Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Angiogenesis plays an important role in the growth and processes of tumors, often indicating neovascularity. However the role of vascularization in thyroid nodules observed with power or color doppler has always been debated. Therefore, most of thyroid nodules sonographic risk classification do not consider vascularization as an important features in predicting the risk of malignancy. In the last years a new vascular imaging technique, Superb Microvascular Imagin...

Background: The typical biochemical phenotype related to obesity, that is high serum TSH within normal range, low/normal free thyroxine (FT4) and increased free triiodothyronine (FT3) levels, can be interpreted as a resistance to thyroid hormones. It is unclear the role played by thyroid hormones in the pathogenesis of metabolic derangement associated with obesity. Aim: To investigate the association between thyroid hormones sensitivity and cardio-metabo...

Background: Achondroplasia, the most common skeletal dysplasia, carries a highest risk of developing foramen magnum stenosis (FMS), particularly in young children, leading to cervicomedullary compression and potentially fatal outcomes. Early detection of spinal cord changes through routine MRI screening can help reducing the morbidity and mortality in this population. Considering recent evidence, the bone team at Evelina London Children’s Hospital impleme...

Background: Since the preliminary epidemiological data concerning the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been availabe, clear sex disparity has been evident, with males, although not more frequently affected, often experiencing worse outcomes when compared to women. The short and long term andrological effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have not been clarified. The aim of the present study is to systematically review and meta-analyze all available data regardi...

Background: The incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing worldwide, with considerable impact on the health of both mother and newborn. There is no doubt that screening for GDM between 24 and 28 gestational weeks (GWks) is important to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes; however, there is no clear consensus about the diagnosis and treatment of GDM in early pregnancy.Aims: To evaluate the effect of time of GDM diagnosis (early onset ...

Background and Objective: Severe metabolic complications generally manifest at an early age in Berardinelli – Seip congenital lipodystrophy (BSCL) and their management is especially challenging, often requiring prompt pharmacological treatment with insulin-sensitizers, lipid lowering drugs, insulin and eventually metreleptin. Nutritional intervention with low lipid personalized diets is considered by experts a fundamental tool in handling the disease when associated with ...

White adipose tissue (WAT) stores excess energy as triglycerides, while brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipates energy through heat, acting as a defence against cold and obesity and as a positive regulator of metabolic functions. BAT thermogenic functions are mainly induced by mitochondrial uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1), which induces uptake of lipids and glucose to sustain oxidation and thermogenesis in both brown and beige adipocytes. Beige/brite adipocytes arise in WAT depots ...

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent a complex and multifactorial issue that results from a combination of behavioural, genetic and environmental factors. Toxic metal contaminants, many of which act as endocrine disruptors (EDs), have been identified as potential risk factors for CVDs. Among EDs Cadmium (Cd), present both in cigarettes and in food, has been suggested to be cytotoxic on vascular endothelium, likely leading to blood pressure increase and vascular inflammatio...

Background: Excess testosterone in PCOS is accompanied by increased levels of other ovarian and adrenal androgens and precursors. Recently, 11-oxygenated adrenal androgens have been postulated as major components of the circulating androgen pool in PCOS. Obesity is strictly connected with androgen excess and with the derangement of hormone circadian rhythmicity. To date, it has not been clarified whether hyperandrogenism in PCOS, either complicated by obesity or not, is accomp...

Objective: Recent studies have shown that sarcopenia at cancer diagnosis is associated with a poor survival in patients with solid tumors. Up to now, few data are available among patients with advanced thyroid cancer, especially those treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). We retrospectively evaluated sarcopenia by Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI) in a cohort of advanced thyroid cancer patients before and during TKI treatment and investigated its association with treatment ...