Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has recently been evaluated as a marker for follicle reserve and as a new marker for ovarian function in women. In the male, it is produced in Sertoli cells (SC) in the testis. We evaluated serum levels of AMH as a marker of SC function and male fertility by comparing normo- and oligozoospermic men.Materials and methods: Serum levels of AMH were determined by enzyme immunoassay in two groups of men with normal...

Introduction: There is a large body of evidence to suggest that the GH axis plays an important role in brain myelination. However, results from studies in humans with an abnormal GH axis have varied and therefore there remains no consensus as to whether the GH/IGF1 axis plays a significant role in neural development. No previous studies have used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) a sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique for studying brain white matter tracts, to add...

Introduction: The clinical significance of subclinical thyroid diseases is debated.Design: To assess the relationship between undiagnosed subclinical hypothyroidism (USH), health indicators (HI) and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), this cross-sectional study was conducted in 1100 adults representatives of non-institutionalized Catalan population (44.5% men; mean age: 44.8±15.2 years) in Catalonia (Spain); 40 USH (18 men) and 1060 euthyroid (474 m...

Obesity is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the Western world, and its prevalence is dramatically increasing. Although obesity is primarily a metabolic disease, immunological aberrations also significantly contribute to obesity-related morbidity. The well-established state of chronic low-grade inflammation is considered to be crucial in the development of complications such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. Moreover, obesity is associated with increased suscept...

In recent years, it was demonstrated that tumor infiltrating and circulating regulatory and cytotoxic T-cells are associated with clinical outcome in several solid tumors. However, their role in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) was never studied, although 60% of these tumors secrete autonomously cortisol, a well-established potent immunosuppressant that most likely influences the balance between different T-cells.Firstly, we analyzed the circulating regula...

Background: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) affects mainly cortical bone. It is thought that PTH indirectly regulates the activity of osteoclasts by means of the osteoprotegerin/ligand of the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κβ (OPG/RANKL) system. Several studies have confirmed that OPG and RANKL loci are determinants of bone mineral density (BMD) in the general population. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between fractures and BMD and the ...

Background: CLDN14 gene encodes a protein involved in regulation of paracellular permeability or ion transport at epithelial tight junctions as in the nephron. C allele of the rs219780 SNP of CLDN14 gene has been associated with high levels of PTH and with low bone mineral density (BMD) in women. Our aim is to study the relationship between rs219780 SNP of CLDN14 and fractures, renal lithiasis and bone mineral density in patients with primary hyperparathyr...

Introduction: The management of Craniopharyngioma is associated with significant long-term morbidity. We retrospectively assessed the endocrine, hypothalamic and neuro-developmental morbidity (at most recent clinic review) in survivors of Craniopharyngioma diagnosed between 1/01/98 and 31/12/09, and currently being managed at our centre.Methods: We identified 63 patients in our cohort of which 25 were randomly selected for analysis (11 males, 14 females)...

Introduction: Leptin seems to be a major link between obesity and thyroid dysfunction.Design: To analyze the relationship between thyrotropin (TSH) and leptin (LP) plasma concentrations and body mass index (BMI), in 785 subjects (448 women) of 41.27±9.72 years and BMI 28.91±9.8 (18.04–93.98 kg/m2), without diagnosed thyroid disease or pregnancy, concentrations of TSH, free thyroxine (FT4), LP, glycemia and insulinemia...

Introduction: Interferon-α (IFN-α) exerts different immune effects and is used in current therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. One of the side-effects of IFN-α therapy is interferon-induced thyroiditis (IIT). The role of lymphocyte subpopulations in IIT remains to be defined.Objective: This study was conducted to assess different peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations, mainly regulatory CD4+CD25+...