Endocrine Abstracts

MicroRNA (miRNA) are small RNA molecules involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. Differential expression of miRNA has been described in several tumours. miRNA expression patterns can be used as markers of malignancy, as prognostic markers and even for the subclassification of tumours. miRNA markers can be especially useful for the diagnosis of tumours whose histological analysis is difficult such as adrenocortical cancer (ACC). Beside tissue miRNA, m...

MicroRNAs, the endogenous mediators of RNA interference have been shown to be helpful as markers of malignancy and prognosis in various neoplasms. The use of microRNAs as biomarkers has been greatly expanded with findings showing their secretion into body fluids (liquid biopsy). MicroRNAs are released both passively due to necrosis and inflammation, and actively in extracellular membrane vesicles (exosomes, microvesicles) or in macromolecular complexes. Circulating microRNA ca...

MicroRNA and mRNA expression patterns have been investigated in several studies on adrenocortical tumours and in some reports on phaeochromocytomas. These studies are relevant from pathogenic, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. Under- and overexpressed microRNAs representing tumour suppressor and oncogenic microRNAs have been reported that can be helpful in the diagnosis for differentiating benign and malignant adrenocortical tumours (e.g. miR-503-miR-511, miR-195, miR-483-5p...

MicroRNAs are involved in the regulation of numerous cellular processes including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and hormone secretion etc. Altered expression of microRNAs has been described in several tumours including endocrine neoplasms and microRNAs have been suggested to be involved in tumourigenesis at several levels. MicroRNAs may be classified as tumour suppressors and oncogenes (onco-miR) based on their relative under- or overexpression in tumour tiss...

The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) as the endogenous mediators of RNA interference was a major event in contemporary biomedical research. miRNAs were shown to be involved in the regulation of gene expression affecting several basic physiological and pathological processes as parts of the epigenetic machinery. Differential expression of tissue miRNAs were described in several diseases including tumours. In tumours, up- and down-regulated miRNAs can be classified as oncogenes o...

Current systemic treatments are not satisfying for the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). However, translation of preclinically promising approaches were often disappointing indicating that existing tumor models might have inadequately predicted clinical applicability. Thus, our workgroup initiated a comparative drug screen of relevant chemotherapies and therapies targeting IGFR, EGFR, VEGFR/PDGFR and Wnt signalling pathway in the classical NCI-H295R and recently dev...

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is usually caused by the mutations of steroid 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21A2). CYP21A2 resides in RCCX copy number variation (CNV), and the genomic structure of RCCX CNV creates difficulties in the genetic testing of CAH. An RCCX CNV allele on one chromosome can carry CYP21A2 in various numbers. Homozygous deletion of complete CYP21A2 results in most severe form of CAH, whereas an additional and intact ...

Introduction: Minimally invasive blood-borne circulating microRNAs might be used for the preoperative differentiation of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) and adrenocortical adenoma (ACA). Circulating hsa-miR-483-5p is so far the best microRNA biomarker of ACC. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no studies concerning the potential applicability of urinary has-miR-483-5p as a non-invasive biomarker of ACC and its correlation with plasma hsa-miR-483...

Objective: MicroRNAs are short non-protein coding RNA molecules involved in the regulation of numerous homeostatic processes via modulating gene expression. There are some data that the expression of microRNA might be modulated by hormones, but the interaction of hormones and circulating microRNAs of adrenocortical origin is mostly unknown.Methods: The expression of six selected circulating microRNAs (hsa-miR-27a, hsa-miR-125b-2, hsa-miR-200b, hsa-miR-21...

Objective: Glucocorticoids exert their effects through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The local, cell-type specific glucocorticoid effect is modulated by the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes (HSD11B) responsible for the interconversion of cortisone and cortisol. Individual sensitivity against glucocorticoids and activity of the HSD11B enzymes are at least partly determined by genetic factors.Aim: To test whether SNPs of GR and HSD11B1 gen...