Endocrine Abstracts

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway abnormalities, specifically rearrangements (RET/PTC) or activating mutations (RAS or BRAF), are highly prevalent in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs). Constitutive activation of this signaling cascade causes sustained phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). DUSP5, which is positively regulated by ERK signaling, acts as a negative regulator of its activity. We have previously shown that DUSP5 is overexpre...

Objectives: Evaluate the impact of the therapy with GLP-1 analogues (exenatide) toguether with basal insulin in glycemic control and weight of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus poorly controlled.Materials and methods: We analyzed 37 patients with type 2 diabetes with poor glycemic control and obesity, treatment with exenatide and basal insulin. As pre-treatment 56.7% of our patients were with basal insulin, 10.8% with insulin mixtures and 32.4% with...

Introduction: We study the calcitonin levels measurement in the washout of FNAB needles after sampling each thyroid nodule (FNAB-CT) as an approach to calcitonin normal value in them and distinguish of MTC and to correlate with serum CT (sCT) and cytology FNAB.Material & Methods: 109 consecutive subjects (mean age 53.7±13.4, range 18–85 yr, 79.8% females, 27.5% smokers, 18.3% autoimmune thyroid disease) initially no suspicious for MTC who u...

Introduction: It has been stimated that up to 30% of idiopathic Addison disease in young boys is due to X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy. We report the case of a 31-year-old previously asymptomatic man, who presented with hyperpigmentation and fatigue. Investigations revealed hyponatraemia (116 mEq/l), low serum cortisol (2.6 μg/ml) and high ACTH levels (>2000 pc/ml), plasma potassium was 4.37 mEq/l. Adrenal antibodies were absent and abdominal computerized tomography sc...

Introduction: Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a genetically, metabolically and clinically heterogeneous subtype of diabetes mellitus characterized by an early onset, an autosomal dominant inheritance, and a primary defect in insulin secretion. They are caused by mutations in a reduced number of β-cell genes. Mutations in glucokinase gen (MODY 2) and hepatic nuclear factor 1α (HNF 1α) (MODY 3) are the most common.Materials an...

Context: The effects of cabergoline on cardiac valves have been extensively studied in Parkinson’s disease and hyperprolactinemia but not in acromegaly, a condition at risk of cardiac valve abnormalities.Objective: We examined the prevalence of heart valve disease and regurgitation in a series of patients with acromegaly treated with cabergoline, by comparison with matched patients who had never received this drug.Design and s...

Background: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive cancer originating from steroidogenic cells within the adrenal cortex. Unfortunately, half of patients present with metastatic spread upon initial diagnosis, and there is no curative therapy for advanced disease. Genomic analysis has identified that the most aggressive subgroup of ACC patients have overlapping alterations in the WNT/β-catenin pathway and the p53/RB signaling pathway.Objecti...

Astrocytomas are a subtype of malignant gliomas characterized by rapid growth and high diffusion through the brain. Based on the agresiveness features, they are stratified from low grades (I and II) to high grades (HGAs; III and IV), being grade-IV [glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)] the most aggressive and one of the most common malignant cancers in the brain, with an overall survival from diagnosis of ~14 months. Current standard therapies to treat HGAs are not efficient and the...