title: [Clinical usefulness of determining beta-2-microglobulin concentration in thyroid cystic fluid].
abstract: The main subject of the paper was to prove that beta-2-microglobulin (beta-2-m) exists in fluid taken from a thyroid gland cyst of the patients with non-toxic, nodular goitre with cysts and whether the confirmation of beta-2-m existence in fluid taken from a cyst may indicate the presence of autoimmunological process in thyroid glands. The research was carried out on a group of 36 patients operated on because of goitre. Patients with the thyroid cancer were except. The operations were carried out in the General Surgery Department of Hospital 1 in Sosnowiec from 1994 to 1999. The group of patients consisted of women aged between 13 to 75 years old (average 43 +/- 13.8 years). TSH, FT4 serum concentration in this investigated group were normal. The paper presents the beta-2-m existence in fluid taken from a thyroid gland cyst. It was confirmed that there was no differences between beta-2-m serum concentration in operated patients and in healthy controls. In 50% of patients operated on with thyroid cysts high antibody antithyroid peroxidase (antiTPO) serum concentration and in fluid taken from cyst was confirmed and statistically higher beta-2-m concentration in cyst fluid than beta-2-m concentration in serum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased antiTPO concentration in serum and in a fluid taken from cyst and beta-2-m existence in cyst fluid point to the autoimmunological process taking place in half of the patients with thyroid cysts.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Zakład Diagnostyki Izotopowej i Radiofarmaceutyków Sl. AM.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schab
authors.forename: Aleksandra A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kochańska-Dziurowicz
authors.forename: Jacek J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Starzewski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020420:Cyst Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D003560:Cysts / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase