NMR-based metabonomic analysis is a well-established approach to characterizing healthy and diseased states. The aim of this study was to investigate inter-individual variability in the metabolic urinary profile of a healthy Greek population, not subjected to strict dietary limitations, by NMR-based metabonomics. The overall metabonomic urinalysis showed a homogeneous distribution among the population. The metabolic profile was examined in relation to gender and age, and reference intervals of major metabolites were determined. Multivariate data analysis led to the construction of two robust models that were able to predict the class membership of the subjects studied according to their gender and age. The most influential low molecular weight metabolites responsible for the differences in gender groups were citrate, creatinine, trimethylamine N-oxide, glycine, creatine and taurine, and for the differences in age groups they were citrate, creatinine, trimethylamine N-oxide and an unidentified metabolite (d 3.78).

The current iodine status and the impact of silent iodine prophylaxis on the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis among schoolchildren in a formerly iodine-deficient community in northwestern Greece, were investigated. The findings were compared to those obtained from a similar survey conducted 7 years previously in the same area. A total of 302 schoolchildren (12-18 years of age) from a mountainous area of northwestern Greece were examined for the presence of goiter, and blood and urine samples were collected for assessment of thyroid function, antithyroid antibodies and urinary iodine excretion. In those children (n = 42) with palpable goiter or positive antibodies and/or a thyrotropin (TSH) level greater than 5 mU/L, thyroid ultrasonography was performed to estimate thyroid gland size and morphology. Median urinary iodine concentration in the children was 20.21 microg/dL, indicating sufficient iodine intake. Thyroid function was normal in all but 7 children, who had subclinical hypothyroidism (2.5%). Antithyroid antibodies (antithyroid peroxidase [TPO] and/or antithyroglobulin [Tg]) were positive in 32 children, including those with subclinical hypothyroidism (10.6%). Twenty-nine of these children (9.6%) also had the characteristic echo pattern of thyroiditis on ultrasound and were diagnosed to have autoimmune thyroiditis. In comparison to data from our previous survey 7 years ago, there has been a threefold increase in the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis among schoolchildren. In conclusion, silent iodine prophylaxis has resulted in the elimination of iodine deficiency in Greece, and this has been accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis.

Summary A number of growth factors are involved in clonal haematopoietic expansion and their clinical significance in patients with chronic myeloproliferative diseases requires further evaluation. Using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays, we analysed serum levels of interleukin (IL)‐1a, IL‐1b, IL‐2, IL‐6, the soluble IL‐2 receptor alpha (sIL‐2Ra), and thrombopoietin (TPO), in 25 individuals with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM), 40 with essential thrombocythaemia (ET), eight with polycythaemia vera (PV), 10 patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and 27 normal controls. These were correlated with clinicopathological characteristics including overall survival, and histopathological bone marrow features, including angiogenesis. The serum derived from patients with MMM, ET, PV and CML contained significantly higher IL‐2 and sIL‐2Ra than healthy subjects, while IL‐6 levels were higher only in MMM and CML than controls. IL‐2, sIL‐2Ra and IL‐6 levels were raised during the transformation phase of CML, during progression of MMM to AML, and ET and PV to myelofibrosis (P < 0·001). There was a positive correlation between IL‐2, sIL‐2Ra, IL‐6 and angiogenesis in bone marrow samples. Cytokines may be useful markers for predicting clinical evolution, reflecting increased angiogenesis. This requires further evaluation to guide diagnostic and therapeutic options.

Background and Purpose-Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) represents a constellation of lipid and nonlipid risk factors for cardiovascular disease and is a recognized target for increased behavioral therapy. Objective-The association between acute ischemic/nonembolic stroke and the MetSyn in elderly individuals was assessed in a population-based case-control study in the prefecture of Ioannina, Greece. Study Population-A total of 163 patients aged older than 70 years admitted with first-ever-in-a-lifetime acute ischemic/nonembolic stroke and 166 controls were included. Results-The