Endocrine Abstracts

Prediction of the biological behavior in non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA) according to morphological criteria is highly inaccurate. Reliable prognostic molecular markers could be useful in providing guidance in NFPA post-surgical follow-up.Aim: To identify differentially expressed genes between aggressive and non-aggressive NFPAs and to assess their prognostic value.Methods: Samples analyzed were selected from a series of ...

Adults with hypopituitarism are known to have reduced life expectancy with a 2-fold higher risk of death for cardiovascular disease compared with controls. In Italy, to identify individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease, the function of the Progetto CUORE has been identified and the global cardiovascular risk score has been built using data from different Italian cohorts. To assess the global cardiovascular risk score in adult hypopituitaric patients: 108 hypopituita...

Exon 1 of the androgen receptor (AR) gene contains a variable number of CAG triplets, (CAGr)n which encode a polyglutamine stretch of variable length in the N-terminal domain of the receptor. Experimental evidence has accumulated in demonstrating that the length of this stretch influences the transcriptional activity induced by the AR and therefore modulates target organs responsiveness to androgens.The (CAGr)n is inversely associated with the transcript...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease that results from impairment of insulin synthesis/secretion or signaling. The glycemia of type 1 DM (DM1) patients is controlled by insulin replacement therapy, which chronically results in insulin resistance. We have shown that alloxan-induced diabetic rats present hypothyroidism, and that T3 treatment reduced the inflammatory state and hepatic glucose production and increased insulin sensitivity, improving glycemia control. Considering tha...

Introduction and aim: A prompt diagnosis of Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) in high-risk populations is mandatory: 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (1-mg DST); late night salivary cortisol (LNSC) and urinary free cortisol (UFC) are recommend, despite thresholds calculated in retrospective studies. Our aim was to study the diagnostic accuracy of LNSC measured with chemiluminescence assay in a prospective study, confirming discrepancies with mass spectrometry (MS).<p class="...

Objectives: To study the association of functional polymorphisms at DHFR, CBS and MTHFR genes with bone mineral density (BMD) and metabolic parameters of bone remodeling.Materials and methods: BMD (g/cm2) was measured by DEXA in 391 subjects: 174 with normal BMD (137F 37M; age=48.79±12.99 years; BMI=29.61±5.22 kg/m2), 62 with osteopenia (48F 14M; age=56.06±12.96 years; BMI=27.64±4.94 kg/m2) and 154 with osteoporosis (119F, 35M; age=64...

Introduction and aim: Obesity is a public health problem characterized by metabolic and endocrine disorders. Currently, it has been observed an increase of the obesity induced by high fat diet (HFD) and, considering that small intestine is the most important absorptive site of the nutrients, it is very interesting to evaluate the impact of HFD intake on that first place of nutrients entry, that is, the small intestine. Taken into account that dyslipidemia and hypertension are ...

Carcinomas are the third most frequent cause of complications in acromegalic patients. It has been suggested that diabetes potentiates the risk of cancer. To assess the frequency and type of malignant neoplasms in acromegalic patients and control group; to evaluate, in both groups, the relationship between IGF-I/GH and the development of cancer, and between glucose metabolism and cancer in two centers of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Retrospective, cross-sectional study; medical re...

Background: Macroprolactinemia is a condition where more of 60% of circulating PRL is made up of macroprolactin. It may be observed in both sexes (although women represent about 90% of published cases), and at all ages. As macroprolactin has low biological active and low bioavailibility, most patients are asymptomatic. The Endocrine Society guidelines recommend screening for macroprolactin only in asymptomatic hyperprolactinemic patients. However, some data from the literature...

IntroductionIndividuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at an increased risk of developing fractures, despite higher mean BMI and BMD. Recently, clinically relevant sub-groups of T2DM have been characterised using biomarkers of glycemic metabolism.AimCharacterise T2DM sub-groups in a population-based setting and test for differences in fracture risk.Methods<p class="abstext...