Endocrine Abstracts

: Patients with Cushing’s disease (CD) have increased cardiovascular risk due to metabolic alterations caused by glucocorticoids excess. Pasireotide, a multireceptor-targeted somatostatin analogue, is a therapeutic option in CD patients in whom surgery is not curative or not feasible. Pasireotide has been shown to be effective in controlling hypercortisolism and to improve metabolic features. Recently, the visceral adiposity index (VAI) has been proposed as a marker of vi...

Introduction: Due to the absence of randomized controlled trials, management of low risk papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), which represents the most commonly diagnosed form of thyroid malignancy, remains controversial. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is significantly more frequent in patients with PTC, as compared with subjects carrying benign lesions as well as different tumour histotypes. Despite still controversial, HT is considered a protective factor in PTC being associat...

: Inflammation and several oxidative processes are modulated by Selenium (Se) trough the selenoproteins. Se deficiency has been associated with thyroid autoimmune diseases and hypothyroidism, while Se-supplementation reduces antibodies titles and ameliorates ultrasound pattern of the gland.Aim of the current study, is to study the molecular effects of Se-supplementation in thyroid follicular cells (FRTL5).FRTL5 cells have been star...

Conventional glucocorticoids (GCs) are unable to mimic physiological cortisol rhythm in adrenal insufficiency (AI), with a significant impact on morbidity and mortality. Possible explanations are supra-physiological doses and impaired cortisol profile. In particular, elevated evening cortisol levels were related to glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity alterations and visceral obesity. Once-daily-dual-release-hydrocortisone (OD-DR-HC), better reproducing the physiological ...

Introduction: Environmental toxins, including those deriving from illegal and hazardous disposal of urban and chemical waste, are known to act as endocrine disruptors and to increase the risk of malignancy and cancer mortality. The present study aimed at investigating prevalence and characteristics of thyroid diseases in the area of Acerra, a town in the perimeter of the so called ‘Land of Fires’.Methods: The screening included subjects aged &#...

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal gynecological cancer. Debulking surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy are the cornerstone of OC management; however, after a partial initial response, tumors invariably relapse. Therapeutic approaches should account for interindividual heterogeneity since OC histiotypes show distinct genetic profile. A2780 cell line has been annotated as high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC); nevertheless, recent research underlined that the genetic ...

HCC is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Local approaches are generally preferred for patients whose disease is restricted to the liver. In patients with extrahepatic disease systemic therapy can be considered. Chemotherapy did not demonstrate convincing survival advantages in several trails for HCC patients. Presently, the kinase inhibitor sorafenib is the only approved systemic target therapy for the treatment of advanced HCC. Mitotane (dichlorodiphenildichloroe...

HCC is a difficult-to-treat- cancer with poor prognosis. The recent EVOLVE-1 trial demonstrated that EVE did not improve overall survival in molecularly and clinically unselected patients with advanced HCC resistant to sorafenib treatment. In selected patients, the well-established antitumor effect of EVE could make this drug a potential adjuvant therapy. Unfortunately, the acquired resistance to this molecule due to the tumor adaptation to chronic drug use is a current challe...

Dopamine has been found in both semen and oviductal fluid and dopamine receptors (DRs) have been detected in male genital tract and spermatozoa, suggesting that dopamine system may control important reproductive functions in humans. Dopamine improves sperm motility and viability in animal models, although the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The aims of this study were to investigate DRs expression in human spermatozoa and to evaluate the in ...

Adrenal insufficiency (AI) requires life-long glucocorticoid (GC) treatment, which is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MS), probably due to cortisol overexposure for multiple drug daily doses, together with an impairment of quality of life (QoL). Moreover treatment compliance (TC) is reported to be suboptimal in AI patients. The current study aimed at investigating the impact of the switch from twice/thrice daily conventional GCs to once daily dual-rele...