TS patients show high frequency of hypertension in pediatric age. Estrogen therapy is an outbreaking and worsening factor. An estrogen independent role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in the pathogenesis of TS hypertension is still uncertain.

The epidemiology of non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) is still incomplete. To define the prevalence of antibodies against the main causative agent of NANBH, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the role of some risk factors, we tested sera from 269 patients on chronic dialysis at the hemodialysis units in our region in central Italy. We utilized the recently developed serological assay. Twenty-nine hemodialysis patients (13.3%) and 3 peritoneal dialysis patients (4.8%) were anti-HCV positive. Of these, 13 (40.6%) had antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) indicating prior hepatitis B infection. The anti-HCV seropositive patients had been on dialysis longer than the seronegative ones; they had received more transfusions than the others but without a significant difference. The prevalence rate of anti-HCV was statistically significantly higher among hemodialysis patients utilizing the same dialysis equipment for the previous 12 months.

Several parameters of thyroid function were studied in 112 non-ketoacidotic youngsters with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Levels of thyroxine (T₄), reverse triiodothyronine (rT₃), thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) and T₃ were lower than in controls, whereas FT₄, and FT₃ were normal. T₄ levels in IDDM patients were positively related to T₃, rT₃ and TBG, and inversely related to haemoglobin Ai (HbA₁. However, only 4 patients showed biochemical hypothyroidism (T₄ < 5 µg/100 ml), whereas their FT₄, FT₃ and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were normal. Concurrent variations of T3 and rT₃ levels were found in IDDM patients; thus, their T₃/rT₃ ratios were stable or higher than in controls, indicating that peripheral deiodination of T₄ is preferentially oriented to production of rT₃ only during ketoacidosis. Although changes in thyroid function may reflect the degree of metabolic control of diabetes in a large population, the clinical usefulness of serum thyroid hormone measurements in an individual case still appears to be limited.

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tinctive marks of androgen insensivity and gonadal dysaenesis.Clinica1 features of both conditions were found in thepre-W e studied BP patterns and the Renin-Angiotensin-Al dosterone axis (RAA) of 9 7 IDDM children (3-15 yrs old) in relation to the auxological data,the metabolic control and duration of diabetes (1-13 yrs).We analysed a total of 712 BP measurements. RESULTS. Mean systolicBP levels for age groups were at the 50th percentile of the general population,while the mean diastolic B P w e r e at the 75th in both sexes.Systolic and diastolic BP levels were directly and significantly related to age, weight,height,Quetelet index,duration of disease and HbA1. Plasma Renin Activity (PRA) levels,all withinnof

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Hungary . E ff e c t s o f a nd r o ge n overproduct ion on s ki n tar g e t o rg an s in chi ld re n w i th c ong e n it al a d ren al h y p e rp la sia . T wo f e mal e si b s aged 2 , r e sp . 3 y ear s we re studi ed wi t h c linica l ly a nd b i o ch em i c a ll y p rov e n congeni t a l adrena l hyp e rp l asia (CAH) du e to a 2 1-hy d ro xy l a se def i cie nc y . Bo th o f t he m showed clit o r is h y p e r t rop hy and ab unda ntgrow th o f pu bi c ha ir.Axilla r y sw eat was sampled over a per i od of 24 hour s from thes e children and from normal p r epUbertal c ontrols. Anal ys is showed t hat prepubertal c h i l d r e n e x c r eted n o d ete c table amo unt s of steroi ds , co n t r a s t i n g with t he t wo CAH p ati e nt s . I n axi llary swa et from the la t te r, s i gn ificant le vels of s t e r oi d sul p ha te s were fo und. Th e s te roid moi e t i es o f th e se s ulp h a te d were ma inl y dehy d roepiand r o s t e r one , a n d ro st er one , te st ostero ne an d

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