Endocrine Abstracts

Pheocromocytoma is a catecholamine-secreting tumor that arises from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. In general, they are unilateral and the treatment of choise is complete surgical resection. Surgery and other medical procedures such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy may result in massive catecholamine release that can be fatal. Some form of preoperative pharmacologic preparation is indicated for all patients to control blood pressure, arrhytmia and promote intravascula...

Goal: The aim of this study was to find different characteristics between GDM women aged under (GDM A n=23) and above 28 years (GDM B n=107), followed in our department in 2005.Material and methods: We performed ANOVA comparisons and computed Pearson correlations/linear regressions between womens’ age and BMI, O’ Sullivan test, OGTT 0 h, 1 h, 2 h and 3 h, new born weight and the need of insulin.Results: BMI ...

The ‘Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia’ predominantly affect the pituitary gland, parathyroids, thyroids, adrenal glands and pancreas. We present the case of a patient with three different functioning endocrine gland tumours, but who cannot be included in any of these groups.Case report: Sixty-five-years-old female with recurrent episodes of nephritic colic and hypertension for 2 years; non-specific gastrointestinal complaints, hirsutism, hyp...

Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate the characteristics of the acromegalic patients followed at a tertiary Universitary Hospital and to evaluate the results of the recommended treatment protocols.Patients and methods: All our acromegalic patients were included (n=48; 27 women). Demographic, hormonal, visual and imaging data at diagnosis and during follow-up, as well as treatments applied, were recorded.Results...

Introduction: Obesity has been associated with a low-level activation of the acute-phase response. The aim of the present study was to compare inflammatory parameters in patients with obesity and a control group, and to evaluate the effect of weight loss on these parameters.Methods: Sixty-seven severe or morbid obese patients (51 women, 16 men), aged 34±11 years, were compared with 67 normal-weight controls (45 women, 22 men), aged 32±10 years....

Introduction: Several haemostatic disturbances have been described in obese patients. Nevertheless, the state of coagulation inhibitors has been scarcely studied in these patients. Activated protein C (APC) is the anticoagulant enzyme formed upon activation of the protein C (PC) by the thrombin-thrombomodulin complex on the surface of endothelial cells. Morbid obesity is associated to endothelial dysfunction, which could cause a reduction in APC generation.<p class="abstex...

Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is associated with hypercoagulable state, mainly dependent on corticosteroid-induced increase of von Willebrand factor (VWF) levels, even though this does not affects all patients. In normals plasma VWF levels are genetically determined by ABO blood groups and polymorphisms G/C −1793, C/T −1234, A/G −1185, G/A −1050 of VWF promoter. These SNPs segregate as haplotype 1 (G/C/A/G) and haplotype 2 (C/T/G/A) with genotype 1/1 (GG...

In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that catecholamines, in addition to their hemodynamic effect, exert a direct influence on the vascular wall, leading to eutrophic and hypertrophic remodeling. This finding is in agreement with that recently reported by our group on patients with pheochromocytoma (PHEO) who show carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and vascular fibrosis higher than essential hypertensives matched for classic cardiovascular risk factors, includi...

Background: Correlation between therapy with interferons, thyroid autoimmunity and dysfunction is widely reported. Currently we used two different pegilated-interferons (α-2a, α-2b).Aim: Evaluate a probable different behaviour of two PEG-IFN responsible of thyroid abnormalities.Patients and methods: We observed 236 consecutive naïve-patients with HCV-related chronic-disease undergoing a treatment with antiviral thera...

Introduction: In order to study the effect of age and testosterone on sleep related erections, we enrolled 209 men (122: age 30–49 years; 87: age over 50 years), including mild and severe hypogonadal subjects (129) and eugonadal subjects (80).Subjects and methods: The subjects were assigned to four groups, according to their testosterone serum levels. All the subjects underwent nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity monitoring (NPTRM). The followi...