Endocrine Abstracts

Carcinoid tumors are distinct neuroendocrine neoplasms with characteristic histological, clinical and biological features.Material and methods: An extremely rare case of a primary carcinoid tumor arising in a mature cystic teratoma is reported. A 23-year-old woman was admitted with pain in the lower abdomen and for further examination of a tumor in the left anexa. Transabdominal ultrasonography demonstrated a cystic mass measuring 110/70 mm, with irregul...

Background: Androgen receptor (AR) activity is modulated by the length of CAG-repeat polymorphism in exon 1. Published data suggest association between CAG-repeat alleles and PCOS, but not all studies confirmed this finding.Aim: To test association of AR alleles with PCOS and clinical and biochemical signs of hyperandrogenism.Study design: Case–control association study, approved by the institutional ethical committee, of 137 ...

Obesity and the metabolic syndrome show increased morbidity and mortality, by inducing morphological and functional alterations of several organs, the liver included (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease – NAFLD). They start with minimal alterations ranging to terminal liver disease (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis – NASH – and cirrhosis).We intended to identify the histological aspects in NAFLD and to examine the correlations between the histo...

Protein kinase C (PKC) is a key enzyme which regulates proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation, representing a pharmacological target for tumor therapy. PKC is a serin/threonin kinase involved in the control of neoplastic transformation, carcinogenesis, neoplastic invasion, chemoresistance. The role of PKC depends on the tissue and on the specific isoform, among the 11 identified so far. In particular, PKC beta II inhibits cell functions, while PKC delta has a protective ...

The aim of this study was to analyze retrospectively (2003–2007) the coexistence of NTD with TAD (Graves’ and Hashimoto’s diseases) in an iodine-replete area.The first study group included 381 cases with Graves’ hyperthyroidism, not previously treated with surgery or radioiodine therapy. The second group comprised 213 patients with hyperplasic Hashimoto’s disease and heterogeneous functionality.NTD was diag...

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 ...

Short stature is a frequent finding among patients with beta-thalassemia major, with a major impact on the quality of life and a multifactorial aetiology.Aim: To study the relationship between growth retardation of thalassemic patients and associated sistemic conditions and endocrine complications.Subjects and methods: Cross-sectional study on 59 patients with βthalassemia major who did not reach their final height, with a mea...

In order to determine the influence of PCOS and obesity on vascular parameters, we studied 25 patients with PCOS (10 with normal body mass index – BMI – and 15 obese) without classic cardiovascular risk factors (IGT or DM, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia) and 23 control women (12 with normal BMI and 11 obese), pairwise matched for BMI, through a non-invasive method using high resolution ultrasound imaging. Global age range was 26.0±4.7 years. The mean values...

Background: Vitamin D3 is generated in the skin of humans from 7-dehydrocholesterol by ultraviolet light. Vitamin D3 is hydroxylated to its metabolically active form in the liver and kidneys. The hydroxylated form of Vitamin D3, is required for both phosphate and calcium absorption in the gut and reabsorption from the kidneys. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a low circulating calcium and phosphate.Case report: A 5...

Background: Recent studies have indicated that macroprolactinaemia accounts for up to 26% of biochemical hyperprolactinaemia depending on the assay in use. Delayed metabolic clearance of macroprolactin together with detection by most automated prolactin immunoassay systems leads to pseudo-hyperprolactinemia in patients harbouring this form of complexed prolactin.We here describe the use of serial macroprolactin measurement to assist in the management of ...