Endocrine Abstracts

Exosomes are nano-sized vesicles secreted by the cells in the exatracellular fluids representing a novel way of intracellular communication. Exosomes secreted from blood cells like monocytes and platetes have been reported to be checkpoints involved in haemostatic and thrombotic response. Glucocorticoids are inducing a profound alteration of blood cells homeostasis with atherothrombotic, bleeding and immune response alterations. Hereby we quantified for the first time circulat...

Introduction: Clinical observational studies have reported the persistence of a high cardiovascular risk in patients with cured Cushing’s syndrome (CCS) compared with controls of the same age, gender and BMI. It is still at debated whether this is due to the persistence of comorbidities, hormone deficiencies or chronic changes induced by hypercortisolism. The aim of this translational approach was to investigate the interplay in CCS of the cardiovascular disease in vivo a...

Introduction: Chronic hypercortisolemia during Cushing Syndrome (CS) determines significant changes in the plasticity and function of metabolic tissues like visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Persistence of alterations in VAT function after CS remission is under debate, as data of clinical studies is not consistent due to confounder factors and limited availability of VAT. Animal model of reversible CS presents long-term alterations on VAT after remission. We investigate VAT alter...

Objectives: To assess baseline differences on lipid profile in individuals with gender identity disorder (male to female, M2F and female to male, F2M) in relation to prior cross-sex hormone treatment (CHT) or not, and changes in the lipid profile after 24 months of treatment and follow-up in our unit.Methods: Transversal study by revision of medical records of 235 patients visited for first time in our service from 2006 to 2010. Clinical and analytical r...

Introduction: Previous studies indicate a high prevalence of HIV infection in the transgender population and associate it with sexual risk behavior, psychiatrical and socio-economic problems. Anyway, few data are available regarding other factors. We assessed the prevalence of HIV and other associated characteristics in a transgender population of Catalonia.Methods: Cross-sectional study including 234 transsexuals that started follow-up in a reference ce...

Introduction: Active hypercortisolism of Cushing syndrome (CS) determines major changes in the plasticity and function of metabolic key target tissues as the adipose tissue (AT). Persistence of target tissue altered metabolic memory after the cure/remission of Cushing syndrome is still at debate as clinical observational studies are limited due to confounder factors both in endogenous as exogenous CS. We postulate that after remission of hypercortisolism, adipose tissue (AT) p...

Introduction: Metyrapone blocks cortisol production by inhibiting 11ß-hydroxylation of 11-deoxycortisol, the last step of cortisol synthesis. Based on observational retrospective studies published over more than 50 years metyrapone is approved for the treatment of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome (CS) in 14 European countries. PROMPT is the first prospective study to document the safety and efficacy of metyrapone using modern assay techniques.Desi...

IntroductionDiffuse optic techniques exploit the capability of penetration of near infrared light to investigate the properties and physiology of tissues. Based on this property, the LUCA device (Laser and Ultrasound Co-Analyzer of Thyroid nodules), a multi-modal device that combines two different diffuse optical techniques – time resolved and diffuse correlation spectroscopies – with ultrasound in the same transducer, has been developed with t...

IntroductionThe choice of a specialty in medicine is a decision that is imposed on new graduates. The aim of our study was to assess the perception of the specialty of Endocrinology and Nutrition among a large sample of medical students in their final year of their degree or prior to taking their Medical Internship Examination in order to know if they would choose Endocrinology and Nutrition for their specialised training, as well as the most and least a...

Aims: A few studies have shown disturbances in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in chronic-kidney-disease (CKD), of unknown extent and clinical implications. We aimed to study the HPA axis in patients with CKD and its association with kidney impairment and metabolic disturbances.Methods: Cross-sectional controlled study. Patients with CKD stages I-II (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] through CKD-EPI equation >60), stage III (e...