Endocrine Abstracts

Osteoporosis is characterized by decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and deterioration of bone microarchitecture increasing fracture risk. The main goal of osteoporosis treatment is preventing osteoporotic fractures. The most important predictor of treatment mediated fracture risk reduction is the increase in BMD. Treatment of osteoporosis falls into three pharmacological classes: antiresorptive agents (SERMs, oestrogen, bisphosphonates (BP), denosumab), osteo-anabolic drugs ...

Hyperandrogenism is the main characteristic of PCOS therefore hyperandrogenism in women is best addressed when studying this highly prevalent syndrome. Besides the clinical features of oligomenorrhea, hirsutism and infertility, PCOS patients are often insulin resistant (IR), obese, they have arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, an increased pro-thrombotic state, impaired glucose tolerance or frank type 2 diabetes (T2D). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is doubled as compar...

Vitamin D is phylogenetically an old compound present in simple organisms without skeleton for millions of years. Its primary function, acting as a cytokine, has been the defence against microbial invaders. Vitamin D modulates the innate immune response by inducing the synthesis of endogenous antibiotics in monocytes-macrophages. Epithelial ‘barrier’ tissues in lung, gut, placenta and skin employ the same antimicrobial mechanisms. Vitamin D also interacts with dendri...

A 59-year-old lady presented with Cushing’s syndrome in 1991. Hormone testing revealed that it was due to ectopic secretion of ACTH. However, even after a comprehensive diagnostic workup, the source of ACTH secretion was not found. Since the symptoms (arterial hypertension and diabetes) were not successfully controlled with drugs, bilateral adrenalectomy was performed and the patient was put on hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone. The patient was then followed annually in ...

Background: Cross sectional studies in type 2 diabetic men have shown the 50% prevalence of hypogonadism. Testosterone deficiency worsens glycaemic control and accelerates the development of cardio-vascular disease. Therefore we investigated the effects of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) on endothelial function in hypogonadal men with type 2 diabetes.Patients and methods: Thirty-three hypogonadal patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 35 years or old...

We present a female patient 56 years old, who was treated at the endocrinology department from the year 2006. The diagnosis of Addison’s disease was established and she was properly treated. At the same time primary hypothyroidism was diagnosed, also started treating it properly. She was regularly controlled more often at the first time, than yearly at outpatient clinic. In September 2015 she was in menopause. A few months before she noticed oedematous legs and arms and d...

Introduction: The syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME), a genetic disorder, resembles findings similar to those in primary aldosteronism, but aldosterone levels are low. AME is due to deficiency in the 11-beta-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase-enzyme-type-2 isoform (11-beta-HSD2), which normally converts cortisol to cortisone to prevent its mineralocorticoid activity at the aldosterone-sensitive sites. The deficiency in 11-beta-HSD2 leads to marked elevation in net m...

Objectives: The selective estrogen receptor modulator, raloxifene, exerts a part of its actions through the estrogen receptor alpha activation. We explored if polymorphisms of ESR1 gene modify the effects of 6 months raloxifene treatment on endothelial function.Methods: Two intronic (PvuII and XbaI), and one exonic polymorphism (P325P) of ESR1 were analyzed in 53 postmenopausal women, mean age 59.7+6.2. The flow mediated endothelium ...

Objective: Limited data suggest that the rebound increase in bone resorption and rapid bone mineral density (BMD) decline following sudden interruption of denosumab therapy can be avoided in patients previously treated with bisphosphonates. We aimed to compare BMD changes in osteoporotic patients after denosumab discontinuation regarding their previous bisphosphonate (BP) therapy.Material and methods: There were 14 women (age 69 years, BMI 23.1 kg/m...

The ideal antiresorptive agent to preserve or further increase bone mineral density (BMD) following teriparatide treatment is not known. We aimed to compare BMD changes after one year of therapy with denosumab or bisphosphonates in osteoporotic patients who had completed treatment with teriparatide. We retrospectively analyzed 140 women (age 74 years, 26 years from menopause, BMI 27 kg/m2 on average) with severe postmenopausal osteoporosis who had been treated betwe...