A. Halevy, A. Stepanasky, Z. Halpern, I. Wasserman, Z. Chen-Levy, S. Pytlovich, O. Marcus, A. Mor, P. Hagag, T. Horne, S. Polypodi and J. Sandbank
Background: Among the various new technologies in the field of parathyroid surgery are intraoperative quick parathormone measurements.
Objectives: To evaluate the contribution of QPTH measurements during parathyroidectomy to the achievement of higher success rates.
Methods: QPTH assay using Immulite Turbo Intact PTH was measured in 32 patients undergoing parathyroidectomy: 30 for primary and 2 for secondary hyperparathyroidism. QPTH levels were measured at time 0 minutes (before incision) and at 10, 20, and 30 minutes after excision of the hyperfunctioning gland. Only a drop of 60% or more from the 0’ level was considered to be a positive result.
Results: The mean QPTH level at time 0’ for PHPT patients was 38.12 ± 25.15 pmol/L (range 9.1–118 pmol/L). At 10 minutes post-excision of the hyperfunctioning gland (or glands), QPTH dropped by a mean of 73.80% to 9.89 ± 18.78 pmol/L.
Conclusions: Intraoperative QPTH level measurement is helpful in parathyroid surgery. A drop of 60% or more from 0’ level indicates a successful procedure, and further exploration should be avoided.
J. Shachor, C. Ziv, S. Varsano, T. Erlich, E. Goldman, Y. Dror, I. Yahovy and R. Navon
Background: It has been argued that arginine replacement in locus16 (Arg16) of ß2 adrenergic receptor with glycin (Gly16) increases asthma severity, while glutamin replacement in locus 27 (Gln27) with glutamic acid (Glu27) decreases it. In addition, ethnic dependency of these polymorphisms has been described, but few studies investigated its relation to asthma severity in a non-anglosaxic population.
Objectives: To investigate non-anglosaxic ethnic influences on ß2AR polymorphisms and its correlations to asthma severity.
Methods: Sixty-six Israeli Jewish and Arab asthmatics who had near-fatal asthma and/or severe nocturnal asthma and/or steroid-dependency were investigated for genetic polymorphisms of ß2AR and compared to matched controls. The Jewish patients included both Ashkenazi (of East European origin) and non-Ashkenazi (originating from the Middle East or North Africa). The results were compared with those of ethnically matched 113 non-asthmatic Israelis, and of non-asthmatic Anglo-Saxons described in the literature.
Results: We found no significant genetic differences between the asthmatics and their controls or between the various ethnic groups of our population. However, the prevalence of Glu27 was significantly lower in non-asthmatic Israelis compared to non-asthmatic Anglo-Saxons.
Conclusions: The genetic distribution of ß2AR polymorphisms in severe Israeli asthmatics is not different from that of non-asthmatic Israelis and therefore its clinical impact on asthma is probably minimal.