Endocrine Abstracts

A 61-year-old woman was admitted to the Emergency Department with generalized seizures. She reported general malaise, anorexia, headache and multiple episodes of vomiting that started about 12 h before admission. She had a history of recent thyroidectomy, and she was on oral calcium carbonate (3 gr/day) and alpha calcidol (3 mg/day). Non-contrast head CT scan was negative for major findings. Laboratory work up revealed hypercalcemia (corrected calcium 14,4 mg/dl), renal impair...

Radioiodine treatment is the cornerstone of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) management. A number of thyroid cancers, however, become radioiodine-refractory (RAIR) and these represent about 60% of advanced DTCs and are responsible for the vast majority of DTC mortality. RAIR DTC has limited therapeutic options, mainly tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are associated with moderate efficacy and considerable toxicity. Reinducing NIS expression (redifferentiation) with the aim of...

Background: In patients with adrenal nodules increased 17-OH Progesterone (17-OHP) does not necessarily indicate congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) since adrenocortical tumors may harbor defects in steroidogenesis resulting in high steroid precursors, either basally or, usually, after Synacthen stimulation. Secretion of precursors has been associated with malignancy but it can also be present in benign adenomas.Case Presentation: A 62-year-old lady wit...

Macronodular adrenal hyperplasia refers to adrenal enlargement by large nodules that may be related to ACTH-dependent or ACTH-independent pathologies. The term Primary Macronodular Adrenal Hyperplasia (PMAH) was recently introduced to replace the term ACTH-independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia, since in some cases paracrine ACTH production may contribute to cortisol secretion, and also to encompass cases of unilateral macronodular hyperplasia. PMAH is a heterogeneous di...

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) treatment has recently undergone major developments which have dramatically changed the management of the disease. During the twentieth century major changes in the treatment of DM have transformed the disease from an uncurable disease to a chronic one. However, some of the major drugs used for its treatment have remained stable, while others have now almost gone into disuse.Aim: The aim was to show the recent therape...

Introduction: Metreleptin, a recombinant analogue of leptin, is the only drug available for the treatment of generalized or partial lipodystrophy. Familial partial lipodystrophy (FPL) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by selective loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, ectopic fat deposition, decreased leptin levels, and varying metabolic disorders, which in some patients can be quite severe and life-threatening. We present here such a woman with FPL who is treated with m...

Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) transports glucocorticoids in blood and is a serine protease inhibitor family member. Plasma CBG has a reactive center loop (RCL) structure that when cleaved by specific proteases, including neutrophil elastase, results in a loss of high affinity steroid-binding activity. Measurements of CBG levels are typically based on functional assays of its steroid-binding capacity or immunoassays, including enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISAs)...

Background: Individuals with adrenal insufficiency (AI) receive life-long glucocorticoid (GC) replacement therapy (CGRT), which often exceeds normal daily physiological GC production, leading to detrimental effects on cardiometabolic parameters and bone health.Objective: Assessment of glucose, lipid and bone metabolism in AI postmenopausal patients in relation to the cause of AI and the CGRT dose.Methods: 114 AI postmenopausal wome...

Background/aim: Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is a relatively common endocrine disorder, which is often asymptomatic and thus diagnosed during routine biochemical testing. Emerging scientific data supports the theory that non-syndromic pHPT patients may be at increased risk for thyroid autoimmunity, metabolic disorders and malignancy.Materials and methods: A cohort of 227 pHPT (61 male and 166 female) and 244 non-pHPT (75 male and 169 female) patien...

Background and Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the glycemic regulation of adult patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of this pandemic on glycemic control in T1D patients with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) systems.Methods: A cohort of adult T1D patients with CSII was retrospectively evaluated. Data regarding number visits to our diabetes clinics, total daily insulin dose (TDI...