Endocrine Abstracts

In order to investigate the correlations between immunohistochemical picture with proliferative index (Ki-67), the clinical course and outcome of GH-secreting pituitary adenomas not cured by neurosurgery, we studied 41 consecutive acromegalic patients (M 12, F 29; aged 43±10.8 yr) previously undergone neurosurgical resection of adenoma. Two patients underwent neurosurgical intervention at least twice. Post-surgical follow-up ranged from 6 to 36 months and all patients rec...

PTTG transforms cells in vitro, is tumourigenic in vivo and regulates secretion of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2). Critical to transactivation of FGF-2 is PTTG's SH3 interacting domain which encodes the gene's sole phosphorylation site. We explored the mechanisms through which PTTG stimulates FGF-2 expression and cell transformation using specific mutations resulting in unphosphorylated PTTG (phos-), a mimic of constitutive phosphorylation (phos+), and a disr...

Background: Hyperandrogenism in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is associated with virilisation in female patients and subfertility in both male and female patients. However, little is known regarding the association of hyperandrogenaemia with polycythaemia. We evaluate the association between the adrenal hormone profile and haematocrit (HCT)/haemoglobin (Hb) in a cohort of patients with classical CAH.Methods: Single centre retrospective analysis of...

Introduction: The true prevalence of clinically relevant pituitary adenomas has been reevaluated at 1/1064 of the population (1). Among them, prolactinomas represent the majority with a prevalence of 1/2000. They occur usually in females, aged 20–50 Y.O., and 80% are microadenomas. Nearly 5% of prolactinomas appear in a familial or genetic setting (MEN-1 or FIPA) (2). Cabergoline is proposed as the first line therapy and is usually efficient to normalize prolactin (PRL) l...

Background: Acromegaly is a rare disease characterised by an excessive production of growth hormone (GH), from a pituitary adenoma. It is a curable disease, either by surgery or by medical treatment, but very rare it can spontaneously cure by the apoplexy of the pituitary adenoma.Case presentation: We present the case of a 58-year-old female who was suspected of acromegaly due to her physical appearance: soft tissue swelling and enlargement of the extrem...

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) is an ovarian defect characterized by the premature depletion of ovarian follicles before 40 years and represents one major cause of female infertility. POI is a heterogeneous disease but, despite its idiopathic origin in most of patients, there is a strong genetic evidence, in particular for X chromosome-linked defects. BMP15 gene maps to Xp11.2 within a Turner locus critical for ovarian function and mutations in this gene have been found i...

Introduction: Weight loss is a key initial treatment strategy in obese women with polycistic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic risk factors. In some women with PCOS it may reduce hyperandrogenism and restore menstrual function, ovulation and fertility. The aim of this study was to reveal clinical predictors of menstrual response to weight loss in overweight women with PCOS.Design: overweight unovulatory women with PCOS ...

Introduction: Assessment of the RAAS has been recently granted a much greater role in the evaluation of patients with arterial hypertension (AH). There is no single test efficient in selection of patients for second-step etiological investigation.Methods: 198 consecutive patients- 119 women (60%) and 79 men (40%)- hospitalized in years 2009-2011 at the Clinical Department of Endocrinology UMB as to diagnose PA. In each patient PRA and PAC (basic and afte...

Background: Measurement of serum cortisol levels can be useful in the diagnosis of conditions of both adrenal insufficiency and excess. Several methods are available for the measurement of the cortisol levels and immunoassays are commonly used in routine laboratories. The aim of our study was therefore to compare four different automated immunoassays for measurement of cortisol in serum.Methods: Serum samples of seventy two healthy volunteers were used f...

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is a common disorder and may manifest as a musculoskeletal, neurological, mental disorder or neoplastic disease.Case report: A 47 year old woman of Caucasian origin suffered from back, muscle, bone pain and severe depression for 8 years. She was ineffectively treated at the departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, Pain Clinic several times a year. Brain, bone CT, internal ultrasound, routine biochemistry analyses were norm...