Phage T4, the archetype of lytic bacterial viruses, needs only 62 genes to propagate under standard laboratory conditions. Interestingly, the T4 genome contains more than 100 putative genes of unknown function, with few detectable homologues in cellular genomes. To characterize this uncharted territory of genetic information, we have identified several T4 genes that prevent bacterial growth whe...

Short-term experimental diabetes mellitus (DM) produces a significant decrease in serum thyroid hormones, a decreased or normal serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and a reduction in hepatic and renal T4-5'-deiodination. However, little is known about the effects of chronic diabetes mellitus on the pituitary-thyroid axis function. We evaluated the changes induced by very short-term (6 days)...

A case of transient hyperthyrotropinaemia was found by mass screening for neonatal hypothyroidism using the paired TSH assay method. The patient was a baby boy born at term after a normal pregnancy who grew without any abnormal signs or symptoms. For the first 7 months after birth, his serum TSH was abnormally high while his total serum T4, T3, and free T4, T3 were within normal limits, exept f...

Several influences modulate biochemical responses to a weight-adjusted levothyroxine (l-T4) replacement dose. We conducted a secondary analysis of the relationship of l-T4 dose to TSH and free T3 (FT3), using a prospective observational study examining the interacting equilibria between thyroid parameters. We studied 353 patients on steady-state l-T4 replacement for autoimmune thyroiditis or af...

It is over 40 years since the original demonstration that thyroxine (T4), the principal secretory product of the thyroid, is deiodinated, to 3,5,3'-tri-iodothyronine (T3) in peripheral mammalian tissues. Subsequently it was shown that the antithyroid drug propylthiouracil (PTU) also blocked the metabolic effects of administered T4 in proportion to its inhibition of T4 to T3 conversion, indicati...

A thyroid-hormonal evaluation of thirty-five women consuming commercially packed milk containing thiocyanate was carried out. The mean serum thiocyanate concentration, which was measured by the FeCl3 colour test, was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than that of control subjects. Serum thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations of exposed women wer...

BACKGROUND Vitiligo is a common pigmentary disorder of the skin, affecting individuals globally. Not only is this ailment psychologically incapacitating, it also has a high incidence of autoimmunity, signifying that its manifestations may be the portrayal of dysfunction of immune system. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to find out the situations of abnormal thyroid function test (TFT) in v...

OBJECTIVE Thyroid hormone modifies cardiac action potentials and outward potassium currents directly and indirectly e.g. through beta-adrenergic signaling pathway. We thus examined the expression of six voltage-gated potassium channel alpha-subunits in the rat left ventricle under hypo- and hyperthyroid status, and tested roles of beta-adrenergic signaling pathway in their expressions under bot...

UNLABELLED Elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was discovered by routine neonatal screening in a newborn with no clinical symptoms. Thyroid function tests were repeated and confirmed a high TSH value but normal total thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). However, the mother also had elevated serum TSH with normal levels of T4 and T3. The results suggested a transmitted maternal inter...