Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: E-cadherins are found in epithelial tissue. Reduced expression in somatotroph pituitary adenomas has been demonstrated to correlate with dedifferentiated phenotype; reduced tumour size, increased invasiveness, and reduced somatostatin analog response. Recently, correlations between corticotroph tumour dedifferentiation and both E-cadherin immunostaining and reduced E-cadherin gene (CDH1) mRNA was demonstrated.Glucocorticoids induces ...

Background: Signal intensity in T2 weighted (w) MRI in somatotroph pituitary adenomas has been described to correlate with histological granulation pattern. Long-term somato-statin analogue (SSA)-response is associated with both histological subtype and T2wMRI.Objective: To describe secretory baseline characteristics in newly diagnosed acromegalic patients in relation to T2 signal intensity. Moreover, to test whether T2 w images could predict preoperativ...

Background: In many acromegalics neurosurgery is unable to control GH secretion while it may harm the normal pituitary.Objective: To investigate the effect of pre-treatment with octreotide on surgical outcome in acromegaly.Methods: Previously untreated acromegalics were randomised directly to surgery or octreotide for six month before transsphenoidal surgery. Three months postoperatively patients underwent OGTT and Insulin Toleranc...

Background: Diabetes mellitus is prevalent in adults with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS), and GH therapy may deteriorate glucose balance.Design: We prospectively investigated effects of 12 months of GH treatment on body composition and insulin resistance in relation to BMI in forty-two adults, mean(±S.D.) age 28.5±6.7 years with genetically verified PWS. Three patients with known diabetes were excluded. Data from baseline and 1...

Background: Growth hormone (GH) is known to have stimulatory effects on bone tissue through a complex interaction of GH, IGF-1 and IGFBPs. The gonadal status is also thought to influence bone metabolism. Bone mass in patients with acromegaly reflects the long-time effects of GH excess on bone. However, data on bone status in acromegaly have been conflicting.Objective: The object of the study was to examine the impact of chronic GH excess on bone mass and...

Background: Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT)/PBEF/visfatin is a widely expressed cytokine with various effects on glucose and lipid metabolism, cell survival, and inflammation. Despite a favorable body composition profile, acromegalic patients present insulin resistance, increased cardiovascular risk, and higher incidence of secondary tumors.Aim: Based on its relation to glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammation we hypothesized that NAM...

Introduction: The proto-oncogene KIT (CD117) is widely expressed in neoplastic tissues. Gain-of-function mutations of the KIT gene were found in some types of leukaemia, gastrointestinal stromal tumours, germinal cell tumours and rarely in other malignancies. Studies on the KIT protein and gene in different tumours have been intensified by the availability of imatinibe mesylate, KIT/PDGFRA inhibitor.Methods: We have immunohistochemically investiga...