Endocrine Abstracts

Prokineticins (Prok1 and Prok2) are chemokine-like peptides, which regulate through two G-protein-coupled receptors, ProkR1 and ProkR2, different physiological and pathological functions. Prok1 plays a significant role in tumour development and progression in several tissues. There are few data on the involvement of Prok1 and ProkR1 in testicular cancer. Aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of Prok1 and ProkR1 in a series of testicular germ cell tumours (GCT).<...

Somatostatin (SS) receptors (SSR) expression may be modulated by estrogens in breast cancer cells. Aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of estradiol (E2) on SSR levels in prostate epithelial cells (PEC).Methods: We investigated the effects of E2 and SS-analogue SOM230 combined treatment on two PEC lines: EPN that expresses both ERalfa and beta and CPEC, showing no ERalfa and very low ERbeta expression. Cells starved in red ...

Erythrocytosis is a frequent adverse event associated with testosterone (T) administration in aged hypogonadal men, but the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. T administration to aged men reduced hepcidin (Hpc) levels, a cytokine regulating iron availability, suggesting a potential role in deregulated erythropoiesis. Aim of present study was to evaluate the effects of T replacement therapy on Hpc levels in young hypogonadal men.Methods: Fifty-...

Polyclonal antibodies against somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) available up to now recognizing intracellular sites of receptors and their recycling products do not detect bioactive ligand binding domains (LBDs) and are of limited performance in paraffin-embedded tissues. Aim of this study was to evaluate by immunohistochemistry the expression of SSTR5 on an archival series of pituitary tumors using a new MoAbs against the SST-binding domain (Y-SSTR5).Metho...

Reversible Kallmann syndrome (KS) is a rare variant of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) reported in men, in which gonadotropin, testosterone (T) and fertility recover spontaneously following treatment with gonadotropins or T. In a few cases mutations of FGFR1 and KAL1 genes have been found. In this report we describe a subject with a KS carrying a new homozygous mutation of PROK-R2 gene and displaying an apparent reversal of his reproductive condition. The proband, born from...

ICH is a rare disease characterized by a complex pathogenesis, but with a strong genetic component. ICH may be associated to several other morphogenetic or inborn defects, such as the osmic defects that identify the Kallmann syndrome (KS). The description of several pedigrees including relatives affected either with isolated osmic defects or KS or normoosmic ICH (nICH) justifies the emerging idea of ICH as a complex genetic disease characterized by variable expressivity and pe...

ICH is a heterogeneous disease mainly due to functional defects of GnRH neurons. Recent studies have described the importance of prokineticin pathway in the pathogenesis of these defects. In a series of 166 ICH patients we found germline mutations affecting this pathway in about 10% of the cases. PROKR2 gene analysis revealed 3 novel (V158I, T260M, V334M) and 4 already known (L173R, R268C, V274D, V331M) mutations affecting different transmembrane and intracellular regions of t...

High levels of macrophage inflammatory proteins (MIP1α and MIP1β), related to the recruitment of Th1 and Th2 cells, respectively, have been evidenced in some organ and non organ-specific autoimmune diseases. CXCL10/IP10 has been evidenced in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD) and in Addison’s disease (AD); MIP1α and MIP1β chemokines have not been so far evaluated in these diseases.Aim: To evaluate plasmatic levels MIP...