Endocrine Abstracts

The incidence of obesity has dramatically increased, not only in industrialized societies but also in developing countries. Since male fertility shows a parallel decrease, obesity should be considered as possible etiology of male subfertility.Studies exploring this possible association report that obesity may affect fertility by different mechanisms that include: abnormal reproductive hormonal milieu, increased release of adipokines and adipose-derived h...

IntroductionNeurological complications related to COVID-19 are described. The pituitary expresses ACE which is known as the entrance for Sarscov2 through binding to viral S-protein. Pituitary apoplexy (PA) is due to the sudden hemorrhagic infarction of pre-existing pituitary tumors or the gland itself and its symptoms and radiological findings can be similar to acute hypophysitis (AH) caused by viral infections.Subjects and methods...

Aim: To evaluate the use of PET/CT with 64CuCl2 in recurring prostate cancer after surgery in patients with low PSA level (<2).Introduction: Previous works* demonstrated as 64CuCl2 is a PET probe in prostate cancer in mice with xenografts of prostate cancer.Moreover, it was described** in seven patients the role of 64CuCl2 PET/CT in staging of prostate cancer.Met...

Ghrelin (Ghr) acts as a link between energy balance and reproduction; hence, hyperghrelinemia reduces reproductive success. In addition, this hormone has an evident physiological role on reproduction, since Ghr and/or its receptor are synthesized by gametes/embryos and several reproductive tissues (including decidua/placenta); in addition, Ghr plasma concentration rises during gestation.The objectives of our study were to evaluate the effects of ghrelin ...

Introduction: Acromegaly is characterized by high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality possibly due to increased prevalence of main traditional cardiovascular risk factors. It is not clear though whether the incidence of atherosclerosis is truly enhanced. Moreover recent in vitro studies show a protective role of (GH) and IGF1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) on the endothelium. As expression of endothelial regenerative reserve, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) could...

There is evidence for a strong association between Cushing’s syndrome, characterized by a cluster of systemic complications, and increased cardiovascular risk. To our knowledge, coronary circulatory function has not been explored in Cushing’s syndrome. The aim of the study was to evaluate coronary flow reserve (CFR), an index of coronary microvascular function, in patients with Cushing’s syndrome. Thirteen newly diagnosed patients with Cushing’s syndrome (1...

Background: In the general population, sleep disorders are associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment; moreover, people with dementia often have sleep disturbances. The prevalence of sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, in acromegalic patients is higher than in the general population, and they may have a higher risk of cognitive impairment due to acromegaly treatment (i.e. Radiotherapy) or cardiovascular comorbidities. In the literature, data about the relation...

Background: Pasireotide LAR is a multireceptor targeted somatostatin analogue that has been shown to obtain a better biochemical control of acromegaly. However, pasireotide LAR could induce hyperglycemia in acromegalic patients with higher baseline glucose values. The devices that can track interstitial glucose levels such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) could be a useful for studying the impact of SSA on patients’ glucose status.Aim: We aime...

Background: Pegvisomant (PEG) is a second line medical treatment for active acromegalic patients. PEG efficacy is between 61.5 and 92% and even if it is administered daily its long half-life suggests a possible use with a non-daily regime.Aim: We aim to compare acromegalic patients on daily PEG administration (DP) with patients on non-daily PEG administration (NDP).Methods: We studied 43 acromegalic patients under PEG treatment bet...

Introduction: Acromegalic cardiomyopathy is characterized by myocardial hypertrophy and interstitial myocardial fibrosis at biopsy. We studied left ventricular hypertrophy -LVH- through echocardiography (-ECHO- 2-D standard echocardiography and Doppler analysis) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) analysis. Myocardial fibrosis was studied with late enhancement technique (LE) and extracellular volume technique (ECV) at CMR.Methods: 25 patients -pts- (13 ...