Endocrine Abstracts

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In patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, life-long glucocorticoid (GC) treatment is often required to replace cortisol deficiency and to avoid the ACTH-dependent androgen levels increase. However, in these patients, the multiple daily doses required with conventional GCs can cause cortisol overexposure, leading to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MS), an impaired quality of life (QoL), and poor treatment compliance (TC). T...

Background: Novel treatment options are required for patients with adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs). mTOR-inhibitors are anti-neoplastic drugs that target the mTOR-pathway.Aim: To describe the expression of the mTOR-pathway in normal and pathological adrenocortical tissues.Methods: We evaluated mRNA expression levels of mTOR, S6K and 4EBP1 in 10 normal adrenals (NA), 11 adrenal hyperplasias (AH), 19 adrenal adenomas (ACA) and 26 AC...

Introduction: The contrast agents iopanoic acid and ipodate are potent inhibitors of thyroid function, reducing type I deodinase T3 generation, inhibiting thyroid liberation of T4 and T3, and T3 receptor binding, with off-label use in hyperthyroid emergencies. However, since the interruption of iopanoic acid production this year, neither agent is currently available in Spain.Case report: A 34-year-old male was ...

Thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by an increased volume of the adipose/connective tissue in the human orbit. Fibroblasts from the connective orbital tissue are able to differentiate into mature adipocytes if grown in particular culture conditions. Aim of the present study was to determine the gene expression profile of orbital fibroblasts after adipocytic differentiation. Fibroblasts in primary culture were obtained from or...

Aims/hypothesis: The initial avascular period following islet transplantation seriously compromises graft function and survival. Enhancing graft revascularization to improve engraftment has been attempted through virus-based delivery of angiogenic triggers, but risks associated with viral vectors have hampered clinical translation. In vitro transcribed mRNA transfection circumvents these risks and may be used for improving islet engraftment.Meth...

Introduction: Overall and abdominal obesity are both well-established risk factors of vitamin D deficiency. However, it is unclear which fat depot is most strongly related to serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations.Objective: This study aims to distinguish specific contributions of total body fat, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (aSAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and hepatic fat on 25(OH)D concentrations.Methods...

Objective: This study aims to assess the utility of salivary cortisol (SC) in diagnosing adrenal insufficiency (AI) and to analyze the integrity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This involves evaluating cortisol rhythm, its correlation with plasma levels, and the impact of exogenous hydrocortisone (HC) substitution on SC determination.Methods: A prospective study was conducted on all patients with suspected AI undergoing adrenocorticotropic ho...

Introduction: The pseudo-Cushing’s encompass several disorders that can occur in high-stress situations, such as the sepsis, and that show biochemical features like those of Cushing’s syndrome. We present a case with difficult differential diagnosis, for overlapping laboratory findings.Case description: A 74-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for worsening dyspnoea since a month, 15 kilograms weight loss in the previous months, asthenia,...

Women who are obese are more likely to suffer early pregnancy loss. Once factor that can contribute to this is endometrial dysfunction however, we are limited in our understanding of how stressors or treatments, may alter endometrial function. Mimicking the dynamic in vivo exposure of the endometrium to these stressors is difficult using in vitro static culture systems. The aim of this study was to use a microfluidic approach to mimic exposure of the endometr...