propylthiouracil and Remission--Spontaneous

Forty-nine patients with Graves' disease were randomly divided into two groups. One group received propylthiouracil, 150 mg every eight hours, and the other group received propylthiouracil, 450 mg as a single daily dose. All patients' conditions were evaluated clinically anc chemically at two-week intervals. The response to the divided dosage schedule was prompt and predictable, and by ten weeks all but one patient had achieved remission. The group that received the single daily dose regimen responded less favorably, and at ten weeks ten patients had failed to achieve remission (P less than .001). However, when these patients' regimens were switched to the every-eight-hour schedule, all but one patient became euthyroid in an additional four weeks.

Topics: Drug Evaluation; Female; Graves Disease; Humans; Male; Methods; Propylthiouracil; Remission, Spontaneous; Time Factors

Topics: Aged; Antithyroid Agents; Female; Humans; Hyperthyroidism; Propylthiouracil; Pyoderma Gangrenosum; Remission, Spontaneous

The duration of the hyperthyroidism associated with lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT) with spontaneously resolving hyperthyroidism (SRH) was serially monitored in groups of patients who were not given any treatment (control subjects) or treated with propylthiouracil and/or propranolol hydrochloride and prednisone. The length of time for the thyroxine tests from diagnosis to the normal range was 57 +/- 17, 45 +/- 13, and 15 +/- 7 days (mean +/- SD) indicating a dramatic response to prednisone therapy but none to propylthiouracil and/or propranolol therapy. Five patients were found who had seven episodes of SRH while receiving thyroid hormone suppression therapy after having verified chronic LT (two patients) and LT-SRH (three patients). This indicates that thyroid suppression with thyroid hormone may be ineffective in preventing this disease. Two patients were treated by subtotal thyroidectomy because of recurrent or prolonged episodes of SRH. From this experience, the therapeutic alternatives available to the clinician are reviewed.

Topics: Humans; Hyperthyroidism; Prednisone; Propranolol; Propylthiouracil; Remission, Spontaneous; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune; Thyroxine; Triiodothyronine

In two separate experiments, treatment of C3H/He mice bearing transplantable mammary adenocarcinomas (C3HBA) with a regimen of 6-propylthiouracil (PTUra) and 5-fluorouracil (FUra) plus chloroquine phosphate (CP) resulted in complete remissions of 77 and 65%, respectively. Treatment with PTUra alone resulted in 41% remissions in experiment 1 and 35% remissions in experiment 2. None of the nontreated control mice in either experiment had spontaneous remissions, and all controls died in each experiment. The principal effect was apparently due to the treatment with PTUra, inasmuch as most of the tumors disappeared during the 21-day treatment period. This observation indicated that the proper timing of the thyroid treatment with PTUra was crucial to achieve the best results. The combined FUra+CP regimen augmented the effects of the thyroid treatment and resulted in an increase in remissions.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Animals; Chloroquine; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Fluorouracil; Hypothyroidism; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Propylthiouracil; Remission, Spontaneous

We investigated whether thyrotoxic patients treated with short-term antithyroid therapy would achieve prolonged remissions. Thirty-one previously untreated and nine previously treated patients with thyrotoxic Graves's disease received a single daily dose of methimazole or propylthiouracil. The drug was stopped at, or shortly after, the time they became euthyroid. Twelve of the 31 previously untreated patients remained in remission for 29 +/- 3.5 months (mean +/- S.E.) after treatment for 4.5 +/- 0.3 months. Four of the nine previously treated have remained in remission of 13.0 +/- 2.1 months after treatment for 3.0 +/- 0.3 months. Of various possibilities analyzed, only a small goiter at the onset of therapy and tri-iodothyronine toxicosis were significantly favorable prognostic indicators that a remission would be maintained. The lasting remission rate is as good when antithyroid drugs are stopped as soon as the patient is euthyroid as when they are continued for one year or more.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adolescent; Adult; Antithyroid Agents; Child; Female; Graves Disease; Humans; Male; Methimazole; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Propylthiouracil; Remission, Spontaneous; Thyroidectomy; Thyroxine; Time Factors; Triiodothyronine

A method has previously been described which detected xenogeneic and allogeneic antibodies to human granulocytes by their inhibition of the normal phagocytosis-associated hexose monophosphate shunt (HMS) activity. This method was used to study three patients with acute agranulocytosis secondary to antithyroid drug administration. Two patients with methimazole and one patient with propylthiouracil induced agranulocytosis were studied. Serum samples from each of these three patients taken during the acute phase of agranulocytosis had inhibitory effects on phagocytosis-associated HMS activity in leukocytes from both normal donors and the patients after their full recovery from agranulocytosis. IgM but not IgG prepared from acute sera in two patients was also inhibitory. Disruption of IgM disulfide bonds by dithiothreitol destroyed its inhibitory activity. The possibility of drug-dependent immune destruction of leukocytes in these patients is discussed.

Topics: Adult; Agranulocytosis; Antithyroid Agents; Drug Hypersensitivity; Female; Granulocytes; Graves Disease; Humans; Immunoglobulin M; Leukopenia; Methimazole; Phagocytosis; Propylthiouracil; Remission, Spontaneous

Topics: Adolescent; Agglutination Tests; Antibodies; Biopsy; Child; Child, Preschool; Complement Fixation Tests; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hyperthyroidism; Infant; Iodine; Male; Propylthiouracil; Recurrence; Remission, Spontaneous; Thyroid Function Tests; Thyroid Gland; Thyroxine

Topics: Carbimazole; Graves Disease; Humans; Immune Adherence Reaction; Iodine; Iodine Radioisotopes; Propylthiouracil; Remission, Spontaneous; Thyroid Gland; Thyroxine; Time Factors; Triiodothyronine

Topics: Adult; Diet; Female; Graves Disease; Humans; Iodine; Male; Methimazole; Middle Aged; Propylthiouracil; Remission, Spontaneous; Thyroxine; Time Factors; Triiodothyronine

Topics: Antithyroid Agents; Graves Disease; Humans; Iodine Isotopes; Methimazole; Propylthiouracil; Remission, Spontaneous

Topics: Age Factors; Cardiomegaly; Child; Electrocardiography; Female; Heart Auscultation; Heart Failure; Humans; Hyperthyroidism; Prednisone; Propylthiouracil; Recurrence; Remission, Spontaneous; Tachycardia