Endocrine Abstracts

Alterations in the thyroid axis have been reported following GH therapy both in adults and children with GH deficiency (GHD), even if the clinical significance of these changes, in small and short-term studies, remains uncertain. To evaluate the impact of GH replacement on thyroid status in a large selected cohort of prepubertal children with idiopathic GHD during a 3-years follow-up. Study outcome considered FT3, FT4 and TSH modifications (delta) during therapy and their corr...

The gene NR5A1, which encodes steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), is a pivotal transcriptional regulator of genes involved in adrenal and gonadal function, including several steroidogenic enzymes and key genes necessary for male sex determination and differentiation, testicular descent and reproduction (such as SOX9, AMH, INSL3, and AR). The most severe phenotypes associated with NR5A1 mutations include gonadal dysgenesis, disorders of sex development (DSD) and adrenal insuf...

Introduction: Kisspeptins and their cognate receptor GPR-54 (Kiss-1) were found to be regulators of the hypothalamo-pituitary–gonadal axis. It is under debate if the onset of central precocious puberty (CPP) could be triggered by early increase of kisspeptin. We aimed to assess serum kisspeptin levels in girls in order to evaluate its potential as a reliable biochemical marker for differential diagnosis of CPP.Materials and methods: The girls enroll...

Objective: Identify predictors of pulsatile GH secretion following a triple secretagogue stimulus (TSS, Ghrelin and GHRH preceded by an infusion of Arginine) in a cohort of healthy postmenopausal women and healthy older men.Hypothesis: Even in older subjects, total GH secretory capacity is gender dependent.Design: 23 men and 19 women participated in 6 separate, overnight 16-h infusion sessions at Clinical Research Center. At the en...

Introduction: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common childhood malignancy. The survival rate is now 85% which emphasis the importance of long-term treatment complications. GH-deficiency (GHD) is common among these survivors treated with cranial radiotherapy (CRT) and chemotherapy. Renal impairment has been reported in childhood (CO) cancer survivors and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is decreased in hypopituitarism. GH therapy to CO GHD patients has been show...

Aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of oral anticoagulant therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation and hyperthyroidism compared to those presenting the same cardiac disorder, but with normal thyroid function.Material and methods: The study included 61 patients admitted to the Endocrinology Department in Elias Hospital between January 2011–October 2011 with mean age of 64 years: 25 patients had primary hyperthyroidism a...

A 29-year-old female diagnosed 1.5 years ago with Graves’ disease, presented with severe thyrotoxicosis and a large, diffuse goiter after an attempt to taper the anti-thyroid medication. She had also noticed 4 days before presentation right arm mild paresis. The neurological exam confirmed the sensitive and motor deficit. Blood assays confirmed severe thyrotoxicosis (TSH <0.03 mUI/l, fT4=25.6 pmol/l, T3 >500 ng/dl), high levels of anti-thyroi...

Introduction: ACTH is measured to confirm impairments in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) can have ectopic adrenocorticotropic secretion. In December 2009, a SCLC patient showed an enormous discrepancy between the ACTH results obtained with two different ACTH assays. The aim of this study was to compare different ACTH assays in SCLC patients.Methods: In a pilot study EDTA plasma samples of nin...

Background: The prevalence of precocious puberty (PP) and its relationship to optic pathway tumours in patients suffering from neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is significantly greater than in normal population.Objectives: We present a rare case of precocious puberty in neurofibromatosis type 1 which is not associated with optic pathway tumour but with a tuber cinereum hamartoma.Case report: We present the case of a 5-year and 5-mont...

Introduction: Thyroid tissue may be found anywhere along the course of thyroglossal duct. Sublingual thyroid is a rare type of ectopic thyroid tissue resulting from failure of the embryonic development and migration of the thyroid gland to its normal pre-laryngeal site, reaching between genio-hioid and mylohyiod muscles. In most cases, hypothyroidism develops due to inadequate hormon production. Hypothyroidism may produce pituitary enlargement secondary to thyrotroph hyperplas...