Endocrine Abstracts

The importance of measuring renin or plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone in establishing mineralocorticoid deficiency is not in doubt. Once mineralocorticoid replacement therapy is initiated, guidance suggests that optimization of mineralocorticoid dose should be based upon measurements of blood pressure, renin (or PRA), and electrolytes. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between renin and clinically important variables to determine whether measurem...

Background: Testicular ultrasound (US) is routinely employed in the evaluation of reproductive and sexual function. However, its use for characteristics other than testicular volume is hampered by a lack of information on the prognostic value of its findings, that to date have only been incorporated in a score proposed by Lenz et al. in 1993.Objectives: We sought to explore whether testicular US examination can predict spermatogenesis and provid...

Introduction: In humans, testosterone treatment affects body fat distribution and metabolism. The mechanisms involved in these processes are not yet fully understood. We investigated whether sex hormones modulate the expression and activity of type1 11-β-hydroxy-steroid-dehydrogenase (11β-HSD1). 11β-HSD1 catalyses the conversion of inactive cortisone into active cortisol, a key step for the development of functional adipocytes. Based on previous studies an inhib...

Introduction: Hypoparathyroidism is the only endocrine deficiency for which replacement therapy with the missing hormone is not part of the clinical practice. High quality evidence on the use of PTH 1-34 or PTH 1-84 in hypoparathyroidism is missing.Objective: We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PTH 1-34 and PTH 1-84, and to compare the two treatments when possible.Methods: We searched databases up to March 2021 for random...

Introduction: Glucose metabolism impairment is a common complication of acromegaly. Somatostatin analogs (SSAs) are used as both first and second line treatment. The effect of SSAs on glucose metabolism in acromegaly is still debated.Aim: To address the following questions: 1) do SSAs affect glucose metabolism? 2) does the effect correlate with disease control? 3) do different SSAs – Lanreotide (LAN) and octreotide LAR (OCT) – affect metabolism...

Background: Hypothalamic-pituitary function and adipose tissue are deeply interconnected. Obesity has been linked to morpho-functional changes in several endocrine glands (thyroid, adrenal, gonads). No study has quantified the appearance of the pituitary gland in obese subjects.Aim: To measure pituitary signal intensity, homogeneity and texture of the pituitary gland at magnetic resonance (MR) in obese subjects free of focal pituitary disease.<p clas...

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) show promising efficacy in the treatment of a wide range of advanced cancers, butlong-term response is currently limited to a subset of patients. Sarcopenia is a condition characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass and decreased muscle function which occurs in approximately 50% of advanced cancer patients,related to malnutrition, inflammation, and treatments.Objective: The aim of this prospective o...

Background: Patients with adrenal incidentalomas and possible autonomous cortisol secretion (pACS) suffer from a high rate of cardiovascular events and mortality. We have previously showed that left ventricular mass index (LVMi) is higher in patients with pACS, compared with patients with non-functioning adenomas (NFA). To date, the management of pACS is still controversial, with a lack of consensus regarding the benefits of surgery.Objectives: This pros...

Background: Overt hypercortisolism is highly associated with venous thromboembolism. Patients with Cushing’s syndrome (CS) typically show an alteration of the intrinsic coagulation pathway, especially an increase in factor VIII (f-VIII), and increased levels of coagulation inhibitors (i.e., antithrombin III) as a compensatory response. Mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) has been variably associated with higher risk of cardiovascular events and mortality compared to...

Introduction: Immune tumor microenvironment plays a key role in tumors’ growth and metastatic spread, while its role in the heterogeneous field of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) remains unclear. There is evidence that tumor progression in NENs is promoted by an immunosuppressed microenvironment created by a plethora of infiltrating immune cells. Changes in circulating leukocyte and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) subpopulations can mirror the local alteration of...