Endocrine Abstracts

Glucokinase (GCK) serves as the blood glucose ‘sensor’ in pancreatic β-cells, being critically involved in transducing elevated blood glucose into increased insulin secretion. Inactivating GCK mutations cause a subtype of maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY), whereas activating mutations are a rare cause of hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia, usually presenting in infancy.We now describe the case of a 60-year-old woman who first presen...

Introduction: Several studies suggested a direct relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and increased risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). An inflammatory component, mainly mediated by IL-8, has been proposed as the primary link between MetS and BPH pathogenesis. MetS, is often associated with testosterone (T) deficiency and an imbalance between the androgen and estrogen ratio characterizes BPH patients.Methods: We investigated the effects...

Background: The presence of the metabolic syndrome (MS) increases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality but few data is available on the outcome in subjects with the MS and subclinical atherosclerosis.Aim: We aimed to assess cardio- and cerebro-vascular events in subjects with MS and subclinical atherosclerosis.Methods: We followed-up for 5 years 339 subjects with asymptomatic carotid intima-media thickness >0.9 mm, of whom 13...

Introduction: Adipose tissue dysfunction is associated to metabolic syndrome (MetS), a clustering of cardio-metaboilic risk factors, including hypogonadism. We recently demonstrated that T supplementation was able to ameliorate the metabolic profile and reduce visceral fat accumulation in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced rabbit model of MetS.Methods: We evaluated the differentiation capacity of preadipocytes (rPAD) obtained from visceral fat of the following ...

Background: Pheochromocytomas (Pheo) and paragangliomas (PGL) are rare, mostly benign tumors. Most of these tumors are sporadic but a significant percentage can be found as components of hereditary tumor syndromes caused by germline mutations of the VHL, RET, NF1, SDHD, SDHC, SDHB and the recently identified SDHAF2 genes. Germline mutations of these genes can be also found in several cases with apparently sporadic Pheo/PGL.<...

Introduction: Recent data suggest a reciprocal influence between bone and energy metabolism. Mediators have been identified as osteocalcin (OC), which stimulates insulin (IRI) secretion and activity and IRI as bone anabolic factor. Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) stimulates bone turnover, induces osteoporosis and is associated with increased IRI resistance. A positive relationship between OC and IRI sensitivity has been found in PHPT, but no data exist on the relationship b...

Thyroid hypophyseal adenomas correspond to about 0.5 to 1% of pituitary adenomas. Tumor hypersecretion of TSH may also be present in plurihormonal adenomas that simultaneously secrete growth hormone and/or prolactin or FSH and LH glycoprotein hormones. A 37-year-old patient complaining of ears, hands, feet and face growth for 1 year. He reported amenorrhea for 04 years, sweating and joint pains. Associated comorbidities: Systemic arterial hypertension for 4 years in the use of...

Aim: To measure interstitial cortisol obtained by adipose tissue microdialysis (MD) as well as serum total and free cortisol in 31 mechanically ventilated patients upon sepsis onset (days 1 and 2). MD tissue glucose, pyruvate, lactate, and glycerol were also measured (as markers of altered or disrupted local energy production).Methods: The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) on day 1 and the sequential organ failure assessment (SOF...