Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: AGEs, compounds formed by the transformation of proteins, are increased in conditions of oxidative stress and promote inflammation by interacting with their receptor (RAGE) on cell membrane. By contrast, the soluble receptor for AGE (sRAGE), that is proteolytically cleaved from cell surface receptor via matrix metalloproteinases, sequester RAGE ligands and act as a cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory agent. AGEs/sRAGE interaction play a role in the pathogenesis of ...

Background: IL-37, member of the IL-1 family, is a natural suppressor of immune and inflammatory responses. Increased serum IL-37 levels were observed in several autoimmune diseases, including Graves’ disease. No data on TH are available from the literature.Materials and methods: We enrolled 45 euthyroid HT patients (5 M e 40 F, mean age 38.5±12.6) and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. None was on LT-4 therapy. Smokers, subjects with ki...

The work-up of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (DTC) patients includes thyroid surgery, thyroid remnant ablation (TRA) with 131-radioiodine and long life follow-up. 131I-post therapy whole body scan (pT-WBS) and thyroglobulin (Tg) are used in identifying metastatic patients. Some authors suggested to use post-surgical Tg (ps-Tg) values in deciding for or against TRA. The aim of our study was to verify the sensitivity and PPV of 131I-pT-WBS compared to serum Tg levels in detectin...

Introduction: The presentation is based on experiences and opinions of CAH patients represented by German AGS parents and patient initiatives.Meaning of patient and family perspectives: The aim is to provide an overview about wishes and expectations of German CAH patients. A special view will be given to quality of live and influencing factors of treatment.Examples of family perspectives: The importance and meaning of patient and f...

Objective: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several immune-mediated disorders, including autoimmune thyroid disease. Aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between dietary habit and redox homeostasis, in relationship with thyroid autoimmunity.Materials and methods: We enrolled 200 healthy subjects (173 F, mean age 35 ± 12). None of them was under any pharmacological treatment. Exclusion criteria: any infectio...

Background: The expression of thyroid-specific genes [thyroglobulin (Tg) and sodium iodide symporter (NIS)] is modulated by several cytokines (IL-1, IFNγ, TGF-ß) and it is down-regulated in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT). Also, lymphocytic infiltration and inflammation in HT results in intra-thyroidal accumulation of hyaluronan (HA). During inflammation, HA can be degraded into small fragments, able to up-regulate pro-inflammatory genes by stimulating the toll-li...

Objective: The pathogenesis of pituitary tumours is still incompletely understood. Somatotropinomas occur both sporadically and in the context of familial syndromes, such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), Carney complex (CNC) and isolated familial somatotropinoma (IFS). Recently, germline mutations were reported in AIP (aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein) gene in Finish and Italian families and in Finish patients with apparently sporadic pituitar...

Introduction: Hypoparathyroidism is characterized by hypocalcemia and low or inappropriately normal levels of PTH. The most common cause of hypoparathyroidism is iatrogenic due to anterior neck surgery. In recent years it was documented that vitamin D insufficiency is widespread.Aim: To investigate the cause of hypocalcemia in thyroidectomized patients with PTH within the reference range.Methods: Retrospective review of clinical re...

The FSHR is characterised by a large number of SNPs (1636 listed in the NCBI SNP database), mostly located in intronic regions and of unknown heterozygosity rate. Some SNPs, especially those which are nonsynonymous and located in exons have been studied in association with gonadal function.The SNPs at nt position 919 and 2039 in exon 10 are very common (heterozygosity: 0.469) and result in the aminoacid transition Thr/Ala at codon 307 and Asn/Ser ...

Mechanisms regulating the selection of antral ovarian follicles are poorly understood and supposed to rely on low estrogen levels, decline of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and receptor (FSHR) expression on the surface of granulosa cells. These concepts are challenged in-vitro, where apoptosis of human granulosa cells (hGLC) and transfected cell lines is induced by high doses of FSH or FSHR overexpression, while estrogens induce anti-apoptotic signals via n...