Dear colleagues,

     By initiating this newsletter, on behalf of all members of the Executive Committee of the Latin American Thyroid Society we would like to expose our feelings for the recent loss of our friend Hugo Niepomniszcze, founder and one of the most active contributors in our society. May God enlighten and console the family of our dear colleague.

XIV Latin American Thyroid Congress

     From the beginning of 2012 Dr. José Higino Steck, wich is responsible for the LATS website will provide 19 lectures recorded during the XIV Latin American Thyroid Congress in Lima, Peru. All presentations will be available on our website www.lats.org

The titles of the presentations follow bellow:

1. Thyroid Elastography - Eduardo Tomimori
2. Serum thyroglobulin in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma - Rui Maciel
3. Treatment for radioiodine resistant advanced thyroid cancer - Fabian Pitoia
4. Clinical features and therapeutic implication of papillary microcarcinoma - Furio Pacini
5. Hyperthyroidism in pregnancy - Jorge Mestman
6. Advanced medullary thyroid cancer - Furio Pacini
7. Approach to the patient with resistance to thyroid hormone and pregnancy - Lea Maciel
8. Central hypothyroidism in neonates born to mothers with Graves disease - Graciela Alcaraz
9. Subclinical hypothyroidism and pregnancy - Marcos Abalovich
10. Screening thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy - Jorge Mestman
11. Thyroid hormone receptors regulate adipogenesis - Sheue-yann Cheng
12. Dissecting the role of glucocorticoids in thyroid hormone action - Maria del Mar Montesinos
13. Should we treat all subjects with subclinical thyroid disease the same way ? - B. Biondi
14. Molecular mechanisms accounting for thyroid cancer progression - Alfredo Fusco
15. Endothelial function in patients with mild thyroid hormone deficiency - B. Biondi
16. Subclinical hypothyroidism and metabolic changes - Gabriela Brenta
17. Subclinical thyroid dysfunction and mortality - José Sgarbi
18. Subclinical hypothyroidism and menopause - Mario Vaisman
19. Management of the low and high risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma - Furio Pacinio

LATS Update Course

     From 2012, LATS will be promoting the LATS Update Course, to be held between the LATS Congress.

See Bellow the regulations of the LATS Update Course:

1. Objectives of the course
1. Transmit thyroid recent advances in both clinical and basic to all Latin American countries.
2. Include all partners in Latin American countries with LATS.
3. Attract others thyroid specialists of these countries to join and participate in LATS.
4. To disseminate, communicate and promote all the different activities of the LATS underrepresented countries.
2. Recipients of the Course:
   Countries that are represented with members of LATS. It would preferably be taken into consideration those countries whose members have difficulties in attending LATS Congress or to organize them.
3. Course fees must be paid by the local organizers and by the sponsors involved. Only in cases where the charges can not be entirely covered by them, THE LATS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE will discuss whether it can contribute with financial aid, depending on each case and on the amount required.
4. The Local Organizing Committee may propose a scientific program with the participation of members of the Educational Task Force. It will be submitted for consideration by members assigned to the Executive or Scientific Committee to determine whether it is possible.
5. The Educational Task Force in accordance with LATS Treasurer will make the necessary arrangements in order to have pharmaceutical industry sponsorship for these courses.
6. The disclosure of this activity will be done through the LATS website, emails to all partners, and also through previous communications between some countries with ETF members.
7. The activities performed by the Educational Task Force should be communicated to all LATS members either through website or mail information. Countries interested in organizing the course should forward the request to Dr. Eduardo Faure (efaure@hotmail.com), or Dr. Laura Ward (ward@fcm.unicamp.br).

Lats Eletronic Journal

Guillermo Juvenal (Chair) juvenal@cnea.gov.ar
José Higino Steck higinosteck@gmail.com
José Luis Novelli novelli@novelli.com.ar

     As stated in the contract with a publishing house, an edition with the analysis of the main articles containing in PUBMED will be published every three months. The Task Forces of LATS, as well as any expert of LATS with proven experience may submit articles to the analysis of Dr. Guillermo Juvenal (juvenal@cnea.gov.ar). Each edition will have 1000 copies printed. We will also have an electronic edition in the form of Eletronic Book (ebook), which will be available on our website.

Lats Task Force

     The "LATS Thyroid Dysfunction Task Force" had its first face-to-face meeting in São Paulo on November 25th and 26th, in the presence of João Romaldini (Brazil), José Sgarbi (Brazil), Jesus Veliz (Chile), Pedro Pineda (Chile), Ana Orlandi (Argentina), Liliana Bergoglio (Argentina), Gabriela Brenta (Argentina), Mario Vaisman (Brazil) and Hans Graf (Brazil).

World Thyroid Federation

During the last Congress of the European Thyroid Association held in Kraków, Poland, in September 2011, a meeting of the World Thyroid Federation (WTF) was held. Follow bellow the report submitted by Dr. Hans Graf.

