Endocrine Abstracts

Aims: The dual burden of tuberculosis (TBC) and diabetes (DM) has attracted much attention in the past decade. Patients with type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of developing pulmonary tuberculosis; moreover, DM co-morbidity in pulmonary TB is associated with poor treatment outcomes. Patients admitted to Internal Medicine (IM) Departments are an ideal setting to analyze the prognostic roll of DM on TBC clinical course.Material and method: The Minimum Basi...

Background: Poorer control of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (cvd) has been reported in diabetic women compared with men.Objective: To investigate whether control of diabetes and risk factors for cvd differ between sexes in a cohort of diabetic patients monitored at an outpatient endocrinology clinic from 2004 till 2014.Design: Observational, retrospective cohort study.Patients and methods: A cohort ...

Non-functioning pituitary tumors (NFPTs), although benign in nature, frequently present local invasiveness that strongly reduces neurosurgery success. Medical therapy is still under debate, although dopamine (DA) receptor 2 (DRD2) agonists may induce tumor shrinkage in some patients. Aims of this study were: 1) to evaluate the effect of DR2D agonist BIM53097 on migration and invasion of NFPT cells, 2) to investigate the molecular mechanisms regulating the motility of these cel...

Introduction: Urinary free cortisol (UFC) determination has suboptimal sensitivity (SE) and specificity (SP) especially in mild Cushing’s syndrome (CS).Aim: To determine the performance of UFC and its metabolite cortisone (UFE) measured using accurate assays such as HPLC and LC–MS/MS in diagnosing patients with CS.Patients and methods: Sixty-seven patients with CS were compared to 49 sex- and age-matched non-CS. UFF and U...

Steroid testing has a central role in clinical decision-making and in research studies on diseases such as hypercortisolisms, female hyperandrogenism, male hypogonadism or inborn disorders of steroid synthesis. Recently, liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) proved its superiority to routine immunoassays (IA) in accurately and sensitively measuring low level steroids. However, the replacement of automated IA with LC–MS/MS platforms is limited...

Introduction: Decreased bone mineral density (BMD) in Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is frequent and it has been traditionally related to low testosterone levels. However, low BMD can be observed also in patients with normal testosterone levels and testosterone replacement therapy does not necessarily increase bone mass in these patients. Nothing is known about vitamin D levels and supplementation in KS. In this study we determine vitamin D status and bone mass in KS subjects and c...

Introduction: The diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome (CS) might be challenging especially in ACTH-dependent CS when it comes to detect the origin of ACTH secretion.Materials and methods: We retrospectively recorded data about 170 patients with ACTH-dependent CS (149 CD, 21 EAS) referring to two Endocrinology Units. We focused especially on the performance of 3 dynamic tests: the dexamethasone 8 mg overnight challenging (HDDST), the CRH and the desmopre...

Context: High maternal TSH and/or low FT4 during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of premature delivery. hCG is the main determinant of thyroid function changes during pregnancy but has a versatile pattern with high inter and intra-individual variability. We hypothesised that the correct interpretation of thyroid function tests and its use in the risk assessment of premature delivery during pregnancy depend on hCG levels.Design, ...

Introduction: The classical replacement therapy for hypoadrenalism may expose patients to non-physiologic glucocorticoids levels with negative metabolic consequences. Up to now, one study demonstrated that, as compared to the classical treatment, a modified-release hydrocortisone (MRH), improves weight, blood pressure, glycaemic control and QoL in a 3-month follow-up period. Few data are available on the long-term persistence of these benefits.Design/met...

Introduction: Cinacalcet is an oral calcimimetic indicated in treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism in patients who are unable to undergo parathyroidectomy: do not accept surgery, there is failure of previous surgery or serious comorbidity that makes surgery impossible.Methods: Descriptive study that includes nine patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who have completed at least 48 months of treatment with cinacalcet (seven patients refusal to par...