Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The detection of a unique genetic marker is not possible for multifactorial diseases, such as thyroid cancer (TC), where the pathological phenotype is given by the contribution of multiple genes, environmental factors and lifestyle. We found a mathematical model for inferring the risk of thyroid cancer, an example of multifactorial disease.Methods: Genetic data represented by 184 SNPs associated to thyroid tumors were used for Bayesian clus...

Introduction: Male idiopathic infertility represents a therapeutic challenge for physicians, since a targeted aetiological treatment does not exist. Several hormonal and non-hormonal therapies have been proposed so far to increase pregnancy rates. Among hormonal therapies, exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) administration shows the most convincing physiological rationale in the face of a clinical efficacy below expectations. Indeed, from evidences available in the li...

Background: Exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) administration in male idiopathic infertility showed the most convincing rationale in the face of a clinical efficacy below expectations. It was calculated that 10 to 18 men have to be treated to achieve one pregnancy.Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of FSH administration in male idiopathic infertility in a clinical setting.Methods: A retrospective real-world study was...

To investigate the blood pressure profile (BP) in active acromegaly and the effect of medical treatment of acromegaly on BP circadian rhythm, we studied 21 acromegalics before and after 3–60 months of treatment with somatostatin analogs (15/21) or pegvisomant (5/21) or both (5/21). Ambulatory 24-h BP was recorded. The 24-h mean BP (MBP), the mean systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), the day-time (day) and night-time (night) MBP, SBP and DBP and the 24-h mean heart ra...

Introduction: Acromegaly is associated with alterations of glucose metabolism. The effect of somatostatin analogues (SMS) and pegvisomant (PEG) on glucose metabolism is still argument of debate.Study design: The purpose of this historical-prospective study was to compare, in a cohort of 47 patients with active acromegaly, the effects of SMS and PEG alone or in combination on glucose metabolism. All subjects were evaluated at baseline and at least 6 month...

Hyperinsulinemia has been associated to an increased risk of colorectal cancer and adenomas, while higher serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and folate seem to reduce the development of colonic lesions in general population. Acromegalic patients have an increased risk of colonic tumors and an association between higher fasting insulin levels and risk of colonic adenomas has been previously demonstrated. No data are available about the influence of vitamin D and folate-homocysteine le...

Adult GHD patients may have reduced BMD, which is thought to be reverted by long-term rhGH replacement therapy. We have recently reported high prevalence of vertebral osteoporotic deformities in untreated adult GHD patients. Gonadal status is the main determinant of bone loss in patients with primary form of osteoporosis.In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether the prevalence and degree of spinal deformities in adults with treated or untrea...

Background: Testis stimulation with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is one of the empirical treatments proposed for male idiopathic infertility, although early reliable markers to predict its efficacy are still lacking.Objective: To identify the improvement of semen parameters required to predict a priori FSH efficacy in terms of pregnancy achievement.Methods: A real-world study was conducted, enrolling idiopathic infer...