Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: In addition to its well known effects on calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism, growing evidences shows that vitamin D plays an important role in regulation of cancer angiogenesis, cell apoptosis, differentiation, and proliferation. Vitamin D acts through vitamin D receptor (VDR), an intracellular nuclear receptor. It was found an association between different cancer histotypes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of VDR. Despite the close relationship be...

Objective: To evaluate Vitamin D levels and bone metabolism in adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).Patients and methods: One hundred patients with CF (53 F, 47 M; age 29±8 years). and 100 healthy controls were enrolled. Patients were assessed through clinical, and laboratory investigations. Evaluation of serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD), vertebral fractures (quantitative morphometric analysis) and bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine an...

To evaluate vitamin D levels in relapsing remitting (RR) and secondary progressive (SP) courses of multiple sclerosis (MS) and to evaluate correlations between vitamin D and clinical features of disease progression, in a southern Italy population. 63 (41 RR and 22 SP) ‘naive’ MS patients (47 females, 16 males aged 37.7±5.7 years) and 63 healthy controls were enrolled. Patients were assessed through clinical, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and laboratory invest...

Introduction: Italy is considered a country with high prevalence of 25 OH vitamin D deficiency. Changes in vitamin D serum levels were linked with the onset and progression of several diseases, including osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases. The hypopituitary patients show several comorbidities like cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis.Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in hypopituitary patients.Pat...

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a multifaceted disease characterized by metabolic and reproductive disorders associated with hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance. Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline derivative alkaloid extracted from chinese medicinal herbs that has been used as an insulin sensitizer.BBR could represent a potential therapeutic tool for PCOS.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of BBR on the clinical, metabol...

Patients with hyperprolactinemia have impaired bone metabolism and bone mineral density (BMD) partially represents bone’s health.To evaluate vitamin D levels, PTH, Ca and P, BMD and bone morphometry in patients with prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas.Forty-four patients (30 W, 40±11 years, BMI 27.6±5 kg/m2) underwent to lumbar and femoral DEXA, to vertebral morphometry by X-ray and was calculated the S...

The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is not only the first cause of female infertility but also a complex, endocrine, multifaceted disease with important health implications. PCOS is often associated to the metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance represents the main characteristics for both these syndromes. The metabolic disturbances characteristic of insulin-resistant states have been linked to the role of mitochondrial function and in particular to the maximal oxygen cons...