Endocrine Abstracts

The pathological effects of glucocorticoids (GC) are exemplified by patients with Cushing’s syndrome who develop central obesity, insulin resistance and in some cases, type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is generally accepted that GC cause insulin resistance, however, both insulin and GC increase adipocyte differentiation. The question therefore arises as to how GC stimulate adipocyte differentiation whilst apparently making adipocytes insulin resistant. We have hypothesized tha...

The prevalence of obesity and its association with many health complications have evoked a high interest in adipose tissue metabolism. In man, glucocorticoid (GC) excess increases fat mass and the risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome. The enzyme responsible for modifying intracellular GC concentrations in adipose tissue is 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1). The aim of this study was to characterise the novel human preadipocyte cell line (Chub-S7) an...

The potential for primary tumour relapse is an important consideration during GH replacement therapy (GHR). We report 3 cases of relapse of intra cranial germ cell tumour (GCT) during GHR.Patient 1: An 11 year-old female presenting with visual loss and short stature due to a suprasellar malignant teratoma. She was successfully treated with bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatinum (BEP) and intrathecal chemotherapy. She suffered a first relapse two years late...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neurone disorder in human adults. Scanty data on endocrine abnormalities have been reported. Aim of the present study was to investigate the GH-IGF-I axis in ALS patients.22 ALS patients (12 men and 10 women), aged 46–77 years, performed GHRH+arginine test: blood samples for GH were collected at baseline, 30 and 60 minutes; IGF-I was determined at baseline. The control group consisted of 2...

Glucocorticoid (GC) excess is characterized by increased adiposity, skeletal myopathy and insulin resistance. Despite increasing use of GCs as therapeutic agents, the precise molecular mechanisms that underpin GC-induced insulin resistance are unknown. Within skeletal muscle, 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) converts cortisone (11-dehydrocorticosterone in rodents) to the active GC, cortisol (corticosterone in rodents) and thus amplifies local GC act...

Familial glucocorticoid deficiency (FGD) is a rare autosomal recessive disease due in ∼25% of cases to defects in the ACTH receptor (melcanocortin 2 receptor -MC2R). Slow progress in characterization of these mutations has been made in view of the difficulty in establishing a functional heterologous cell transfection system for the MC2R, and the best available models relate to the mouse Y6/OS3 cell lines. However we have shown previously that the melanocortin 2 receptor ...

Pituitary autoantibodies have been detected in patients with endocrine autoimmune diseases as well as in various pituitary diseases but their role in determining pituitary dysfunction is not clear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate anterior and posterior pituitary function in a group of patients with detectable pituitary autoantibodies.31 patients (29 women and 2 men) were enrolled in the study: 21 patients affected by Hashimoto’s thyroid...

Organ-specific autoantibodies have been detected in patients with autoimmune diseases. The relationship between pituitary autoantibodies and lymphocitic hypophysitis has not yet been established and it is not clear if they are a specific serological marker of the disease.The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of pituitary autoantibodies in patients affected by autoimmune and nodular thyroid disorders.803 patien...

The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety, feasibility and efficacy of HIFU (High Insensity Focused Ultrasound) for the destruction of thyroid nodules in patients who are indicated for thyroid surgery.Material and methods: 13 patients were treated by a HIFU device 2 weeks before thyroidectomy for euthyroid multinodular goiter. Ultrasound (US) examination was performed before and at 3, 8 and 15 days post treatment. Free T3, T4, TSH, thyroglobulin we...

Glucuronidation is an enzymatic process that terminally inactivates steroid hormones, including estrogens and androgens, thereby influencing carcinogenesis in hormone-dependent cancers. While estrogens drive breast carcinogenesis via the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), androgens play a critical role as prohormones for estrogen biosynthesis and ligands for the androgen receptor (AR). Herein, the expression and regulation of two androgen inactivating UDP-glucuronosyltransfer...