Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is overexpressed in almost all human cancers (including thyroid). High serum levels are generally associated with an adverse prognosis, although the evidence related to thyroid cancer is still controversial.Aim: We aimed to evaluate pre- and post-surgical serum MMP-9 levels for its diagnostic and prognostic value in a series of patients with benign thyroid disease (BD) or differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DT...

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the frequencies of vitamin D receptor (VDR) Bsm1, Fok1, ApaI, TaqI and estrogen receptor α (ESR1) PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms in Romanian patients and to investigate their involvement in postmenopausal osteoporosis.Methods: The study was carried out on 82 postmenopausal women, aged over 60, divided into two groups: group 1-postmenopausal women with osteoporosis (34 subjects), group 2-postmenopausal ...

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the ‘master clock’ of the mammalian brain. It coordinates the peripheral clock in body, including the pineal clock that receives SCN input via a multisynaptic noradrenergic pathway. Melatonin is exclusively involved in signaling the ‘time of day’, ‘time of year’ to all tissues and is thus considered to be the chronological pacemaker or ‘zeitgeber’.Objective: To determine the chr...

Introduction: Osteoporosis is the most frequent metabolic bone disease worldwide affecting primarily the senior population. The associated bone loss in combination with a decline in physical performance lead to increased incidence of falls and fragility fractures. Thus, improving physical performance is key to preventing osteoporotic fractures.Methods: A total of 140 participants were inrolled in a cross-sectional study. Secondary causes of osteoporosis ...

Background: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) encompases a wide spectrum of disease from clinically insignificant micro-tumors to aggressive cancers. The molecular signature can be used to predict tumor behaviour, and the co-existence of BRAF and TERT promoter mutations has been identified as a marker of adverse prognosis, but we have yet no available molecular data for the Romanian population.Objectives: To determine the prevalence of BRAF V600E and T...

Introduction: BRAF V600E mutation is reported to occur in 28–83% of papillary thyroid cancer, being associated with increased tumour aggressiveness.Objective: To determine the prevalence of BRAF V600E mutation in Romanian patients with thyroid nodules referred to surgery in a reference endocrinology centre.Materials and methods: 140 patients were included in the study: 70 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), 42 pat...

Background: Melatonin is mostly known as a circadian hormone, but it also has effects in a large number of cellular processes (cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, redox balance). Although it was studied in many tumours, very little is known about his role in pharyngo-laryngeal carcinomas.Aim: To evaluate serum melatonin levels in patients with pharyngo-laryngeal malignant tumours preoperatively and after surgical excision of the malignancy.</...

Background: There are only few reports regarding the role of serum galectin-3 (Gal-3) as an early biochemical marker in thyroid carcinoma.Aim: To evaluate the potential overexpression of Gal-3 in sera from patients with confirmed diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).Patients and methods: We retrospectively investigated serum Gal-3 in 40 patients referred to the surgical department for thyroidectomy. Sera were collected be...

Introduction: The polyglandular autoimmune syndromes (PAS) are rare conditions characterised by the failure of several endocrine glands sometimes associated with other non-endocrine autoimmune diseases. There are four categories of PAS: PAS-I includes at least two out of: mucocutaneous candidiasis, hypoparathyroidism and adrenocortical failure. PAS-II comprises of Addison’s disease, autoimmune thyroid disease and/or type 1 diabetes (Carpenter’s syndrome). PAS-III is ...

Background: Vitamin D deficiency – a common condition in infants without supplementation – leads to a variety of health impairments.Objectives: To assess 25-OH-vitamin D (VD) status in infants with prolonged hospitalisation, without direct exposure to sunlight.Materials and methods: Twenty-two infants (mean age 6 years 3 months), admitted into Recuperation Department of a Children Hospital for nutritional rehabilitation, ...