No abstract

No abstract

Objective: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a pro-inflammatory and angiogenic lipid mediator involved in several types of cancer in humans. The levels of PAF, lyso-PAF (the PAF precursor), phospholipase A 2 activity (PLA 2 , the enzymatic activity implicated in lyso-PAF formation) and acetylhydrolase activity (AHA, the PAF-degrading enzyme) were investigated in various diseased thyroid tissues. Subjects: Control and diseased tissue of patients with a hyperplastic goitre (n ¼ 14), a benign adenoma (n ¼ 12) and a papillary thyroid carcinoma (n ¼ 15) were investigated. Results: PAF receptor transcripts were found in the human thyroid tissue. PAF, lyso-PAF, PLA 2 and AHA were present in control thyroid tissues, their levels being significantly correlated with each other, suggesting tiny regulations of the PAF metabolic pathways inside the thyroid gland. PAF, lyso-PAF, PLA 2 and AHA levels remained unchanged in diseased tissues of patients with a hyperplastic goitre, a benign adenoma and a papillary thyroid carcinoma. No difference was found between PAF, lyso-PAF, PLA 2 and AHA levels with respect to the TNM tumour status and the histological subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma. No correlation was found between tissue PAF levels and those of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor, two angiogenic growth factors involved in thyroid cancer and that mediate their effect through PAF release in breast and colorectal cancer. Conclusion: PAF, PAF receptor transcripts and the enzymatic activities implicated in PAF production and degradation are present in the thyroid gland. While the physiological role of PAF is presently unknown in thyroid physiology, this study highlights no evidence for a potentially important role of PAF during human thyroid cancer, a result that markedly differs from breast and colorectal ones.European Journal of Endocrinology 153 31-40

The 24-hour urine collection method is considered the gold standard for the estimation of ingested potassium and sodium. Because of the impracticalities of collecting all urine over a 24-hour period, spot urine is often used for epidemiological investigations. This study aims to assess the agreement between spot urine and 24-hour urine measurements to determine sodium and potassium intake. A total of 402 participants aged 25 to 64 years were randomly selected in South Benin. Spot urine was taken during the second urination of the day. Twenty-four-hour urine was also collected. Samples (2-mL) were taken and then stored at -20°C. The analysis was carried out using potentiometric dosage. The agreement between spot urine and 24-hour urine measurements was established using Bland-Altman plots. A total of 354 results were analyzed. Daily sodium chloride and potassium chloride urinary excretion means were 10