Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Increased plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in response to acute hypoglycemia have been well documented. Counter-regulatory hormones are likely to play a role in this inflammatory response.Objective: To study the interaction between IL-6 and counter-regulatory hormones during hypoglycemic stress.Methods: We conducted an exploratory single center study involving 23 patients (mean age = 34.15 ± 8.87 years, ...

Somatostatin (SS) receptors (SSR) expression may be modulated by estrogens in breast cancer cells. Aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of estradiol (E2) on SSR levels in prostate epithelial cells (PEC).Methods: We investigated the effects of E2 and SS-analogue SOM230 combined treatment on two PEC lines: EPN that expresses both ERalfa and beta and CPEC, showing no ERalfa and very low ERbeta expression. Cells starved in red ...

Antipituitary antibodies (APA) are frequently present in patients with autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome (APS) but their role in predicting autoimmune hypophysitis (LYH) is still discussed.To evaluate the predictive value of APA investigated by immunofluorescence for the occurrence of pituitary autoimmune dysfunction when considering together some methodological characteristics as immunostaining pattern and antibody titers, we studied 149 APA positive an...

Background: Guidelines suggest treating paraphilias with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). However little evidence is available about the long-term impact on bone and how to manage this adverse event.Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the impact of ADT on bone mass and bone mineral density (BMD) in men treated for hypersexuality with cyproterone acetate (CPA) and GnRH agonists (GnRHa), and to evaluate the effect of treatment with bisphosphonates.<...

Introduction: Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) requires an accurate diagnosis, patient-tailored treatments and long-term management. To define the unmet needs of patients with CS, a consensus among a panel of Italian endocrinologists was promoted. The panel involved 57 specialists with expertise in CS management.Methods: The endocrinologists were identified by convenience sampling. The survey was built around a set of statements formulated after literature r...

Background: The recognition of the erectile dysfunction (ED) pathogenesis is essential to identify the appropriate ED management. Since vascular ED (vED) could be a manifestation of a systemic arterial damage, the watershed in the ED diagnostic framework is the discrimination between psychological (pED) and vED. However, reliable tools to directly diagnose pED are currently lacking.Aim of the study: To identify which parameters could predict pED. Moreove...

Background and Objective: It is known that androgens decrease and estrogens increase TBG. In female to male transsexuals under testosterone replacement, decrease of TBG has been shown, but also an increased T3/T4 ratio despite stable free T4 and TSH, suggesting increased conversion to T3 by testosterone. We wanted to study the HPT axis in hypogonadal cis-males before and after testosterone replacement.Method: Prospective observational study in adult male...

Adult growth hormone deficiency (aGHD) is characterized by an altered metabolic profile and increased cardiovascular risk. Neudesin is a newly discovered protein mainly secreted from adipose tissue and brain, under evaluation for its possible activity as negative regulator of energy expenditure. Liver expressed antimicrobial peptide (LEAP)-2 is a competitive antagonist of ghrelin on its receptor. Spexin is a polypeptide related to the galanin-kisspeptin family, secreted along ...

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) 1 is a rare hereditary autosomal dominant tumor syndrome characterized by two or more endocrine tumors. Non-endocrine neoplasms have been described as well. MEN1 is caused by inactivating mutations of the onco-suppressor gene MEN-1 (chromosome 11q13) which encodes the protein menin. Currently, 897 public variants of MEN-1 gene are reported. We present the case of a recently discovered pathogenic mutations of MEN-1 gene. A 32-year-old Italian ...

Background: The development of a new syringe for lanreotide Autogel, in conjunction with patients, caregivers and HCPs, identified and integrated several upgrades to the previous design that could improve patient care.Aims: To better understand which attributes are pertinent to users, and how user preferences can be optimally assessed, we conducted a systematic literature review of relevant studies of pre-filled devices.Methods: Pu...