OBJECTIVE: To evaluate serum C-peptide in 88 patients from a multiethnic population with Type-1 diabetes and variable disease durations. METHOD: Eighty-eight patients with a mean disease duration of 8.1 +7.6 years were included and underwent C-peptide measurement before and after glucagon stimulation. Chi-squared and Mann Whitney U-tests were used to compare the variables between groups (all two-tailed, a = 0.05). Spearmans correlation coefficient was used to test the association between the continuous variables. Logistic regression was used for the multivariate analysis. Twenty-eight (31.8%) individuals had significantly detectable C-peptide levels after stimuli, particularly those with a shorter disease duration (p<0.001). RESULTS: Patients with detectable C-peptide levels required lower insulin doses (p<0.009) and had similar HbA1C results (p = 0.182) and fewer chronic complications (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: C-peptide detection was common in Type-1 diabetics, particularly shortly after being diagnosed. This result may have clinical implications.

Ainda não está definida a estratégia ideal para rastrear a doença de Addison em pacientes com diabetes melito tipo 1 (DMT1). OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a prevalência do anticorpo anti-21-hidroxilase (AC anti-21OH) em pacientes DMT1 de etnia diversificada e investigar sua associação à disfunção adrenal e autoimunidade tireoidiana. MÉTODOS: Quarenta indivíduos foram avaliados, submetidos à entrevista e à dosagem de AC antitireoperoxidase (anti-TPO), anti-21OH, TSH, T4 livre e cortisol. AC anti-21OH foi encontrado em 7,5% (n = 3) dos casos, sem disfunção adrenal associada. RESULTADOS: Positividade para anti-21OH não ocorreu exclusivamente em pacientes com anti-TPO (+). Este foi detectado em 25% dos casos e associado a níveis de TSH mais elevados (p = 0,034) e à idade mais avançada (p = 0,009). CONCLUSÕES: Embora nossa frequência de anti-TPO (+) seja similar à da literatura, a presença de anti-21OH (+) foi superior. Entretanto, esses AC não foram associados à disfunção hormonal, o que parece não justificar o rastreamento universal da doença de Addison.

There is still no consensus about the best strategy to screen Addison's disease (AD) in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of anti-21-hydroxilase (anti-21OH) in a multiethnic T1DM population and investigate if its presence is associated with any adrenal dysfunction or thyroid autoimmunity. METHODS: Forty individuals underwent an interview and blood was drawn for anti-thyroperoxidase (anti-TPO), anti-21OH, TSH, free T4 and cortisol measurement. RESULTS: Anti-21OH was found in 7.5% (n = 3), none with adrenal dysfunction. This antibody was not exclusively seen in patients with anti-TPO (+). Anti-TPO was positive in 25% and associated with higher TSH levels (p = 0.034) and older age (p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Although the frequency of anti-TPO in this sample was similar to previous studies, a higher prevalence of anti-21-OH was found. However, no coexisting adrenal dysfunction was detected, which does not support universal screening for AD in this group.

A principal causa cirúrgica de persistência da doença após paratireoidectomia no hiperparatireoidismo secundário à insuficiência renal crônica (HPT2) é a existência de paratireóides supranumerárias e/ou ectópicas. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o número, prevalência de ectopia e localizações mais comuns das paratireóides nestes pacientes. MÉTODOS: Acompanhamos prospectivamente pacientes com HPT2, submetidos à paratireoidectomia no HUCFF, entre dezembro/2001 e julho/2005. Todos foram operados pelo mesmo cirurgião, que descreveu detalhadamente a localização das paratireóides encontradas. RESULTADOS: Foram avaliados 35 pacientes: em cinco (14,3%) foi encontrada uma quinta glândula, supranumerária; dezesseis (45,7%) possuíam glândulas ectópicas; as localizações mais comuns foram parênquima intratireoidiano (33,3%), trajeto conduto tireotímico (18,5%) e timo (14,8%). As principais glândulas ausentes na presença de ectopia foram as inferiores esquerdas (29,6%) e direitas (25,9%). A sensibilidade da ultra-sonografia e da cintigrafia com sestamibi na detecção dos nódulos foi baixa (48,3% e 35,3%, respectivamente). Além disso, 51,4% das ultra-sonografias mostraram incidentalomas tireoidianos. CONCLUSÃO: A presença de paratireóides supranumerárias e ectópicas no HPT2 é suficientemente relevante para justificar sua procura exaustiva. Como os exames de imagem pré-operatórios contribuem muito pouco para localizá-los, é necessário que se desenvolva uma rotina de exploração abrangendo as localizações mais comuns.

Supranumerary or ectopic parathyroid glands are the main cause of persistent hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) submitted to parathyroidectomy (PTx). PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence and location of parathyroid glands in these patients. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with ESRD and severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT2) had been submitted to total PTx at HUCFF from December 2001 to July 2005. Surgery was always performed by the same surgeon, who described in details the location of the glands. RESULTS: Sixteen patients (45.7%) had ectopic glands, which were also extranumerary in five of them (14.3%). The most common locations were the thyroid parenchyma (33.3%), thyroid-thymus conduit (18.5%), and thymus (14.8%). Before PTx, the sensibility of ultrasonography and scintigraphy with technetium-99m Sestamibi was low (48.3% and 35.3%, respectively). Moreover, 51.4% of the nodules found at US were thyroid nodules. However, 99mTc-Sestamibi was useful to identify ectopic glands in those two patients with persistent HPT after PTx. CONCLUSION: The presence of extranumerary and ectopic parathyroid glands in HPT2 is sufficiently important to justify their exhaustive search. As the preoperative image exams present low sensibility to locate them, it is necessary to develop an exploratory routine embracing the most common sites of location.