Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a pathogenesis that is not completely understood. Although a genetic origin has been recognized, a potential role for environmental factors, immune dysfunctions, and variations of hormonal levels was suggested. Ghrelin is a peptide hormone which can stimulate growth hormone (GH) release by activating GH secretagogue receptor. In addition, ghrelin exerts neuroprotective effects, inhibits apoptosis in hypothalamic neuron...

Introduction: Charles Bonnet syndrome is almost unknown by the endocrinologists. It is composed by visual hallucinations that do not react with the patient contrary to psychiatric hallucinations. The abnormal visions (generally hidden by patients) appear in subjects with an impaired vision of one of both eyes as in the following case:Case report: A man aged 27, was referred for acromegaly secondary to a huge invasive somatolactotrope pituitary adenomas d...

Aim of the current glucocorticoid treatment strategies in patients with classic types of CAH due to 21 hydroxylase deficiency is to replace the lack of cortisol (substitution) and, secondly, to suppress excess adrenal androgen production by restoring the negative feedback on ACTH release (suppression).In adolescence, besides adequate substitution, achieving normal puberty and menstrual cycle, preventing hyperandrogenism (hirsutism) and prevention of the ...

Introduction: Increased oxidative stress is considered to be implicated in the pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). While the regulation of oxidative stress is multifactorial, many studies have been focused on the antioxidant role of paraoxonase (PON). The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association of the Q192R and the L55M polymorphisms of PON1 and the Ser311Cys polymorphism of PON2 with PCOS.Subjects and...

AROM+ mice express universally the human P450 aromatase enzyme, leading to increased serum and intratesticular E2/T ratio. AROM+ mice are infertile and present with testicular inflammation characterized by a high amount of macrophages, mast cells and fibrosis. Interestingly, testis macrophage and mast cell infiltration together with fibrosis has also been connected to infertility in men. The aim of the study was to find out whether there are similar changes at the molecular le...

Objectives: Elderly men often show a concurrence of a decline of testosterone with features of the metabolic syndrome.Materials and methods: One hundred and twenty-two men of a mean age of 59.5±6.0 years, with baseline testosterone 5.9–12.1 nmol/l were treated with parenteral testosterone undecanoate for 42 months as the sole intervention.Results: Plasma testosterone rose from 9.3±1.7 to 18.7±2.1 nmol/l reaching...

Objectives: To investigate the safety of the administration of long-acting parenteral testosterone undecanoate (TU) to hypogonadal, mainly elderly men.Design and methods: One hundred and twenty-two men of a mean age of 59.5±6.0 years, with baseline testosterone 5.9–12.1 nmol/l were treated with parenteral TU. These 122 patients were followed for 42 months.Results: Plasma levels of testosterone rose from 9.3±1.7 to 18...

Virilizing ovarian tumors are a rare cause of hyperandrogenism; they account for 1–2% of all ovarian tumors being the Leydig cell tumor the most common one.We report the case of a 76-year old woman with type 2 diabetes that was referred for androgenic alopecia with 3 years evolution and a recent facial, peri-areolar and dorsal hirsutism. A diagnosis of hypertension was made 18 months previously, and she was on a four anti-hypertensive drug regimen. ...

Introduction: Adrenal incidentaloma are becoming very frequent. Bilateral adrenocortical adenomas are a rare cause of ACTH-independent Cushing syndrome.Clinical case: A 64-year-old hypertensive woman presented with bilateral adrenal incidentaloma detected on the evaluation as a living kidney donor candidate. She was normotensive (129/87 mmHg) on monotherapy, BMI – 24.8 kg/m2, with no recent weight gain, hirsutism, striae or mood disturban...

Obesity is a growing epidemic and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Maintaining a healthy weight is of even greater importance for diabetics, due to the increased risk of micro-vascular and macro-vascular complications.There is suggestion that type 1 diabetic children are more likely to be obese than their peers (e.g. ‘Type 1 diabetes children often overweight’, www.diabetes.co.uk/news). In o...