Endocrine Abstracts

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neurone disorder in human adults. Scanty data on endocrine abnormalities have been reported. Aim of the present study was to investigate the GH-IGF-I axis in ALS patients.22 ALS patients (12 men and 10 women), aged 46–77 years, performed GHRH+arginine test: blood samples for GH were collected at baseline, 30 and 60 minutes; IGF-I was determined at baseline. The control group consisted of 2...

Introduction: Bronchial carcinoids (BCs), originating from endocrine cells dispersed in the respiratory epithelium, can be divided into typical (TBC) and atypical (ABC). TBC are less aggressive, smaller, and much less likely to metastasize, while ABC are more aggressive and metastasize. mTOR has a central role in regulating cell growth, metabolism, and apoptosis. A differential mTOR activation in BCs has been previously demonstrated, suggesting that mTOR pathway might play a p...

Background: The penis has been compared to a barometer of endothelial health, being erectile dysfunction (ED) an early sign of endothelial dysfunction. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between ED and endothelial dysfunction in patients with HIV infection on ART.Methods: In this observational cross-sectional study we evaluated the prevalence and factors associated with ED in a cohort of 133 HIV-infected men. Evaluation tools include...

Deficiency of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 (17βHSD3), an enzyme converting androstenedione (A) to testosterone (T) in the Leydig cells of the testis, is a rare cause of autosomal recessive 46,XY disorders of sexual development (DSD). A 18-year-old phenotypically female patient presented with primary amenorrhea. She had deep voice, macrocephaly, broad forehead, enlarged nasal tip, macrostomia, facial acne, gynecomastia, left-convex dorsal scoliosis, hypopla...