Endocrine Abstracts

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare entity characterized by clonal proliferation and accumulation of cells resembling the epidermal dendritic cells called Langerhans cells (distinct margins, pink granular cytoplasm, Birbeck granules at electron microscopy and CD1 positivity by immunocytochemistry). These cells in combination with lymphocytes, eosinophils ad normal hystiocytes form the typical LCH lesions. About half of affected patients have extraskeletal manifestati...

Introduction: There is currently high interest in the non-glycemic effects of incretin-based therapies, specifically glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogues, such as those on cardiovascular system. Liraglutide has been approved in Italy since one year to be prescribed in combination with oral hypoglycemic agents; it has several non-glycemic properties, but its effect on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), a recognized marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, is still unknown...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often diagnosed at late stage or metastatic condition. Surgical resection is considered treatment of choice and other treatment options include chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation and photodynamic therapy. We evaluated the expression levels of the 5 somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) in 23 biopsies of HCC patients and also mTOR, p70S6K and 4eBP1 in HuH-7 and HepG2 and investigated the in vitro effect of somatostatin analogs (SA) and ...

Introduction: Inactivating mutations in LH or FSH receptors (R) are known causes of gonadotrophins resistance.Aim: This study aims at evaluating the presence of mutations and polymorphisms of FSHR and LHR and sperm quality in men with hypergonadotropic hypogonadism without obvious testicular noxa.Patients and methods: We selected 8 males with elevated levels of FSH and/or LH and normal levels of testosterone. Sperm parameters were ...

It has been previously shown that human spermatozoa produce nitric oxide (NO), a short-lived free radical synthesised by three isoforms of NO synthase (NOS): endothelial (eNOS), neuronal (nNOS), and inducible (iNOS), which are responsible for the conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline and NO. Spermatozoa of fertile men express both eNOS and nNOS. The specific roles of NOS isoforms in gametes are not well understood, even if iNOS seems to ...

Introduction: Acne is a common skin disease that occasionally can be influenced by endocrine abnormalities. In females, a clear relationship has been highlight between acne onset and peripheral insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, whereas few data are available in male. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between acne and insulin resistance as well as other metabolic impairment in male subjects with acne.Methods/design: Twenty-t...

Aim: This study was aimed to estimate the nutritional status and the prevalence of weight excess in a wide unselected population of adolescent and young students from Emilia Romagna.Material and methods: Three thousand and ninety-one high school students, aged 15–19 years were consecutively contacted. One thousand eight hundred sixty out of 3091 (60.2%) accepted to participate in an epidemiologic study, whose procedures included anthropometric measu...

Cabergoline (CAB) and other dopamine agonists are usually discontinued shortly after hyperprolactinemic patients become pregnant. Data on maternal and foetal exposure to CAB and on recurrence of hyperprolactinemia after pregnancy are still limited. The current survey study aimed at elucidating the safety of exposure to CAB during early pregnancy and the recurrence rate of hyperprolactinemia after pregnancy. Thus, 68 pregnancies in a cohort of 59 patients with hyperprolactinemi...

Background: Adults with untreated GH deficiency (GHD) may have a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors. The effects of GH replacement therapy on insulin homeostasis in GHD subjects are still debated. Only a few studies investigated the effects of GHD and GH therapy on glucose metabolism in children.Objective: To evaluate the effects of GHD and GH treatment on glucose metabolism in a large cohort of GHD children before and after GH replacement therapy.</...

Introduction: Ultrasoundelastography (USE) evaluates the tissue elasticity according to the local tissue displacement after a small compression applied by an ultrasound transducer. This technique is based on the concept that a hard lesion is associated to a higher risk of malignancy. The USE has been recently applied for characterization of thyroid nodules. The aim of our preliminary study was to assess the validity of USE for screening benign and malignant thyroid nodules.</p...