Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Nodular thyroid disease is common in the general population, but only 5% of thyroid nodules are carcinomas. The diagnostic challenge is to identify those nodules that are malignant neoplasias. Some sonographic features of nodules have been correlated with the risk of malignancy, but at present, thyroid cytology obtained by ultrasound-guided FNA is probably the best tool in the preoperative management of nodular disease.Design: We designed a...

Only a few cell lines are available for endocrine tumors which furthermore do not reflect heterogenous functional properties and specific therapeutic response rates of individual tumors. To facilitate patient individual treatments and thereby to optimize therapeutic efficacy, we are aiming at the development and characterisation of patient-individual tumor models. Pieces of surgical tumor specimen from four adrenocortical carcinomas, one aldosterone producing adenoma, one pheo...

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by variable combination of more than 20 types of endocrine and non-endocrine tumors: typically parathyroid glands, pancreatic islet cells and anterior pituitary gland are involved. We studied 20 patients (10M and 10F), affered to our Pituitary Unit in a period of 10 years. All patients had clinical diagnostic criteria suspected for MEN1 (presence of two endocrine tumors at least) and und...

Introduction: There is an increasing evidence of vitamin D role in maintaining normal glucose homeostasis. Gestational diabetes (GD) is related to insulin resistance and vitamin D deficiency has been linked with GD risk in some studies.Aims: To assess whether vitamin D levels are related with gestational diabetes in a group of healthy pregnant women.Subjects: The whole group included 845 pregnant women recruited from April 2009 to ...

Hepatic glucose metabolism is zonated. Glycolysis is mainly localized in hepatocytes surrounding the hepatic vein (pericentral zone) whereas gluconeogenesis is mainly carried out by hepatocytes surrounding the portal vein (periportal zone). Expression of the gene encoding the gluconeogenic enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK, PCK1) is reduced upon feeding, an effect mainly controlled by insulin. PEPCK is considered a peri-portal enzyme. However, the differential ef...

Summary: Physiological replacement of glucocorticoids in hypocortisolemic patients remains a challenge. We assessed the use of salivary cortisol and total serum cortisol profile with CBG measurement in monitoring glucocorticoid replacement in hypoadrenal patients in routine clinical practice.Methods: Serum and salivary cortisol concentrations were measured in 60 hypoadrenal patients previously documented to have cortisol deficiency on provocative testing...

PTH has been reported to enhance steroid secretion in vitro from human adrenocortical cells and some reports indicate an increased cortisol secretion in patients with PHPT that normalizes after surgery. Thus, the possible stimulatory effect of PTH on cortisol secretion could contribute to the impairment of bone status in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between parameters of adrenal function, bone metabolism and ...

Malignant intra ovarian tumor secreting glucocorticoïds is extremely rare (<5 cases reported in the world). Our aim is to report the first case observed in our practice. We also try to relate different mechanisms which are discussed in literature to explain intra ovarian position of adrenocortical tissue.Case report: KM, 34 years, female, mother of two children, came for lower limbs edema which began one month after last delivery. Clinical exam ...

Carney’s complex was first identified as the association of primary adrenal nodular dysplasia, lentigines and cardiac and skin myxomas. Several other endocrine and non-endocrine disorders were subsequently added to the complex, including pituitary tumors and melanotic Schwannomas. We herewith describe a kindred with Carney’s complex featuring acromegaly as the common denominator.Patients & methods: A 42-year-old woman first presented to our...

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is characterized by development of cardiovascular and metabolic complications. We retrospectively analyzed 78 patients with PA: 29 had aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA), and 49 had idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA). The study of complications was performed by examining the lipid and glucose profiles (OGTT, HOMA and Quicki indexes) and the echocardiographic parameters. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the aldosterone synthase (minus 344C/...