Endocrine Abstracts

Central obesity and insulin resistance are more prevalent in women with PCOS, affecting both normal weight and obese subjects. The metabolic effects of insulin are partially dependent on the amount of lean mass and insulin resistance seems to selectively affect the metabolic, but not the mitogenic, actions of insulin. Therefore, this age-matched case-control study assessed total and segmental lean muscle mass in classic or ovulatory polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients an...

Introduction: Pituitary somatotrop adenomas are very rare in children and adolescents. They are supposed to be more invasive (invasion of cavernous sinuses or meninges±compression of adjacent neural structures) than adults’ones. We aimed to analyze their characteristics, and their complications.Patients and subjects: are studied subjects whose clinical symptoms began before 20 years old. They all had biological, hormonal, ophthalmological, radi...

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is known to be produced and secreted by normal rat corticotropes and to contribute in a paracrine manner to POMC synthesis and ACTH secretion in these cells. The regulation of intrapituitary CRH however still has to be clarified.Aim: This study was to establish whether CRH gene expression can be measured in rat pituitaries in vitro and whether CRH modulates its own gene expression within the pitu...

Introduction: CyberKnife (CK), an innovative LINAC-based robotic device for frameless stereotactic surgery, is an emerging approach in the management of tumours of the sellar region.Patients and methods: In total, 14 patients (six men, mean age 52.7 years) with sellar tumours (three craniopharyngiomas and 11 pituitary adenomas) were evaluated. Pituitary adenomas (PA) were non-functioning (7), GH-secreting (2), one GH/TSH-secreting (1) or PRL-secreting (1...

There are considerable variations in diagnosis and therapeutical practices in hyperthyroidism (HT) between countries. Few of these differences rely on a scientific basis. we present the results of a study conducted among a representative sample of 263 French endocrinologists. All consecutive patients seen for HT during the study period were included. Symptoms, biological data and treatment were recorded. 1214 patients with hyperthyroidism were included, 1144 had an identified ...

Introduction: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can be accompanied by thyroid cancer. It is reported that there is an association between selenium deficiency and thyroid cancer. In addition, it is known that chronic inflammation is another causal factor in the etiology of cancer.In this study, we aimed to determine whether selenium or oxidative stress is a modifying factor for the association between Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and cancer.<p class="abste...

Medical treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is limited to common cytotoxic agents, which are usually given in combination with mitotane. Recently we have developed a novel therapeutic approach by coupling a monoclonal IGF1 receptor blocking antibody (1H7) to sterically stabilized liposomal doxorubicin (SSLD). 1H7 coupled liposomes showed in vitro high and significant cellular association and furthermore internalization in various human tumor cell lines as well a...

Estrogen exposure has been linked to a risk for the development of testicular germ cell cancers. The effects of estrogen are now known to be mediated by estrogen receptor α (ERα) and ERβ subtypes, but only ERβ has been found in human germ cells of normal testis. However, its expression was markedly diminished in seminomas, embryonal cell carcinomas, and in mixed germ cell tumours but remains high in teratomas. PATZ1 is a recently discovered zinc finger prot...

BACKGROUND: DHEA and DHEAS, can be converted into Androstenedione, T and DHT as well as oestrogens by peripheral tissues. In normal men the conversion rate of IV-infused radiolabelled DHEAS to T is only 0.7%. In hypogonadal men, this conversion rate may be increased. We hypothesise that a pharmacological dose of orally administered DHEA may be able to raise plasma T into the normal range in hypogonadal men. METHODS: Local Ethical Committee Approval was obtained. Two groups (n=...

We report a 36 year old woman of African origin with a background of HIV and previous AIDS defining pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient has been well on highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) since May 2000. She presented in March 2001 with a four weeks history of fatigue, weight loss, palpitations, polyuria and weakness. Her mother had type 2 diabetes. There is no family history of thyroid disease. Examination showed a thyrotoxic state, a smooth diffuse goitre and prox...