Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Women affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) frequently suffer from obesity, insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance. There is evidence showing an association of hypovitaminosis D with metabolic disturbances in PCOS women. We aimed to investigate the influence of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic and endocrine parameters in PCOS women.Design: Forty-eight women with PCOS were included in the study. Cholecalciferol was admi...

Aim: Increased cardiovascular incidents and a high risk for microvascular complications are associated with type 2 diabetes. Worldwide, metformin is the most commonly prescribed antidiabetic drug. Polymorphisms in the Oct1 gene can alter the function or activity of organic cation transporter 1 (Oct1), thus changing metformin efficacy (Oct1 acting as its main transporter) as well as influencing the actions of Oct1 physiological substrates. In the past, polymorphisms in...

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting about 5-10% of women. PCOS is characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovulatory disturbances, and polycystic ovaries. Many women with PCOS present with insulin resistance and central obesity and are at an increased risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Vitamin D deficiency is an important pathogenetic factor in the development of type II diabetes. The aim of the study was to...

The proline rich and Gla domain genes PRRG1-4 encode for short transmembrane proteins. PRRG proteins contain a Gla domain with glutamic acid residues which are gamma-carboxylated in a vitamin-K-depend manner. In a previous study, we were able to show a decrease in PRRG1 gene expression during intima thickening in atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the vitamin-K-dependent protein PRRG1 with cardiovascular...

Introduction: In metformin-associated lactic acidosis with renal dysfunction inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis by drug accumulation may aggravate fasting induced-ketoacidosis. We report the occurrence of metformin-associated lactic acidosis with concurrent euglycemic ketoacidosis in three patients with renal failure.Cases: The first patient was a 79-year-old woman who suffered from chronic kidney disease stage IIIa after traumatic uninephrectomy, and...

Introduction: Cytokines are produced in different tissues under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The present study was performed to compare local concentrations of cytokines in subcutaneous adipose tissue and muscle using the open flow microperfusion (OFM) technique, as well as to investigate systemic effects of insulin on interstitial concentrations of these mediators.Methods: Ten healthy volunteers (age: 27±4 years, BMI: 22.6±...

Objective: Central obesity plays a major role in the pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, little information exists concerning the impact of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) on metabolic disturbances in PCOS. The aim of this study was to investigate whether SAT topography influences insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and metabolic parameters in PCOS women.Design: Prospective case-control trial.<p class="abstext"...

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients are at high risk for vascular complications. Some of them have even a higher risk during metformin therapy, as we have recently shown by associations of polymorphisms in the Oct1 gene with a therapy-dependent increased risk of cardiovascular death. In this study, we investigated whether Oct1 gene variants were associated with cardiovascular characteristics such as pulse wave velocity (PWV), echocardiographic parameters and intima/media thickness...

Matrix-GLA-protein (MGP) was repeatedly associated with inflammation markers during the last decade. It is expressed in leucocytes and is a regulator of immune response. Due to posttranslational modification, there are 4 forms. The form responsible for immunomodulation is still unknown. Since the predicted active form - carboxylated, phosphorylated MGP - is not directly associated with immunomodulation, we aimed to investigate the association of dp-ucMGP (dephosphorylated, unc...

Background: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is well known for its association with ovarian follicular count and ovarian reserve in general as well as for its recruitment of primordial follicles in women. With an explicit decrease in menopause, it is mainly used for clinical questions from in-vitro-fertilisation to polycystic ovary syndrome. Interestingly, AMH levels in men are quite high during lifetime, but there is only few data about its relevance and potential effects in...