Endocrine Abstracts

Diabetes mellitus is one of the greatest health crises of our time. In response to diabetic stress, pancreatic beta-cells undergo a set of profound phenotypical alterations, including dedifferentiation, polyploidisation and hypertrophy, and apoptosis. Although we know that thyroid hormone (TH) signalling controls these phenomena in response to various injuries, little is known about its role in the pathobiology of diabetic pancreas. The aim of this study was to investigate the...

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) and cardiomyopathy (DC) are two major complications of diabetes that account for over two thirds of deaths among diabetic patients. Our previous studies have shown that thyroid hormone (TH) signalling – in addition to its critical role in physiological growth and organ development – plays similar roles in pathological conditions that encompass cellular dedifferentiation, cyto-architectural reorganization and compensatory growth. Though the r...

Background: A variety of hormones may be down-regulated in CHF patients. Impaired activity of the GH/IGF-1 axis has been described and is associated with poor clinical status and outcome. Moreover, a decrease in serum T3 is correlated to the severity of the heart disease as assessed by the NYHA classification. Aim of this study was to evaluate a possible correlation between IGF-1 levels and T3 status in a cohort of CHF outpatients.M...

Introduction: Cushing’s Disease (CD) has been associated with the occurrence of psychopathologies, the most frequent of which are depression and anxiety. However, the extent of psychopathological disturbances of CD in the 21st century is elusive.Objectives: To explore psychopathologies and body image uneasiness (BIU) in untreated CD patients.Patients & methods: It was a prospective observational study enrolling 23 consecut...

Background: A recent cross-sectional study showed that both comorbidities and mortality in patients with adrenal incidentaloma (AI) are tied to sex. However, only few longitudinal studies evaluating the development of arterial hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and bone impairment in patients with AI are available. The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of sex in the development of these comorbidities during long-term follow-up.Patients an...

In order to determine the influence of PCOS and obesity on vascular parameters, we studied 25 patients with PCOS (10 with normal body mass index – BMI – and 15 obese) without classic cardiovascular risk factors (IGT or DM, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia) and 23 control women (12 with normal BMI and 11 obese), pairwise matched for BMI, through a non-invasive method using high resolution ultrasound imaging. Global age range was 26.0±4.7 years. The mean values...

Background: PCBs are chemical pollutants able to promote inflammation and carcinogenesis. They can accumulate in human tissues through the food chain causing a variety of adverse health effects. The NF-E2 p45-related factor 2 (NRF2) and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) are ligand activated transcription factors controlling pathways modulating xenobiotic metabolism. Increasing evidence indicate the involvement of AhR in regulating extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis. ECM ...

Background/aims: Caregivers play a crucial role in self-management of long-term conditions. The aim of this literature review was to explore the impact that Type 2 diabetes has on the caregivers’ quality of life (QoL) and its significance in integrated healthcare.Methods: A search was undertaken in CINAHL, MEDLINE, BNI and ASSIA using combinations of the following keywords limited to adults, humans and published in English in the last 10 years: 1: c...

Patient Demographics: 22-month-old female, severe failure to thrive.Past History: Birth weight 5 lb 11 oz at term, grew well for 4 months and then deviating progressively below the curve in height and weight.Physical exam: Length 66 cm (−5.1 SD), weight 6.6 kg (−6.7 SD). Prominent forehead and midfacial hypoplasia noted. Muscle mass decreased.Family history: Mother&#1...

A 22-year-old female complaining about irregular menses associated to a slight increase of serum PRL and the recent onset of headache, nausea, dizziness, photophobia, occasional diplopia, visual impairment, anxiety and panic attacks was evaluated for the possible presence of a cerebral mass with intracranial hypertension. Fundoscopic examination and visual field were both normal. There was an empty sella with a flattened pituitary gland along the floor of the pituitary fossa a...