Endocrine Abstracts

Ghrelin is the brain-gut peptide with growth hormone (GH)- releasing and appetite-inducing activities. Reviewed experimental evidence confirms the role of endogenous ghrelin in regulating GH secretion while studies in humans still fail to pinpoint the exact role of ghrelin in GH secretion. Accumulating evidence supports that ghrelin/GH secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) axis contributes to the maintenance of body weight. Evidence suggest the role of environmental factors modulating...

Objective: GH replacement therapy currently requires daily injections, which may cause poor compliance and distress for patients. CTP-modified hGH (MOD-4023) is being developed for once-weekly administration in GH Deficient adults and children. The present study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of MOD-4023 in GHD adults.Design and methods: 39 normalized GHDA patients currently treated with daily GH were randomized and...

Background and aims: The distribution of arterial occlusive disease is not fully explained in diabetes. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of CHD and PAD in diabetic patients complicated by abnormal test of distal autonomic function (Neuropad®) and large fibre neuropathy.Materials and Methods: 237 patients were analysed, M/F 111/126, age (mean±SD) 61.3±9.5years (ys), diabetes duration 16.4±10.6ys., type 1 n=22 (9.3%),...

Background: Several stimulatory tests for differential diagnosis of ACTH dependent Cushing’s syndrome are avilable, CRH being the most valuable test in patients with Cushing’s disease (CD). Exaggerated responses to ghrelin have also been shown in patients with CD mainly due to overexpression of GHS receptors on corticotrope tumor cells. However, the effects of combined stimulation with CRH+ghrelin on ACTH and cortisol secretion have not been tested before in these pa...

Objective: There is a complex cross-talk between bone and glucose metabolism. The surrogate markers of bone metabolism are osteocalcin (for bone formation) and CTx (for bone resorption). The osteoblast-derived protein osteocalcin has recently been shown to affect glucose homeostasis.Aim of the study: To investigate the relationship between markers of bone metabolism and parameters reflecting bone composition, glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance in...

Introduction: Studies suggest that schizophrenia and prolactin raising antipsychotics, one of them being risperidone, may be associated with low bone mass. On the other hand, weight gain as a consequence of antipsychotics in these patients may be the protective factor against osteoporosis.Objective: Determine bone remodeling parameters and bone mass in patients with schizophrenia treated with long-acting injectable risperidone (LAIR) under naturalistic c...

Study objective: We investigated prevalence of impaired glucose homeostasis in a large cohort of adult patients with GH deficiency (GHD), not treated with GH after more than 10 years of follow-up.Design: Seventy-one adult GHD patients (30 males, 41 females; mean age 48.3±2.0 years, mean BMI 28.8±0.7 kg/m2, GH deficient for 10.2±1.2 years) were evaluated. Ninety percent of patients had multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies whic...

Ghrelin stimulates growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL) and cortisol release in rodents and healthy humans.Aim: to determine the effects of ghrelin on neuroendocrine response in patients with AN in this cross-sectional hospital based study, approved by the Local Ethical Committee. Twenty-five young women were studied: AN with very low body weight (BMI 12.0±0.4 kg/m2), partially recovered AN (PRAN 17.2±1.3 kg/m2) and consti...

The short-term results of transsphenoidal surgery as initial treatment for acromegaly were analyzed according to consensus defining the criteria for cure of acromegaly.Thirty nine newly diagnosed patients with acromegaly (20 females and 19 males, mean age 46.9 plus/minus 1.4 years, range 29-66 yrs), underwent transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy by the same neursurgeon. Patients have been assessed postoperatively at 8 weeks (GH after 75 g oral glucose ...

Background: Serum paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) activity is decreased in clinical conditions associated with low high density-cholesterol (HDL-C), increased lipid peroxidation and low-grade chronic inflammation such as in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although many studies have shown that some poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) modulate cardiovascular risk in T2DM, until now there is no data about the association of any fatty acid (FA) with PON-1 activity. This study aims to inves...