Endocrine Abstracts

The Spanish acromegaly registry (REA) is an online epidemiological database created in 1997 to collect clinical and biochemical data of patients with acromegaly followed in Spain.Aim: To study trends in acromegaly treatment over time in Spain.Methods: REA is an online database in which registered endocrinologists collect data from all acromegalic patients seen at their practices in Spain. In the last year the neuroendocrine group o...

Familial acromegaly (FA) is a rare disease with less than 150 cases published. For its diagnosis (FA), two or more cases of acromegaly in the same family and the absence of MEN1 and/or Carney syndrome are required. FA is in the familial isolated pituitary adenomas (FIPA) group although its genetic condition is still under investigation.The index case is an asymptomatic 43-year-old woman with a 4mm pituitary micro-adenoma. There were not acromegaly signs/...

Introduction: Epigenetic and genetic alterations contribute to cancer initiation and progression. These alterations may be playing a determinant role in the development of pituitary adenomas (PAs). One of these epigenetic processes is the DNA methylation and, specifically, methylation of Tumour Suppressor Genes (TSG). TSG are key elements that allow the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Due to epigenetic changes are reversible, a better understanding of the underlying epige...

Introduction: The silencing mechanisms of corticotroph tumors (CT) remain unclear. The most feasible hypothesis lies in a post-transcriptional deregulation of the POMC gene, precursor of ACTH. Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules involved in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression through their inhibitory action on messenger RNA. miRNAs capable of inhibiting the expression of POMC have been described at the level of neurons of the hypot...

Introduction: Silent somatotroph tumors (sST) are a pituitary neuroendocrine tumor subtype with positive immunostaining for growth hormone (GH) but without the presence of acromegaly. Unlike silent corticotroph tumors, there is little information in the literature on sST. The aim of the present study was to study the demographic, clinical and molecular characteristics in a series of ST in order to compare sST and functioning ST (fST).Methods: We have stu...

Purpose: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a fundamental component of gene regulation mechanisms. Presently, altered miRNA patterns of expression have been documented in different human cancers, and they may explain the distinct behavior of pituitary adenomas (PA) and the differences between subtypes. miR-375 can target among other genes to IGF1 receptor (IGF1R) and participes in reprogramming cancer cell metabolism. The aim of this study was to assess the miR-375 role on pathogenesis of...

Purpose: The 2004 edition of the WHO text ‘Histological typing of endocrine tumors’ classified pituitary adenomas (PA) on the basis of their histological and immunohistochemical characteristics. Recent advances on the knowledge of the molecular patterns of these tumours may allow establishing a molecular classification with higher accuracy and specificity than previous one.Methods: Within the pale of the multicenter Spanish Molecular Registry o...

Introduction: Inferior petrosal sinus sampling (IPSS) is considered to be the gold standard for confirming the source of ACTH secretion in patients with Cushing’s syndrome (CS). Prolactin measurement during IPSS can improve diagnostic accuracy and reduces false negative responses.Patients and methods: 56 patients with ACTH-dependent CS were included (45 F/11 M, mean age 43.6±10.8 years and 90.1% Cushing’s disease) diagnosed since 2000. IPS...

Purpose: IGF receptor 1 (IGF1R) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are receptors tyrosine-kinase (RTK) whose altered signaling are critical factors in development of many types of tumours. These RTK are some of the main targets of the microRNA miR-7. This important tumor supressor miRNA has the ability to inhibit the motility, invasiveness and anchorage-independent growth, suggesting a strong therapeutic potential in many types of cancer. Pituitary adenomas (PA) are a...

Introduction: Silent corticotroph tumours (SCT) are a pituitary tumours (PT) subtype of corticotroph lineage that do not clinically express Cushing disease. Inmunohistochemical (IHC) studies reveal no differences between SCT and functioning corticotroph tumours with Cushing Syndrome (FCT). However, the silencing mechanisms of this type of tumours are not fully understood.Aim: In an important series of SCT, to sequence the POMC gene and quantify ...