Endocrine Abstracts

The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with features of the insulin resistance syndrome and altered glucose homeostasis. Factors that play an important role in these processes are still emerging. Pro-inflammatory cytokines may be involved in development of insulin resistance in PCOS. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), hepatocyte growth fa...

Androgenetic alopecia, not only caused psychological distress, but also is the risk factor of cardiovascular diseases, glucose metabolism disorders, benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate carcinoma and suspected to present the sign of male equivalent of polycystic ovary syndrome. Finasteride, used for treatment of androgenetic alopecia in dose of 1 mg/day, is the first 5α-reductase type II inhibitor. The 5α-reductase is enzyme responsible for the reduction of testo...

Introduction: Dexamethasone induced negative feedback on CRH, ACTH and cortisol secretion is one of the key principles in the diagnostic workup of hypercortisolism. Cortisol secretion has been studied extensively, but changes of other steroids remained apart. Our aim was to establish steroid profile changes in 1 mg dexamethasone test.Methods: The Steroid profile consisting of 103 steroids and their metabolites from the serum of 9 male and 8 healthy femal...

Introduction: A key feature of a benign adrenal tumor is its hormonal production. It is reflected by serum steroid levels. A tumoral tissue steroid content is not commonly measured.Methods: A steroid metabolome comprising of 65 steroids was measured in four samples from each of two patients using GC-MS in serum before and after 1mg dexamethasone test, in the tumoral tissue and in the adrenal tissue of two female patients with adrenal adenomas. The first ...

Introduction: DHEA is a well-known neurosteroid. Its plasmatic level is reduced with ageing in most individuals. A non-negligible portion of DHEA is hydroxylated at C7 and C16 to 7α-, 7β- and 16α- and 16β-hydroxyderivatives. A part of the antiglucocorticoid function of DHEA has been described to its 7-oxygenated metabolites, namely to 7α-hydroxy-DHEA. Due its anti-glucocoticoid action it is also considered a factor in fat deposition processes. Thus, we...

Introduction: Whereas the daily profiles of the main steroid hormones are well known, minor differences in the course of their levels related to defined and standardised food intake were studied rarely.Methods: Eight women (mean age 29.48±2.99 years, mean BMI 21.3±1.3 kg/m2) in follicular phase of menstrual cycle were examined. The levels of C-peptide, glucose, LH, FSH, SHBG, cortisol, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, progesterone,...

Introduction: Elevated activity and expression of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) are associated with the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome. This enzyme is responsible for majority of the extra-adrenal production of glucocorticoids. It regenerates active cortisol from biologically inactive cortisone. Human 11β-HSD1 also reversibly catalyzes the inter-conversion of 7α-hydroxy- and 7β-hydroxy-DHEA into 7-oxo-DHEA. In order to...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative diseasethat is manifested by a progressive loss of cognitive and behavioral function. In previous studies, we have constructed a predictive model for the classification of AD patients based on levels of circulating steroids and their polar conjugates.Both AD and Type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) are well known to affect the levels of some steroid hormones, however, in the opposite direction, and in a gen...

This work aimed to evaluate pituitary–adrenal axis and tissue metabolism of cortisol in patients with long standing type one diabetes.Fifty patients with diabetes type 1 were investigated; age 38±10 years (mean±S.D.), age at diagnosis 25.5±10 years, disease duration 15±8 years, BMI 24.5±2.7 kg/cm2, HbA1c 7.2±1.2%. Control group consisted of 40 healthy volunteers.The study...

Introduction: Obesity epidemic has a considerable effect on the health of the population. Obesity is connected with infertility and hypogonadism. It is known that obese men have a low testosterone and higher estradiol level. The assumed mechanism would be increased testosterone aromatization in adipose tissue and a lower SHBG level, which means a decrease of overall testosterone. The aim of this study was to describe the changes of steroidogenesis with obese men.<p class="...