Endocrine Abstracts

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a member of the glycoprotein hormone family that plays a pivotal role in ovarian folliculogenesis and spermatogenesis. FSH receptor (FSHR) is, indeed, highly expressed in granulosa and Sertoli cells respectively. However, recent studies have detected FSHR also in extra-gonadal tissues, such as adipose tissue, bone, endometrium, placenta, endothelium, monocytes, and malignant tissues, suggesting, that the activity of this hormone may not be...

Background: Luteinizing hormone (LH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) act on the same receptor, activating different signal transduction pathways. The role of LH or hCG addition to follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) as well as menopausal gonadotropins (hMG) in controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) is debated.Aim: To compare FSH+LH, or FSH+hCG or hMG vs FSH alone on COS outcomes.Design: A meta-analysis according to PRISMA state...

About 7% of pregnancies are complicated by diabetes, out of which 97.5% gestational diabetes (GMD), 2.5% pre-gestational diabetes. We investigated 29 women at their first pregnancy who had GMD medium risk factor in the absence of pre-existing thyroid pathologies. We divided them in two groups: the first 19 women (age 33.9 years) resulted affected by GMD (OGTT effected, according to Carpenter and C criteria), between pregnancy weeks 24–28; the second ten women (age 34.3 ye...

There are no established guidelines on the management of steroid induced diabetes (SID) in children. Steroids are commonly used to treat many chronic illnesses and as part of chemotherapy regimen in children. The hyperglycaemia caused by steroids is poorly recognised and can lead to adverse outcomes. Early recognition and appropriate management of hyperglycaemia is therefore crucial. Fasting blood glucose (BG) levels can be normal and the most sensitive time to test BG is 2 h ...

Benign goitres have the potential to reach massive sizes if neglected, but most have a protracted course that may or may not present with compressive symptoms. We report the case of a 57-year-old male who presented with a rapidly enlarging nodular goitre resulting in acute respiratory failure. Endotracheal intubation and emergency total thyroidectomy was done, revealing massive thyroid nodules with minimal intrathoracic extension and tracheal erosion. Despite a course and clin...

It has been hypothesized that primary hyperparathyroidism (PH) has a biphasic disease course. During the first phase hypercalcemia is not yet present. Subsequently, the second phase starts with the development of hypercalcemia. In an attempt to identify differences in the calcium regulating hormonal handling in the clinical setting, we evaluated the hormonal responses of gastrin, PTH, phosphate and ionized calcium to oral peptones (a mixture containing L-amino acids with known...

Background: The thyroid isthmus contains no C-cells, thus we established IPTB for cases with nodular goiter and moderate hypercalcitonemia (stimulated up to 350 pg/ml). In these cases C-Cell-Hyperplasia is the primary pathologic correlate. Exclusion criteria were pre- or intraoperative signs of malignancy.We furthermore established IPTB as a prophylactic operation for patients with hereditary medullary thyroid carcinoma, excluding high-risk mutations.</p...

The prevalence of thyroid nodules is increased in the elderly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of US and US-FNAB in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer in a population of elderly subjects, all of whose thyroid nodules were subjected to US-FNAB, with no prior selection based on dimensions or echo-pattern. Over a three-year period, 276 consecutive patients (64 males and 212 [76.8%] females), aged 65 to 87 (mean 70±4.4), underwent US evaluation and US-FNAB of ...

The link between obesity and type 2 diabetes is clear on an epidemiological level, however the mechanism linking these two common disorders is not well defined. One hypothesis linking obesity to type 2 diabetes is the adipose tissue expandability hypothesis. The adipose tissue expandability hypothesis states that a failure in the capacity for adipose tissue expansion, rather than obesity per se is the key factor linking positive energy balance and type 2 diabetes. All individu...

The link between obesity and type 2 diabetes is clear on an epidemiological level, however the mechanism linking these two common disorders is not well defined. One hypothesis linking obesity to type 2 diabetes is the adipose tissue expandability hypothesis. The adipose tissue expandability hypothesis states that a failure in the capacity for adipose tissue expansion, rather than obesity per se is the key factor linking positive energy balance and type 2 diabetes. All individu...