Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) currently presents treatment of choice for Cushing’s disease (CD). Dependent on tumor size, remission rates after initial TSS range from 66 to 94%. In ACTH-secreting pituitary macroadenomas, remission rates are reported to be lower. Visible adenomas on preoperative MRI or intraoperatively and neurosurgical expertise might contribute to successful TSS.Design: A retrospective, single center analysis in 51 CD...

NVP-BEZ235 is an orally available ATP competitive inhibitor of class I PI3K and mTOR. As such it suppresses Akt phosphorylation downstreams to PI3K and to mTOR complex 2 in addition to p70/S6K1 phosphorylation downstreams to mTOR complex 1 and displays potent antiproliferative activity in tumors with dysregulated the PI3K/Akt pathway. Administration of NVP-BEZ235 in human nonfunctioning pituitary tumors in primary cell culture suppressed cell viability by more than 50% in 37 o...

Background: Recent studies demonstrated partial or complete hypopituitarism in 30–70% of survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Hyperprolactinemia may indicate damage of the pituitary stalk or the hypothalamus. Physical and psychological stress and a considerable list of medications can also lead to increased prolactin values.Methods: Prolactin was measured in 103 male and 54 female patients aged 14 to 89 years ...

The meningioma is a tumour that arises from cells that form a fibrous membrane, covering the brain. They account for around 15percent of intracranial tumours and about 7percent of all people dying from brain tumours. These tumours occur more frequently in women than in men and this has lead to the suggestion that oestrogens have a role in their development and growth. Studies a decade ago with antioestrogens have proved inconclusive and therefore a medical therapy based on ant...

IGF-I receptors (IGF-IR) and their aberrant signaling cascade contribute to the pathogenesis of several solid cancers. Pituitary adenomas express IGF-IR and present with overactivation of the IGF-IR pathway. The aim of the study was to identify the potential antiproliferative action of the small molecule IGF-IR inhibitor NVP-TAE226 on acromegalic (n=11) and nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA; n=15) in primary cell culture. Changes in cell viability were dete...

Introduction: Patients with craniopharyngeoma often have disturbances of the hypothalamic–pituitary axis and serious comorbidities as obesity. We hypothesized, that the pattern of hormones regulating the nutritional status is worsened in adult patients with craniopharyngioma (CP) compared to adult patients with non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA).Methods: We included 33 patients with CP (m=16, f=17, median age: 48 years (26–7...

Introduction: Treatment with dopamine agonists in patients with prolactinomas and Parkinson’s disease is associated with central side effects. Central side effects may depend on a substance’s ability to pass the blood-brain barrier which can be actively controlled by transporter molecules such as the P-glycoprotein encoded by the ABCB1 gene.Aim of the study: To determine whether cabergoline is transported by the P-glycoprotein and whether polym...

Background: Cushing’s syndrome is a disease that presents with clear symptoms and causes considerable harm to the body if left untreated, yet often remains undiagnosed for prolonged periods of time. Face-classification software might recognize typical changes of the face and thus aid in diagnosing the disease early as we have previously shown in the classification of acromegaly.Methods: Using a regular compact digital camera, we took frontal and sid...

Acromegaly is accompanied by increased morbidity and mortality. The delay between onset of first symptoms and diagnosis of the disease is 6 to 10 years. Acromegaly causes typical changes of the face. We hypothesized that face classification software might help distinguishing between subjects with and without acromegaly on regular photographs and, thus, might help improving early recognition of acromegaly.Methods: We took frontal and side photographs of t...

Recent evidence shows that patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at substantial risk of hypopituitarism. However, the pathomechanisms are still not completely understood. Little is known about the association of morphological changes in the sella region with pituitary function in TBI. In this study, we assessed morphological abormalities of the sella region in patients with TBI and their relation to endocrine function.We have studied MR or CT sc...