Endocrine Abstracts

Physiological circulating concentrations of estrogens are very low in men and postmenopausal women (<50 pg/ml), which presenting analytical challenges. Immunoassays can detect as low as 30 pg/ml, but cross-reactivity is a concern. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) offers greater specificity than immunoassays, but ionisation of estrogens is inefficient. Derivatisation, which introduces charged moieties, may enhance ionisation. Dansylated de...

Background: In bariatric surgery (BS) patients, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and fibrosis are present in up to 90% and 24%, respectively. Several fibrosis risk scores have been developed and have been validated in cohorts different from morbid obesity (MO). We aimed to determine whether established liver fibrosis scores were accurate in predicting fibrosis in MO subjects.Material and Methods: Cross-sectional analysis in a cohort of MO patients underg...

Introduction: Noninsulinoma pancreatogenous hypoglycemia syndrome (NIPHS) is an entity with low prevalence (4%), more frequent in neonates and infants and with a male preponderance, characterized by endogenous hyper insulinemic hypoglycemia, not caused by an insulinoma. Pancreatic histology usually reveals diffuse nesidioblastosis.Case report: A 21-years-old man without a remarkable personal or family history was referred describing a 15 kg weight g...

Introduction: Cyclic Cushing´s syndrome (CCS) is a rare disorder with a wide clinical variability, characterized by repeated episodes of cortisol excess and periods of normal or even low cortisol secretion. Different periodical diagnostic tests are required to confirm hypercortisolism and thereafter imaging techniques and laboratory studies can be performed to localize the cause.Case report: A 17-year-old female patient with a personal history of ad...

Introduction: Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) is a new non-invasive method to evaluate trabecular bone quality at the lumbar spine. The literature has contradictory results concerning the influence of insulin resistance and adipose tissue on bone, for this reason it is of interest to evaluate factors that determine bone health and risk of fracture in patients with T2DM.Objective: To analyze the relationship between insulin resistance and adipose tissue with ...

Introduction: Ectopic Cushing Syndrome (ECS) is a rare disease associated with significant comorbidity. Among the causes of Cushing’s syndrome (CS), ACTH-producing extrahypophyseal tumours are rarely reported. The aim of our study is to describe the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics of patients with ECS treated in our Endocrinology department over a 15-year period.Methods: A cross-sectional unicentric retrospective study was desi...

Obesity and type–2 diabetes (T2D) represent a global health crisis. However, only a few, and often sub–effective pharmacological tools are available to treat these disorders. Though beneficial for glycemic control, GLP–1 receptor (GLP–1R) agonists show scarce weight–lowering and insulin–sensitizing efficacy.New molecules able to selectively block the activity of the cannabinoid receptor type–1 (CB1R) in periphera...

Somatostatin (SRIF) is an inhibitory hormone that plays a regulatory role in several cell functions including cell proliferation. SRIF acts through five specific membrane receptors (sst1-5), expressed on SRIF-target cells. SRIF and ssts may play a significant role in the progression and neuroendocrine differentiation of human prostate cancer (PCa). However, conflicting results have been reported in the literature on ssts heterogeneity and specific cell localization in PCa. Aim...

Aim: To describe characteristics and outcomes of Italian patients with hypopituitarism participating in HypoCCS.Methods: Study population was stratified by max GH peak (mGHp) and BMI. Baseline variables included demographic characteristics, type of deficit, smoking habits; variables analyzed over time included weight, Framingham cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, lipids, GH dose.Results: Italian subpopulation included 342 patients ...

Introduction: Previous data from our group suggested a role for the GH/IGF1 axis in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis in thalassemia (Clin Endocrinol 69:202, 2008). The present study was aimed at evaluating the relationships between circulating IGFs and bone metabolism and density in a very large series of adult thalassemic patients.Study design: One hundred and thirty-nine patients affected by thalassemia major (mean age 32.3±7.87 years) underwen...