Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Since primary amenorrhea because of ovarian dysfunction is a common complication in women with Turner syndrome (TS), sex hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is mandatory for induction of puberty, such as acquisition of secondary sexual characteristics and increased bone density. However, appropriate treatment protocols have not yet been established. To evaluate the efficacy of HRT on puberty induction in our department, a retrospective analysis was conducted.<p...

Purpose: For vaginoplasty of Rokitansky syndrome, we use oxidized regenerated cellulose instead of bio-craft that has been used in the past because it requires a less invasive and more physiological surgery. However, the mechanism of epithelialization of this procedure is still not clear. There is a report that differentiation and proliferation of the vaginal epithelium of newborn mice is promoted by administration of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).<p class="abstext...

Purpose: Disorders of sex development (DSD) are defined as having, ‘A chromosome, germinal gland, or anatomical structure that is atypical in the native state’. There are two types of patients with DSD who consult a gynecologist: patients diagnosed in childhood (group A), and patients diagnosed based on unusual secondary sex characteristics in adolescence (group B). In group A, gynecologists are required as a member of a multidisciplinary medical team for DSD. On the...

Obesity is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the Western world, and its prevalence is dramatically increasing. Although obesity is primarily a metabolic disease, immunological aberrations also significantly contribute to obesity-related morbidity. The well-established state of chronic low-grade inflammation is considered to be crucial in the development of complications such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. Moreover, obesity is associated with increased suscept...

In recent years, it was demonstrated that tumor infiltrating and circulating regulatory and cytotoxic T-cells are associated with clinical outcome in several solid tumors. However, their role in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) was never studied, although 60% of these tumors secrete autonomously cortisol, a well-established potent immunosuppressant that most likely influences the balance between different T-cells.Firstly, we analyzed the circulating regula...

Background: N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as α linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been shown to modify several key risk factors for cardiovascular disease, although n-6 PUFA arachidonic acid (AA) has important roles in inflammation. However, it is not clear whether the apparent protection of n-3 PUFA against cardiovascular disease has been found in diabetic patients.Methods: To clari...

Kit ligand (KL)-c-kit interaction is critical for oogenesis and folliculogenesis in the ovary. However, the significance of KL-c-kit loop in ovarian steroidogenesis has yet to be elucidated. We here investigated the impact of KL-c-kit interaction in regulation of steroidogenesis using rat primary granulosa cells co-cultured with oocytes. Treatment with soluble KL suppressed FSH-induced estradiol production and aromatase mRNA expression without changing FSH-induced progesterone...

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is a relatively rare autosomal dominantly inherited condition characterized by hyperplastic and neoplastic disorders of endocrine organs such as the parathyroid, anterior pituitary and gastroenteropancreatic endocrine tissues. Germline mutation of the causative gene, MEN1, which localizes to human chromosome 11q13 and encodes the 610 amino-acid nuclear protein menin, can be identified in most affected subjects. MEN1 gene mutation anal...

Testosterone reduces myocardial ischaemia in men with coronary artery disease (CAD) and improves symptoms and exercise capacity in men with congestive heart failure (CHF), effects proposed to be due to testosterone-induced vasodilatation. Isolated vessel studies suggest this occurs via a calcium antagonistic action upon voltage-gated Ca2+ channels but this has yet to be investigated directly.We therefore employed patch clamp methodology to stu...

Background: The FSHB –211 G > T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is known to affect pituitary FSH output by reducing the transcriptional activity of FSHB. Identifying the response of the pituitary to exogenous GnRH stimulation in subjects with FSHB -211 G > T SNP could provide useful information concerning the mechanisms regulating FSH synthesis and release.Objectives: This study aimed to assess the pituitary...