Endocrine Abstracts

The low-dose (1 μg) ACTH stimulation test or glucagon stimulation test (GST) are candidate tests for hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis evaluation in patients with pituitary disorders. In this study, we aimed to compare the combination of low-dose ACTH and GSTs (named as combination test) with each test results alone in the evaluation of HPA axis in patients with pituitary disorders whether combination test may overcome the problems when the test results are equivoc...

In the ovary, the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) forms heteromeric complexes with the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), reprogramming FSH-induced signals and determining the follicular fate. Based on the structural similarity, we evaluated whether GPER interacts with the luteinizing hormone (LH)/choriogonadotropin (hCG) receptor (LHCGR) modulating gonadotropin-dependent signals. LHCGR-GPER heteromers were evaluated in transiently transfected HEK293 cell...

Background: The FSHB –211 G > T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is known to affect pituitary FSH output by reducing the transcriptional activity of FSHB. Identifying the response of the pituitary to exogenous GnRH stimulation in subjects with FSHB -211 G > T SNP could provide useful information concerning the mechanisms regulating FSH synthesis and release.Objectives: This study aimed to assess the pituitary...

Background: Testicular germ cell tumours are the most frequent cancer of young men. While pathogenesis and reasons of an increasing incidence all over the world remain unknown, epidemiological and clinical data have suggested that fetal exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs), especially with estrogenic effects, could participate to testicular germ cell carcinogenesis. However, EEDs (like bisphenol A) are often weak ligands for classical nuclear estrogen receptor...

In recent decades intensive studies on the glycoprotein-hormone receptors (GPHRs) and their respective hormones have provided a number of molecular insights into the relationship between the structure and function of these proteins. This knowledge includes an understanding of hormone binding, of naturally occurring mutations nad mechanisms of signal transduction and G-protein binding processes.Together with the relaxin family peptide receptors (RxFP) the...

Calcium and Vitamin D deficiency is a common cause of falls and fracture and supplementation with 1 g of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D is commonly recommended.However, the serum level of 25 OHD that defines deficiency is controversial, and the 25 OHD level required to normalise serum parathyroid hormone (PTH)-in the presence of normal calcium- is often used. In this study we set out to explore how effective is 1 g of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D in ...

Aims: Genetic variations mediating matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression may result in individual differences in susceptibility to particular diseases. Our aim was to investigate the possible association of certain MMP-2 gene variants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a Tunisian population.Subjects and Methods: A case-control study involving 310 normoglycemic control subjects and 791 T2D patients was performed. A total of four MMP-2 SNPs (-...

Variants of ADIPOQ have been inconsistently associated with adiponectin level in diverse populations. We explored association of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the ADIPOQ (+276 G>T, rs1501299) with circulating total adiponectin and insulin resistance (IR) in Ukrainian T2DM cohort.Materials and methods: 544 T2DM patients (M/F: 241/303, age 56.3±0.4 years, diabetes duration 7.8±1.0 years, BMI 31.7&...

Steroid sulphatase (STS) liberates sulphated oestrogens into their active forms. In the colon, evidence suggests that although initially pro-apoptotic in healthy mucosa, once malignancy occurs, oestrogens may stimulate colorectal cancer (CRC) proliferation. Moreover, greater intratumoural oestrogen synthesis is negatively associated with survival outcomes in CRC patients. However, little is known about oestrogen metabolism pathways in CRC, and whether alterations in local oest...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide with incidence expected to rise. Although not traditionally viewed as a hormonal cancer, evidence suggests peripheral synthesis of active oestrogens worsens prognosis. Oestrogen metabolising enzymes include steroid sulphatase (STS), which desulphates oestrogens into their active forms, and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (17βHSD), which are estrogen oxidoreductase enzymes. We have previously shown ST...