Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Immune tumor microenvironment plays a key role in tumors’ growth and metastatic spread, while its role in the heterogeneous field of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) remains unclear. There is evidence that tumor progression in NENs is promoted by an immunosuppressed microenvironment created by a plethora of infiltrating immune cells. Changes in circulating leukocyte and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) subpopulations can mirror the local alteration of...

Context: Acromegaly is associated with several metabolic and cardio-respiratory comorbidities, with a relative increase in the last years of cancer mortality. Although the GH/ IGF-1 axis has long been supposed to play a role on immune modulation, immune function in acromegaly is poorly known.Objective: This observational, prospective, single site, pilot study (NCT05069324) aims to analyse peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) subpopulations in acrom...

Introduction: The role of Angiopoietin (Ang)/Tie2 kinase pathway in neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) has recently received increasing attention, but its clinical role remains unclear. Tie2-receptor inactivation favours chronic inflammation. The balance between its agonist and antagonist regulates its signalling. Aim of this study was to measure serum soluble Tie2 (sTie2) and Ang-2 in patients followed at the NETTARE Unit (NeuroEndocrine TAsk foRcE of ‘Sapienza’ Univer...

One third of diabetic patients suffer from Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) that leads to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The molecular pathways involved remain underexplored. We showed that chronic phosphodiesterase-5 inhibition (PDE5i) improve vascular inflammation [1] and tissue remodelling, reducing proteinuria [2] in murine diabetes. Our aim was to investigate the effect of PDE5i on animal and human models of DN.Materials and methods: 16 mice were randomly...

Introduction: Low-grade incomplete post-dexamethasone cortisol suppression in patients with adrenal incidentalomas, recently redefined as possible autonomous cortisol secretion (pACS), has been associated with increased cardiovascular events and mortality. However, prospective studies documenting cardiac abnormalities in these patients are lacking.Methods: In the context of ERGO trial NIH (NCT02611258), between July 2016 and September 2017, 71 consecutiv...

Introduction: Adrenal insufficiency requires life-long glucocorticoid replacement. Conventional therapies fail to mimic endogenous cortisol circadian rhythm. Clock genes are essential components of the molecular machinery controlling organ’s circadian function and are influenced by glucocorticoids. However, clock genes expression has never been investigated in patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI).Aim: To evaluate the effect of the timing of gluc...

Background: Cyclic GMP-phosphodiesterase type 5(PDE5) inhibition was shown to counteract maladaptive cardiac changes triggered by diabetes in some, but not all studies.Objective: To assess sex differences in cardiac remodeling after PDE5 inhibition in patients with diabetic cardiomyopathy.Methods: 20-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial (NCT01803828). 220 men and women (45-80 years) with long-duration (>3 ye...