"Report of WORLD THYROID FEDERATION (WTF) Executive Commitee Meeting, on September 12th, 2011 in Kraków, Poland. With the presence of the Presidents and Secretaries of the four sister Societies (ATA: Dr. Gregory Brent and Dr. Richard Kloos; ETA: Dr. Peter Lauberg and Dr.Luigi Bartalena; AOTA: Dr. Shigenobu Nagataki replacing Yoshiro Murata and Teofilo San Luis; LATS: Dr. Marcos Abalovich and Dr. Hans Graf (replacing Dr. Eduardo Tomimori), Dr. Theo Visser (next ETA President), Dr. Hugo Niepomniszcze (Founder Coordinator of the WTF), Dr. Leonidas Dantas (Chairman of the Advisory Committee, 2011), Dr. Charles Emerson (Thyroid Journal Editor) and Dr. Martin Schlumberger (President of the 14thInternational Thyroid Congress and Current Coordinator of the WTF) the Meeting was started. Dr.Schlumberger presented the final report of the LOC of the 14th. There were 2911 attendees (LATS represented 13% of all). Regarding the number of delegates per country, Brazil and Argentina were among the 10 tops countries (Brazil the 3rd, with 204 attendees and Argentina the 9th, with 101 attendees). There were 128 Sessions (including Plenary Sessions, Debates, Implementing Guidelines, Symposia, MTE, Oral Communications, Poster Discussions, Business Meetings and Satellite Symposia). LATS speakers at the 14th ITC represented 14,1%. There were 1306 abstracts submitted, and the two countries which submitted most of the papers were United States (153) and Brazil (112). The net financial result was 54.157,67 Euros. Each sister Society received 12.500,00 Euros for Travel Grants for the next ITC Meeting. After the 14th ITC final report, Dr. Hugo Niepomniszce presented general information about the WTF, thanking in especial to Dr.Charles Emerson, Thyroid Journal Edithor, who published in extension all WTF activities. The President of the Advisory Committee, Dr. Leonidas Duntas summarized the Advisory Committee activities during 2009-2010. After this, the nomination of the Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the year 2012 appointed Dr.Terry Davies for this position. The final topic of the up-to-date WTF was the nomination of the 4 members for the Advisory Committee for the 3 years period (2012, 2013 and 2014). Regarding LATS members, Dr. Guillermo Juvenal was reelected as one of LATS Advisory Committe Members. LATS members for the Advisory Committe are Dr. Mario Vaisman (2012), Dr. Laura Ward (2012 - 2013) and Dr. Guillermo Juvenal (2012 - 2014). The WTF is responsible for oversight and distribution of policies and Society representatives."

Annual Fees of LATS and signature of "Thyroid"

From the beginning of January, it will be provided on our website the "PayPal" payment system to be used for the payment of the LATS annual fees. This form of payment used internationally will allow transactions with all credit cards with safety and fastness. In a few days all the information needed in order to use this system will be available on our website. The annual fee is U$40, the signature of the "Thyroid Online" U$109 and the Thyroid Online + the printed one U$ 179.

Thyroid Awareness Week

In the last week of May will be celebrated in all Latin American countries the "Thyroid Awareness Week". Dr. Laura Ward's initiative was unanimously accepted by the members of the Executive Committee. The LATS Educational Task Force will also organize a Scientific Day on May 25th and 26th in a Latin American city yet to be defined.

XV Latin American Thyroid Congress

On behalf the Latin American Thyroid Society, we would like to invite you to attend the XV Latin American Thyroid Congress, to be held in March 20-23, 2013 in Florianopolis, Brazil. The president of the Local Organizing Committee, Dra. Marcia Netto de Campos da Silva, and the president of the Scientific Committee, Dra. Ana María Masini-Repiso are working hard together to offer an outstanding Meeting.

Upcoming Meetings

January 13-14, 2012
Advances in Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy
2012 Thyroid FNA and Diagnostic Cytology for Endocrinologists
January 14, 2012
The Marriott Buttes Resort
2000 Westcourt Way
Tempe, Arizona 85282
Website: www.aace.com/meetings/symposia

February 11-12, 2012
IV Thyroid Cancer - International Meeting
Thyroid Cancer - International Meeting
São Paulo - SP - Renaissance São Paulo Hotel
Website: www.growup-eventos.com.br

April 28-May 1, 2012
XV Encontro Brasileiro de Tireoide
Centro de Convenções de Natal - Natal - RN
Website: www.ebt2012.com.br

April 29-May 1, 2012
American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES)
Iowa City, Iowa
Website: www.endocrinesurgery.org

May 23-27, 2012
AACE 21st Annual Meeting and Clinical Congress
Marriott Philadelphia Downtown and the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority
Philadelphia, PA
Website: www.aace.com

June 23-26, 2012
The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting (ENDO 2012)
Houston, Texas
Website: www.endo-society.org

September 8-12, 2012
36th Annual Meeting of the European Thyroid Association (ETA)
Pisa, Italy

September 19-23, 2012
82nd Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association
Hilton Quebec and QC Congress Centre
Quebec City, PQ, Canada
Phone: (703) 998-8890
Fax: (703) 998-8893
Website: www.thyroid.org

Wishing you good health, happiness, and success in the coming year and always. Happy New Year!