Endocrine Abstracts

Medical treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is limited to common cytotoxic agents, which are usually given in combination with mitotane. Recently we have developed a novel therapeutic approach by coupling a monoclonal IGF1 receptor blocking antibody (1H7) to sterically stabilized liposomal doxorubicin (SSLD). 1H7 coupled liposomes showed in vitro high and significant cellular association and furthermore internalization in various human tumor cell lines as well a...

Estrogen exposure has been linked to a risk for the development of testicular germ cell cancers. The effects of estrogen are now known to be mediated by estrogen receptor α (ERα) and ERβ subtypes, but only ERβ has been found in human germ cells of normal testis. However, its expression was markedly diminished in seminomas, embryonal cell carcinomas, and in mixed germ cell tumours but remains high in teratomas. PATZ1 is a recently discovered zinc finger prot...

BACKGROUND: DHEA and DHEAS, can be converted into Androstenedione, T and DHT as well as oestrogens by peripheral tissues. In normal men the conversion rate of IV-infused radiolabelled DHEAS to T is only 0.7%. In hypogonadal men, this conversion rate may be increased. We hypothesise that a pharmacological dose of orally administered DHEA may be able to raise plasma T into the normal range in hypogonadal men. METHODS: Local Ethical Committee Approval was obtained. Two groups (n=...

We report a 36 year old woman of African origin with a background of HIV and previous AIDS defining pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient has been well on highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) since May 2000. She presented in March 2001 with a four weeks history of fatigue, weight loss, palpitations, polyuria and weakness. Her mother had type 2 diabetes. There is no family history of thyroid disease. Examination showed a thyrotoxic state, a smooth diffuse goitre and prox...

Background: A possible association between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 pandemic and subacute thyroiditis (SAT) has been reported.Objectives: To evaluate SAT clinical characteristics, correlating them to virus exposure and/or vaccine and to evaluate thyroid function according to the length of time after symptoms onset.Methods: We performed a prospective, observational, multi-centre study, considering t...

Major clinical events such as myocardial infarction and stroke are caused by atherosclerosis, a lipid-driven chronic inflammatory disease affecting the arterial wall. In recognition of the inflammatory drive in cardiovascular disease (CVD), a major interest has risen to complement current standards for high-risk patients by therapeutically targeting the inflammatory process. Prior to clinical application, therapeutic candidates are required to have a robust anti-inflammatory e...

PCOS (defined by NIH, Rotterdam or AES criteria) is traditionally viewed as an ovarian disorder that appears in adolescence and may lead to metabolic complications in adulthood. Emerging evidence, however, indicates that PCOS is primarily a disorder of adipose-tissue hyperexpansion that may originate in early life, develop across childhood and puberty, and advance into end-stage disease (including ovulatory dysfunction and ovarian androgen excess) by adolescence. Prepubertal m...

Testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) are the two most important sex steroids in men and women, respectively, and their accurate determination in serum is of crucial importance in assessing gonadal function both in clinical management and research. The limitations of serum T and E2 measurements using non-extraction platform immunoassays (IA) are widely recognized. Switching to more specific mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods has been advocated but directly comparative data on ...

The main concern of endocrinologist exploring an adrenal incidentaloma (AI) is the identification of malignant and/or secretant AI leading to rapid cure by removal of the tumor. PH remains one of the most difficult lesions to diagnose. In this study we analyze PH clinic, morphologic and secretory profile. Among a series of 91 AI recruited between 1987 and 2007 having benefited from an adrenal exploration, 56 have been removed and 18/56 were diagnosed as tumors of medullar orig...

Introduction: Hypogonadism is associated with metabolic syndrome and all its individual components. This study analysed effects of normalization of serum testosterone in mainly elderly, hypogonadal men.Methods: Prospective registry study of 252 men (mean age 60.6±8.0 years), with testosterone levels between ≤3.5 ng/ml. They received parenteral testosterone undecanoate 1000 mg at day 1, week 6 and every 12 weeks thereafter for up to 66 months.<...