Incident comorbidities in patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism after thyroidectomy: a multicenter nationwide study

Purpose

Population-based and registry studies have shown that chronic hypoparathyroidism is accompanied by long-term complications. We aimed to evaluate the risk of incident comorbidity among patients with chronic postsurgical hypoparathyroidism in real-life clinical practice in Spain.

Methods

We performed a multicenter, retrospective cohort study including patients with chronic postsurgical hypoparathyroidism lasting ≥3 years with at least a follow-up visit between January 1, 2022 and September 15, 2023 (group H). The prevalence and incidence of chronic complications including chronic kidney disease, nephrolithiasis/nephrocalcinosis, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, central nervous system disease, mental health disorders, eye disorders, bone mineral density alterations, fracture and cancer were evaluated. Patient data were compared with a group of patients who did not develop hypoparathyroidism, matched by gender, age, and follow-up time after thyroidectomy (group NH).

Results

We included 337 patients in group H (median [IQR] age, 45 [36-56] years; median time of follow-up, 8.9 [6.0-13.0] years; women, 84.3%) and 669 in group NH (median age, 47 [37-55] years; median time of follow-up, 8.0 [5.3-12.0] years; women, 84.9%). No significant differences were found in the prevalence of comorbidities at the time of thyroidectomy between both groups. In multivariable adjusted analysis, patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism had significantly higher risk of incident chronic kidney disease (OR, 3.45; 95% CI, 1.72-6.91; P<0.001), nephrolithiasis (OR, 3.34; 95% CI, 1.55-7.22; P=0.002), and cardiovascular disease (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.14-3.60; P=0.016), compared with patients without hypoparathyroidism. On the contrary, the risk of fracture was decreased in patients with hypoparathyroidism (OR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.01-0.70; P=0.021).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that, in the clinical practice of Spanish endocrinologists, a significant increase in the risk of chronic kidney disease, nephrolithiasis and cardiovascular disease, as well as a reduction in the risk of fractures is detected. These results are of interest for the development of new clinical guidelines and monitoring protocols for patients with hypoparathyroidism.

Mutations in the p53 suppressor gene do not correlate with C-k-ras oncogene mutations in colorectal-cancer

Mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene have been analyzed in 196 colorectal tumors previously analyzed for mutations at codons 12 and 13 of the c-K-ras and N-ras oncogenes by a combination of Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism (SSCP) and Cycle Sequencing (CS) using total cellular RNA. Mutations were detected in 3 of 21 adenomas, 84 of 149 primary carcinomas, and 11 of 18 hepatic metastases. Over half of the tumors were homozygous for the mutant p53 allele at the mRNA level. Although deletions were detected in 5 tumors, missense mutations were the most frequent. The spectrum of 63 point mutations was heterogeneous, with all possible nucleotide substitutions ocurring at least once. No correlation was found between the spectrum of p53 gene mutations and the age, sex, race of the cancer patients or the anatomical localization of the tumors, although mutations were significantly more frequent in tumors of the distal colon. Mutations in the p53 gene did not correlate with mutations in the c-K-ras gene, indicating that colorectal cancer can develop through pathways independent not only of the presence of mutations in any of these genes but also of their cooperation.

Fulminant disseminated pulmonary adiaspiromycosis in humans

A case of fulminant disseminated pulmonary adiaspiromycosis is reported. The patient, a 35-year-old black male farm worker, presented with a four-week history of generalized weakness, unproductive cough, evening fever, and a weight loss of 8 kg. He died 12 days after hospitalization of respiratory failure due to granulomatous lung disease. The clinical and radiographic findings were indistinguishable from those of miliary tuberculosis. Microscopic examination of material obtained at autopsy revealed the large fungus characteristic of adiaspiromycosis in the center of suppurative granulomas throughout the lungs. This is believed to be the first fatal case of pulmonary adiaspiromycosis reported in humans, and it may have been occupationally acquired.