Endocrine Abstracts

PD-1/PD-L1 pathway is a key regulator in T-cell activation and tolerance. Nivolumab, pembrolizumab (a PD-1 inhibitors) and atezolizumab (a PD-L1 inhibitor) are monoclonal antibodies approved for treatment of advanced cancers. Autoimmune thyroid diseases are the most common immune-related adverse effects (IrAEs) occurring after anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 therapy, whereas autoimmune hypophysitis is described more frequently in patients treated with anti-CTLA-4. IrAEs can be isolate...

Context: Monoclonal antibodies to Immune Check Point inhibitors (ICPis) are powerful anti-cancer drugs. They trigger the immune system against cancer cells, blocking inhibitory signals of T-Cells. However, ICPi therapy can also stimulate autoimmune reactions, inducing the so-called immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Endocrinopathies are common iRAEs and thyroid disfunction is the most common endocrinopathy during ICP therapy. We report three cases of thyroid disfunction du...

Objectives: A sporadic association between thyroid and non-organ-specific autoimmunity has been reported, which could be relevant for Graves’ orbitopathy (GO), an autoimmune disease affecting orbital connective tissue. We investigated whether there is an association between GO and anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs).Methods: We performed a cross-sectional investigation in 265 consecutive patients with Graves’ disease (GD) who came to our observation...

Objectives: A role of IgG4 in Graves’ disease (GD) has been proposed, although the available data are conflicting. In addition, an association between Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) and IgG4-related disease has been postulated, but no firm demonstration has been obtained. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of IgG4 in GD.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional investigation in 351 consecutive patients (F=284, M=67; age 48.2...

Background: Sirolimus is an immunosuppressive drug with anti-fibrotic and anti-proliferative activities. In vitro, sirolimus inhibits differentiation of orbital fibroblasts from patients with Graves’ orbitopathy (GO), suggesting a possible use in clinical practice.Methods: We performed a retrospective investigation aimed at evaluating the effects of sirolimus as a second-line treatment for moderate-to-severe, active GO, compared with methyl...