Endocrine Abstracts

It is well known that cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1) antagonist drugs may reduce body weight and improve metabolic profiles in obese animals and humans by a double mechanism: at first, targeting mesolimbic and hypothalamic nuclei and, thereafter, peripheral organs involved in energy storage and expenditure. However, it is still unknown which of these sites of action may have a predominant role in the endocannabinoid effect on energy balance regulation. To solve this questio...

BRAF point mutations are found in 29-69% of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). BRAF is a serine-threonine kinase involved in the phoshorylation of MAPK signaling pathway. The mutation is located in the exon 15 of BRAF, resulting in the substitution of valine to glutamate at codon 600 (V600E). Mutation generates unregulated B-Raf activity that leads to increased cellular proliferation. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of BRAF mutation in the Czech population...

Background: Thermoregulatory disorders after neurosurgery of craniopharingyomas were seldom reported.Aim: To present the difficulties of etiologic diagnosis and treatment of a persistent febrile syndrome in a patient with surgically removed craniopharyngioma.Patient and methods: A 34 years old man with a giant craniopharyngioma situated in the basal-anterior part of the third ventricle is reported. Anterior pituitary hormones were ...

The endocrine pancreas develops from cells of the endoderm which in response to extracellular signals express the transcription factor PDX1 that subsequently induces formation of the pancreas. At a later stage neurogenin 3 (ngn3) is activated in a sub-set of cells that are then destined to become endocrine cells. The final stage of differentiation to the various cell types of the islets of Langerhans is controlled by a number of transcription factors including PAX4 and PDX1 (i...

Introduction: Parathyroid carcinoma (PCa) is a rare presentation of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), accounting for less than 1% of cases. Differentiating parathyroid cancer from benign hyperparathyroidism is clinically challenging. Some previous work suggest that there is a paraneoplastic hCG production in parathyroid cancer (Stock et al 1987, Rubin et al 2008). In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the hCG+β kit from Roche Diagnostics could distinguish PCa p...

Introduction: Graves’ disease (GD) is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. The first-choice therapy is administration of thyreostatic drugs. However, approximately half of patients relapse within two years of discontinuation. It is then necessary to decide whether to re-initiate thyreostatic treatment, which may have serious side effects, or to choose a radical approach (TTE, radioiodine). Familial forms of GD indicate that the disease has a significant genetic compo...

Introduction: Ultrasound (US) thyroid examination is the most common method to assess thyroid nodules risk of malignancy and select nodules for fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Thyroid US evaluation performed by endocrinologists has recently increased in Spain.Objectives: To evaluate the predictive value of US features of malignancy in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid lesions in a Thyroid Nodule Clinic.Patients and...

Introduction: Iodine deficiency is one of the most important cause of mental and physical disorders and is considered a public health issue. Previous studies reported the existence of iodine deficiency in several regions in Romania and its related negative side effects on children’s health. Therefore, Romania has implemented the universal salt iodisation (USI) since 2002.Aim: The present study aimed to assess the current iodine status in Romanian sc...

Acromegaly is a rare disorder usually caused by a benign tumour of the pituitary gland. Long-term presence of elevated growth hormone (GH) and insulin like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels accompanying this disease is associated with complications such as heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnoea and arthropathy. Incidence of acromegaly is 3-5 patients per million per year. Klinefelter syndrome is ...

The brain is critically involved in the regulation of energy balance and glucose homeostasis. Depending on the levels of energy available in our body, the activity of a group of hypothalamic neurons expressing the neuropeptidergic marker proopiomelanocortin (POMC) changes and it plays a key role in maintaining energy balance. When POMC neuronal activity is altered, this can lead to impaired energy homeostasis and therefore to obesity. However, POMC neurons are highly diverse, ...