Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Acromegaly is a rare chronic and debilitating disease. More than half of patients are not well controlled and most of them require chronic surveillance. Although IGF1 and GH circulating levels are the main targets, they are not in close relationship with the behaviour of the tumour, the clinical course of the disease, the therapy response and the associated comorbidities. Metabolomics is an emergent research tool that we have used to examine in a massive manner the...

Introduction: FKBP5 is a protein that regulates glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity, via an ultra-short negative feedback mechanism. Variations in the FKBP5 gene can influence the response to glucocorticoids (GC). Hypercortisolaemia plays a role on impairment of brain function and could be mediated by epigenetic variations of the FKBP5 gene. Cushing’s syndrome (CS), a disease characterized by hypercortisolaemia, is associated with memory deficits, lower ...

Context: In the background population, maternal TSH levels >2.5 mUI/l in late pregnancy have been reported to be associated with breech presentation. This has not been addressed in women treated with levothyroxine.Aim: Our aim was to study the relationship of 3rd trimester maternal TSH with caesarean section (CS) due to foetal malposition in pregnant women treated with levothyroxine since before pregnancy.Methods: We have studi...

Introduction: Acromegaly is associated with increased bone turnover and skeletal fragility. Although the GH/IGF1 system plays an important role in bone homeostasis, effects of GH excess on the Wnt signalling pathway are to be determined. Bone quantitative CT (QCT) provides a volumetric, tridimensional measure of bone mass at the trabecular and cortical level.Aim: i) To compare volumetric bone density (vBMD) using QCT in patients with acromegaly vs gender...

Introduction: Pregnancy in hypopituitary women is a rare and poorly studied clinical condition. Management difficulties and obstetrical complications have been associated with this condition.Objectives: To define the characteristics, follow-up and perinatal outcomes in hypopituitary pregnant women attended at our centre.Methods: The clinical data of the hypopituitary pregnant women (deficiency of two or more pituitary hormones), an...

Background: Acromegaly (ACRO) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, however, there is no evidence of an increase in ischemic heart disease in these patients. We hypothesized that non-classical cardiovascular risk factors such as epicardial fat (EF), interventricular septum thickness (IST), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), may be increased in ACRO and contribute to this higher cardiovascular morbidity.Objective: To eva...

Introduction: Hypercortisolism in Cushing’s syndrome (CS) determines increased mortality and morbidity. Hypercortisolism is also present in chronic depressive disorders and stress, where telomere length (TL) is shorter than in controls. We hypothesized that telomere shortening may occur and contribute to premature morbidity in CS.Aim: Investigate TL in CS compared to matched controls, and longitudinally in a subset of CS patients evaluated both with...

Introduction: Several clinical and molecular markers can be used to establish risk at the time of diagnosis in DTC. Thyroglobulin (Tg), which is essential in follow up, could be an early marker to identify risk patients. Around 25% of patients require 18 months or longer to have indetectable Tg. The presence of Tg antibodies (TgAb) invalidate the follow up of DTC via Tg and this is usually associated with a poor prognosis.Aim: To evaluate the role of Tg ...

Background: Acromegaly (ACRO) is associated with greater cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, however, this is not entirely explained by the increase in classic cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF). C-reactive protein, galectin 3, adiponectin, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), apolipoprotein E, interleukin-6 and echocardiographic variables such as epicardial fat (EF) and interventricular septum thickness (IST) have been suggested as non-classical CVRF in the general populatio...

Introduction: Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is associated with increased mortality and morbidities. Hypercortisolism is also present in chronic mood disorders (CMD) and stress, where telomere length (TL) has been found to be shorter than in matched controls. Since hypercortisolism is present in CS and CMD, we hypothesized that telomere shortening could also be present in CS. The aim of this study was to investigate TL in CS patients compared to matched controls.<p class="ab...