Endocrine Abstracts

Case history: An 85-year-old man with primary hyperparathyroidism, resistant to cinacalcet, presented to hospital with paranoid delusions, weakness, constipation and thirst. His past medical history was of vitamin D deficiency and arthritis of the spine. Regular medications were lansoprazole, senna, and fluticasone nasal spray. He was a never-smoker and had no relevant family history. Neck examination was unremarkable.Investigations: Corrected serum calc...

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...

Recent studies demonstrate an essential role of the EGF network in propagating the LH signal within ovarian preovulatory follicles. However, the molecular bases for the integration are poorly characterized. Here, we propose that the early LH signal leading to ovulation is amplified through activation of the EGF network.For this study, preovulatory follicles from euthanized gonadotropin-primed mice were isolated and cultured with or without recombinant LH...

Introduction: Thyroid nodules (TN) are common entities usually discovered during a physical exam or by chance with ultrasound (US) procedures performed for reasons different from thyroid check. The majority of nodules are benign, notwithstanding the growing incidence of thyroid cancer (TC), which increases much largely as compared to all other tumours each year and will be, presumably, the most incident malignancy in women after breast cancer. The clinical challenge relies on ...

Background: In patients affected with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) a high prevalence of hypogonadism has been reported, even if there is no consensus on its metabolic and cardiovascular implications, especially according to the type of hypogonadism. The aim of this observational study is to evaluate: (1) the prevalence of different types of hypogonadism in T2DM according to validated criteria from the EMAS study; (2) look for correlations of gonadal status with severity or ...

AimThe aim of this study was to evaluate: a) the prevalence of a previously unknown endocrine / metabolic dysfunction, namely hypogonadism, thyroid dysfunction, hyperprolactinemia, and diabetes or prediabetes, in a population of patients affected by Erectile Dysfunction (ED); b) the differences in ED severity according to the presence/absence of specific endocrine / metabolic dysfunctions.Material and Methods...

Introduction: CyberKnife (CK) is an emerging treatment for pituitary tumours (PT) resistant to other therapies.Patients and methods: We report long-term CK effect on endocrine function and tumour volume in 20 PT patients (11M/10F, mean age 58.6±14.4years). Twelve patients harboured a non functioning adenoma, 2 an ACTH, 5 a GH (one case of TSH co-secretion) and 2 a PRL-secreting PT. Before CK nine patients had normal while 11 presented impaired pitui...

Previously, we demonstrated an inverse correlation between CoenzymeQ10 (CoQ10) and thyroid hormones, suggesting its usefulness as index of thyroid hormone tissue effect. A low-T3 syndrome, observed in chronic diseases, is considered an adaptive mechanism and its treatment is still debated. To evaluate the metabolic status of these patients and antioxidant vs energetic role of CoQ10, we studied 32 patients, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), comparing respirator...

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...