Endocrine Abstracts

Vitamin A (retinol) plays a non-substitutable role in a process of growth and differentiation of tissues. Deficit of retinol can be encountered at its long-term diet deprivation (primary deficit), but it can occur also as a consequence of metabolism disorders on various levels (secondary deficit). Secondary deficit of retinol can occur also in people exposed to chemical substances in the long term or people living in an environment polluted by chemicals for a long time. One of...

Purpose: Familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC) is an autosomal dominant inherited disease, characterized by germ-line mutations in the RET proto-oncogene, mainly in exons 10 and 11, but also in exons 13, 14 and 15. Activating germ-line mutations in the RET proto-oncogene cause the development of familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC) or medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) as a part of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 syndrome (MEN2).Me...

Screening of thyroid disorders in pregnancy has been a matter of controversy. Recent recommendations favour targeted high-risk case finding though this approach may miss a significant number of those affected (Vaidya et al. JCEM 2007).Among 398 non-selected women in the 10th week of pregnancy, thyrotropin (IRMA) >3.5 mIU/l was found in 10.3%, free thyroxine (RIA) <10 pmol/l in 2% and thyroperoxidase antibodies (RIA) >50 IU/ml in...

Introduction: A transsphenoidal adenectomy (TSFE) is primary treatment of Cushing’s disease. Pharmacological management when the disease persists after surgery is a challenge.Case report: A 47-year-old man was initially diagnosed with CD (petrosal sinus sampling with CRH testing included) after suffering from multiple organ failure in sepsis. Microadenoma 2×4 mm was suspected on the pituitary MRI. Clinical symptoms were markedly improved after ...

In 162 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), 112 on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) and 50 on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), thyroid status was evaluated: thyrotropin (TSH, IRMA, normal range 0.15–5 mU/l), total thyroxine (TT4, RIA, 70–140 nmol/l), free thyroxine (FT4, RIA, 11–25 pmol/l), total triiodothyronine (TT3, RIA, 1–3 nmol/l), free thyroxine (FT3, RIA, 2.5–5.8 pmol/l); in 113 patients (63+50) also reverse T3 (RT3, RIA,...

Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder originating from mutations in the GLA-gene causing deficiency in alpha-Galactosidase A (GLA) which leads to the accumulation of glycosphingolipids, particularly globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) and globotriaosylsphingosine (Lyso-Gb3). The classic phenotype is characterized by neuropathic pains and pain crises, anhidrosis, abdominal cramping. With advancing age, the disease leads to life-threatening complications such as r...

Introduction: Latent toxoplasmosis, a zoonosis caused by protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, is the most widespread human parasitosis in developed countries (prevalence 20–80%). Upon infection, T. gondii stays in human organism lifelong. It has been linked to several autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). The aim of our study was to assess the impact of latent T. gondii infection on the prevalence of AITD in pregnancy with re...

The immunosuppressive effect of corticosteroids is well known. In some circumstances prophylactic antibiotic therapy is routinely used to lower the risk of opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients with exogenous hypercortisolemia. The incidence of opportunistic infection in endogenous hypercortisolemia in Cushing’s syndrome is 11–17%, correlating with degree of hypercotisolemia. Only several case reports have been published about pneumocystis pneumonia ...

Introduction: In end-stage renal disease (ESRD), thyroid function tests are often abnormal, and their interpretation is not always straightforward. While haemodialysis (HD) procedure has well-established profound effects on the serum levels of a variety of molecules no such data have been published on thyroid hormones.Methods: In 110 ESRD patients, total and free thyroxine (T4 and fT4), total and free triiodothyronine (T3...

The A-ZIP/F-1 transgenic mouse is a model of lipoatrophic diabetes with severe insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Recently, a regulatory role of adipose tissue on adrenal gland function and blood pressure has been suggested. To further explore the importance of adipose tissue in the regulation of adrenal function and blood pressure, we studied this mouse model of lipodystrophy. A-ZIP/F-1 mice exhibit significantly elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressu...