Endocrine Abstracts

Context: The endocannabinoid system (ECS) hypertonicity contributes to obesity development and maintenance. Excess circulating levels of ECS mediator 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG) were reported in obese humans, however, unstandardized experimental settings (i.e. analytical conditions, sample size, concurrent diseases/medications, statistics, gender, body mass index (BMI) and age), clouded its role in dysmetabolism and its usefulness as biomarker. The study aimed at describing 2...

Context: Ageing and obesity are similarly characterized by metabolic impairment in terms of visceral fat, dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance and hypertension. Obesity is featured by endocannabinoid system (ECS) hyperactivation. Increased levels of endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG) found in obesity were variously associated to dysmetabolic features, however, it is not clear whether such associations exist in normal weight conditions. Moreover, ageing contribute in mod...

Introduction: Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation is the main neuroendocrine response to an environmental challenge. Drug abuse may activate HPA axis by interaction with neuromodulation systems.Case report: 28 year old man, was admitted in the Neurology Department for persistent headache with spinal irradiation. With suspicion of multiple sclerosis, MRI revealed pituitary macroadenoma (14 mm diameter) and subcortical, paraventr...

: A large number of studies are now focused on the causes of male infertility. Among these are epigenetic modifications, which are important contributors to reproductive pathology in the male by providing dynamic changes of the phenotype according to the environmental and metabolic factors. The most known epigenetic modification is DNA methylation and alterations in this pattern in several genes could induce male infertility. Alterations in DNA methylation patterns in several ...

The CDX2 VDR polymorphism (rs11568820) is located in the promoter region of exon 1 in the 5′-untranslated region of the VDR gene.Objective: The current investigation examines the association between CDX2 VDR polymorphism and male infertility.Subjects and methods: The study was conducted on 69 infertile men, aged between 20 and 50 years, divided into three groups, based on spermatic parameters: group with azoospermia (19 subje...

Introduction: Tumours with aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting (AIP) mutations often show an unusually aggressive and invasive clinical course as up to 80% of AIP positive pituitary adenomas have a certain degree of extrasellar extension. The exact mechanisms by which AIP inactivation promotes an aggressive behaviour remain unknown. The majority of adenohypophysis is composed of sinuous cords of epithelial cells and consequently, molecules that can induce remodellin...

Introduction: One of the most common endocrine complications of anorexia nervosa (AN) is the decrease in bone mineral density. The authors evaluated the predictive factors of osteopenia and osteoporosis in AN patients admitted with low weight.Patients and methods: Retrospective analysis of 45 patients admitted with AN between 2001 and 2015 in the Endocrinology department, corresponding to 63 admissions. Bone mineral density was classified according to WH...

Pathophysiological calcification in the vasculature favours cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases. In patients with chronic kidney disease vitamin K metabolites are associated with decreased vascular calcification.We investigated the expression of the vitamin K dependent proteins PRRG1-4 in vessels and bone to identify differences in expression pattern during atherosclerosis (AS) stages and compare the two tissue profiles.Gene expre...

Introduction: Primary adrenal insufficiency or Addison disease (AD) is a potentially fatal condition if not diagnosed in time. Rarely, it can arise as a manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), caused by adrenal venous thrombosis and consequent hemorrhagic infarction.Case report: We present the case of a 36-year-old caucasian woman with APS diagnosis since she was 24, with history of arterial hypertension and multiple thrombotic events (deep vei...

Introduction: The diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome is often challenging considering that none of the used laboratory tests has an ideal diagnostic accuracy. The complexity of the diagnosis increases in cyclic disorder, which is characterized by repeated episodes of cortisol excess followed by periods of normal cortisol secretion.Case report: A 32-year-old woman with history of arterial hypertension and obesity presented with weight gain, hirsutism, a...