Endocrine Abstracts

Empty Sella (ES) represents a heterogeneous syndrome, with a completely unknown pathogenesis. Defects in the organogenesis or hypoplasia of the sellar diaphragm (associated with stable or intermittent variation of intracranial pressure and/or with pituitary volume variation) can facile the herniation of the arachnoid space into pituitary fossa and the consequently pituitary compression. ES can be the sequel of necrosis of pituitary adenomas, of hypophysitis or of brain/head tr...

Introduction: Pregnancy results in a significant change in pituitary gland size and function.Due to this physiological adaptation, management of pituitary adenomas during pregnancy represents a particularly complex challenge. Aim of this study was to focus on a single referral institution experience with special attention to this subgroup of patients: pregnant woman affected by pituitary adenoma.Materials and methods: This is a des...

Endocan has been reported as specific of endothelial tumor cells and was shown to be expressed by tip cells during angiogenesis process.The principal aims of the study are the assessment of immunohistochemical VEGF and Endocan expression in functioning and non functioning pNETs and the comparison of these markers with clinical features, Ki67 and TNM staging.We collected a total number of 79 pNETs surgical specimens for immunohistoc...

Adult GHD patients may have reduced BMD, which is thought to be reverted by long-term rhGH replacement therapy. We have recently reported high prevalence of vertebral osteoporotic deformities in untreated adult GHD patients. Gonadal status is the main determinant of bone loss in patients with primary form of osteoporosis.In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether the prevalence and degree of spinal deformities in adults with treated or untrea...

Introduction: Literature has already described some cases of hypophysitis related to acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov2). The pituitary is indeed target for the virus due to the angiotensin-converting-enzyme-2 expression. Hypophysitis patients present with mass effect and pituitary dysfunction related symptoms. ACTH and TSH deficiencies are the most reported, along with central diabetes insipidus (CDI). The best way to manage these hypophysitis is still undefi...

The IGF1 response to recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) showed some individual variability and the responsible factors for this behavior remain unknown. Some studies have emphasized the possible role of isoforms of the GH receptor (GHR), showing conflicting results.Therefore, we investigated the possible influence of the isoforms of the GHR to the diagnosis of GHD and in determining adult hormone replacement therapy responsiveness.<p class="abst...

Approximately 25% of the reported cases of MTC are familial. Familial MTC can occur as part of MEN2-syndrome or as familial MTC alone (fMTC) defined as more than ten carriers in the kindred, or multiple carriers or affected members over the age of 50 with an adequate medical history excluding pheochromocytoma. The vast majority of MEN2 families (98%), as well as fMTC kindreds (88%) harbour a RET mutation. In MEN2A, mutations at codon-634 (exon-11) account for 85% of all mutati...

Somatostatin (SRIF) analogs have been employed in medical therapy of non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFA), with contrasting results. Previous evidence showed that SRIF can exert its antiproliferative effects by reducing Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) secretion and action, and that VEGF expression may be related to pituitary tumor growth. The aim of our study was to clarify the possible effects of a multireceptor SRIF ligand on VEGF secretion and cell proliferati...

Introduction: A significant number of GH-secreting pituitary adenomas show an aggressive behavior, therefore, when uncontrolled acromegaly persists, a pharmaceutical combination may improve biochemical control, with reduction of disease morbidity and mortality. We aimed to describe the clinical features of four patients successfully treated with a pharmacological combination of pasireotide LAR, pegvisomant and cabergoline.Case reports: Acromegaly was dia...

Introduction: The PAOLA study in patients with inadequately-controlled acromegaly (n=198) demonstrated superior efficacy of pasireotide long-acting release (LAR; 40 mg/60 mg) in biochemical control (GH <2.5 μg/l and normalized IGF-1) vs continued treatment with octreotide LAR 30 mg/lanreotide Autogel 120 mg (15.4% and 20.0% vs 0%). Here we report preliminary data from the extension phase of PAOLA at wk28.Methods: Pasireotide-LAR (40 mg/...