ABSTRACT Objective: Initial diagnosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is frequently associated with advanced stages and a poor prognosis. Thus, the need for earlier diagnoses and detection in relatives at risk for the disease has led to increased use of RET genetic screening. Subjects and methods: We performed RET screening in 247 subjects who were referred to the Brazilian Research Consortium for Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (BRASMEN) Center in the State of Ceará. Direct genetic sequencing was used to analyze exons 8, 10, 11, and 13-16 in MTC index cases and specific exons in at risk relatives. Afterward, clinical follow-up was offered to all the patients with MTC and their affected relatives. Results: RET screening was performed in 60 MTC index patients and 187 at-risk family members. At the initial clinical assessment of the index patients, 54 (90%) were diagnosed with apparently sporadic disease and 6 (10%) diagnosed with hereditary disease. After RET screening, we found that 31 (52%) index patients had sporadic disease, and 29 (48%) had hereditary disease. Regarding at-risk relatives, 73/187 were mutation carriers. Mutations in RET codon 804 and the rare p.M918V mutation were the most prevalent. Conclusions: Performing RET screening in Ceará allowed us to identify a different mutation profile in this region compared with other areas. RET screening also enabled the diagnosis of a significant number of hereditary MTC patients who were initially classified as sporadic disease patients and benefited their relatives, who were unaware of the risks and the consequences of bearing a RET mutation.

Objective Consuming a low-iodine diet (LID) is a widely accepted practice before administering radioiodine (131I) to evaluate and to treat thyroid disease. Although this procedure is well established for the management of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, its use in patients with benign disease is unclear. So, we aimed to evaluate the influence of a LID on the outcome in patients with Graves’ disease (GD) treated with131I. Subjects and methods We evaluated 67 patients with GD who were divided into 2 groups: one group (n = 31) consumed a LID for 1-2 weeks, and the second group (n = 36) was instructed to maintain a regular diet (RD). Results The LID group experienced a 23% decrease in urinary iodine after 1 week on the diet and a significant 42% decrease after 2 weeks on the diet. The majority (53%) of the patients in the LID group had urinary iodine levels that were consistent with deficient iodine intake. However, there was no difference in the rate of hyperthyroidism’s cure between the LID and the RD groups 6 months after 131I therapy. Furthermore, the therapeutic efficacy did not differ in patients with varying degrees of sufficient iodine intake (corresponding urinary iodine levels: < 10 μg/dL is deficient; 10-29.9 μg/dL is sufficient; and > 30 μg/dL is excessive). Conclusion In the present study, we demonstrated that although a LID decreased urinary iodine levels, those levels corresponding with sufficient or a mild excess in iodine intake did not compromise the therapeutic efficacy of131I for the treatment of GD.

Desenvolvemos método semi-automatizado em placa para a determinação de iodo urinário; utilizamos, primeiramente, a digestão das amostras de urina com persulfato de amônio e, a seguir, estimamos a quantidade de iodo pela redução do sulfato cérico amoniacal. O método foi validado no inquérito nacional de monitoração da deficiência de iodo, realizado em 1994, que empregou um sistema de amostragem mista da população brasileira e analisou a iodúria em 16.803 amostras de urina de escolares obtidas por coleta casual. Em 401 municípios estudados encontramos 4 com deficiência de iodo de grau moderado (Almas, Arraias e Paraná, em Tocantins, e Cocos, na Bahia) e 116 de grau leve. Desta forma, este estudo mostrou a presença de regiões com deficiência de iodo em 1994, a despeito do programa de iodação do sal. Dados recentes de outros autores, com número menor de municípios, indicam excesso de ingestão de iodo. Assim, num país de dimensões continentais e heterogêneo como o Brasil, é necessária a realização de avaliações periódicas de amplitude nacional para a verificação da ingestão de iodo da população. O método apresentado neste estudo apresenta as características de simplicidade e eficiência necessários para este tipo de estudo populacional.

In this study we developed a semi-automated method for the measurement of urinary iodine using firstly ammonium persulfate for digestion of urine followed by estimation of iodine content in the Sandell-Kolthoff reaction, in which iodine acts as a catalyst for the reduction of cerium. This method was validated in the 3rd Brazilian National Survey of iodine deficiency in 1994. We studied 16,803 casual urine samples from schoolchildren of 401 cities and found 4 moderately-deficient towns (Almas, Arraias, and Parana, in the State of Tocantins, and Cocos, in the State of Bahia), and 116 mildly-deficient. This work suggests that despite the salt iodization program, there was some iodine-deficient areas in Brazil in 1994. Recent surveys, involving less cities, are indicating an excess of iodine ingestion. Therefore, in a country of continental dimensions and very heterogeneous in terms of public health, periodical evaluations are necessary to monitor the real situation of iodine nutrition in Brazil. The method developed in this paper is suitable for these surveys.

Estima-se que perto de 5% dos indivíduos classificados como portadores de diabetes mellitus (DM) tipo 2 e 10% daqueles considerados como tipo 1 (anteriormente classificado como juvenil) sejam, na verdade, portadores de mutações MODY. Nesta forma de DM ocorre uma co-segregação evidente de algumas mutações com a hiperglicemia, fato este reproduzido em inúmeras famílias estudadas em várias populações do mundo. Caracteriza-se por ser uma das poucas causas de DM cujo modo de transmissão da predisposição genética ocorre de uma forma autossômica-dominante, compondo o grupo chamado de DM monogênicos, onde os outros representantes têm uma prevalência bastante rara. As mutações nos genes MODY, mesmo no estado heterozigoto, apresentam um forte impacto no fenótipo (alta penetrância), sendo que 95% dos indivíduos nascidos com alguma mutação MODY serão diabéticos ou apresentarão alterações no âmbito do metabolismo glicídico antes dos 55 anos de idade. Este trabalho objetiva a discussão desta forma de DM, enfatizando suas características clínicas e genéticas mais relevantes. A pesquisa sistemática de mutações MODY começa a ser feita de forma rotineira em vários países, havendo uma tendência de se colocar este recurso diagnóstico como um exame na prática da diabetologia.

It is estimated that close to 5% of the individuals classified as having type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and about 10% of those considered type 1 DM (previously categorized as juvenile type) are actual carriers of a MODY mutation. In this form of DM, there is evident co-segregation of some mutations and the advent of hyperglycemia, this fact having been reproduced by the study of several families of different populations. Its main characteristic is being one of the few causes of DM in which the transmission of the genetic susceptibility is due to an autossomical dominant inheritance, making part of the group classified as monogenic DM, where the other members are very rare. Mutations occurring in MODY genes, even in the heterozygous form, lead to a profound phenotypic impact (high penetrance), in that 95% of the individual carriers of a MODY mutation will be diabetic or will have altered glicemic metabolism before the age of 55 years. In this paper we approach this form of DM, emphasizing its most relevant clinical and genetic characteristics. The systematic search for MODY mutations is beginning to take place regularly in many countries, and there is a tendency to add this diagnostic tool to the routine exams in the practice of diabetology.