for the position statement were collected after intensive review of the relevant literature and discussions among experts affiliated with the KES, and the Korean Neuroendocrine Study Group. This position statement includes the characteristics, indications, dose, interval (including extended dose interval in case of lanreotide autogel), switching and preoperative use of somatostatin analogues in medical treatment of acromegaly. The recommended approach is based on the expert opinions in case of insufficient clinical evidence, and where discrepancies among the expert opinions were found, the experts voted to determine the recommended approach.
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Postoperative routine radioiodine (RAI) treatment is currently debated for patients with low-risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients. If performed, a low 131I activity (i.e., 1 to 2 GBq) is recommended with the aim to ablate thyroid remnant and facilitate subsequent follow-up by thyroglobulin measurement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between postsurgical technetium-99m (99mTc)-pertechnetate scintigraphy and the rate of successful remnant ablation after low activity radioiodine ablation in patients with DTC.
Enrolled were 193 patients with low risk DTC who underwent total thyroidectomy and RAI ablation with a fixed 1.1 GBq activity of 131I. 99mTc-pertechnetate scans were done and thyrotropin stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) levels measured just before ablation. Ablation effectiveness was assessed 6 to 12 months later by sTg measurement, neck ultrasound and diagnostic whole body scan.
A negative 99mTc-perthecnetate scans was the best predictor of successful ablation (
The 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy is a simple and feasible tool to predict effectiveness of low activity 131I thyroid to ablate thyroid remnants in patients with DTC.
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We aimed to retrospectively analyze the efficacy of 10 mg dapagliflozin (DAPA), which is a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes who visited a primary diabetes clinic.
In total, 83 patients with type 2 diabetes, who received treatment with DAPA for the first time in a primary diabetes clinic between January 2015 and October 2015, were included in the study. The effect of DAPA in lowering glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels was evaluated via chart review at 6 months follow-up. The patients were categorized into five groups according to add-on to or switched from other glucose-lowering agents: add-on to metformin (MET,
Treatment with DAPA reduced HbA1c level by 1.2%±0.8%. Moreover, a significant decrease was observed in all subgroups: add-on to MET, −1.2%±0.7%; add-on to MET+DPP4i, −1.4%±0.8%; switched from SU, −1.4%±0.7%; switched from DPP4i, −0.5%±0.7%; and switched from TZD, −1.2%±0.9% (
Treatment with DAPA, whether added to or switched from other glucose-lowering agents, significantly decreased HbA1c levels in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes who visited a single primary diabetes clinic. DAPA can be considered as an optimal second-line treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes, as supported by real-world evidence studies.
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To investigate the effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors on renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes.
MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of DPP-4 inhibitors from inception to September 2017. We selected eligible RCTs comparing DPP-4 inhibitors with placebo or other antidiabetic agents and reporting at least one renal outcome. A meta-analysis was conducted to calculate standardized mean differences, weighted mean differences (WMDs), relative risks (RRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each renal outcome.
We included 23 RCTs with 19 publications involving 41,359 patients. Overall changes in urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio were comparable between DPP-4 inhibitors and controls (
DPP-4 inhibitors had beneficial renal effects mainly by reducing the risk of development or progression of albuminuria compared with placebo or other antidiabetic agents.
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