Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Previous data from our group suggested a role for the GH/IGF1 axis in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis in thalassemia (Clin Endocrinol 69:202, 2008). The present study was aimed at evaluating the relationships between circulating IGFs and bone metabolism and density in a very large series of adult thalassemic patients.Study design: One hundred and thirty-nine patients affected by thalassemia major (mean age 32.3±7.87 years) underwen...

ACTH is the product of proteolytic processing of its precursor, proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and, in turn, is subject to proteolytic degradation. Regulation of proteolysis is crucial to several intracellular processes, including protein activation and inactivation, and thus contributes to active peptide concentrations. The proteosome 26S/ubiquitin system (UPS) is the main, non-lisosomial intracellular proteolytic pathway and alterations to this system have been observed in both ...

Introduction: Metachronic metastasis of renal carcinoma to the thyroid gland, a rare entity occurring sometimes many years after nephrectomy, have been already reported by literature. Thyroidal synchronous metastasis, instead, are more uncommon. We herein report a patient with thyroidal metastasis and intrajugular thrombo embolic involvement as initial presentation of a misunderstood renal carcinoma.Case Report: A 83-years-old woman, with silent medical ...

Retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A, has recently yielded promising results in the treatment of Cushing’s disease (Pecori Giraldi et al. JCEM 2012). Its main site of action appears to be the tumoural corticotrope as retinoic acid inhibits POMC transcription and corticotrope proliferation (Paez-Pereda et al. JCI 2001). Studies on tumoural adrenal cell lines have revealed an additional inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and stimulated co...

An increased prevalence of acromegaly and pituitary tumors has recently been observed in high industrial density areas (Cannavò et al. J Endocrinol 2010) or after dioxin exposure (Pesatori et al. Eur J Endocrinol 2008). These data as well as vitro studies on endocrine disruptors (EDs) suggest that environmental pollutants may affect hormonal secretion and pituitary cell proliferation (Blake et al. Proc Soc Exp Biol...

Priming with sex steroids prior to stimulation tests for the diagnosis of GH deficiency (GHD) in peripubertal years remains controversial, though some evidence suggests its utility in improving the specificity of GH testing for the distinction between idiopathic GHD (IGHD) and constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP). However, few data are available on the final height (FH) of untreated CDGP patients. In order to better understand the usefulness of priming, we analyze...

A 69-year-old woman developed hypertension, polyuria and hyperglycemia over the course of several months. The initial biochemical investigation revealed ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism (UFC 409.7 μg/24 h, NR 10–80; ACTH 43.3 pg/ml, NR 8–50; OST 28 μg/dl) and moderately elevated urinary catecholamines (E 80.5 μg/24 h, NR 2.5–33.6; norE 235.8 μg/24 h, NR 18.1–128.2). Further investigations disclosed absent ACTH and cortisol responses to CR...

Biochemical control of acromegaly is currently defined by the achievement of GH suppression after oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and of normal age- and gender-matched IGF1 levels. OGTT is believed to inhibit somatotropin secretion by enhancing central somatostatinergic tone; thus, the use of this test in evaluating biochemical control in acromegalic patients on somatostatin analogues (SSA) is questionable. To gain further insights into this topic, we analyzed basal and nad...

Glucocorticoids are known to exert a stimulatory action on white blood cell precursor proliferation but little is known on erythrocyte counts in patients with Cushing’s syndrome.Aim: Of the present study was to assess red and white blood cell parametres in a large series of patients with Cushing’s syndrome and follow the blood cell changes after postsurgical remission or persistence of hypercortisolism.Methods: Of 84 pati...

Background: QT interval reflects cardiac ventricular repolarization and, if prolonged, increases the risk of malignant arrhythmias such as torsade de pointes. QT interval duration is similar in boys and girls during childhood but shortens in males after puberty. In fact, reference limits for QTc in adults reflect this difference, i.e. lower than 460 ms in women and lower than 440 ms in men. Experimental studies suggest that testosterone is the major contributor to shortening o...