Endocrine Abstracts

GH and IGF-I excess causes a specific cardiomyopathy, often complicated by diastolic and systolic dysfunction until heart failure. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of long-term treatment with pegvisomant on cardiac performance in acromegalic patients. Twelve patients (4 men and 8 women, age 29–58 years) entered the study. A radionuclide angiography at rest and during exercise was performed at baseline and after 18 months of treatment with pegvisomant with ...

The pseudo-Cushing states (PCS) include several clinical conditions such as obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, depression and alcoholism, characterized by physical features and abnormalities of hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis similar to Cushing’s syndrome (CS). The differential diagnosis between CS and PCS is often complicated and requires several hormonal tests. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the cortisol response to the or...

In the 1980 s the discovery of expression of somatostatin receptors on NET cells made the use of somatostatin analogues in diagnosis and therapy possible.The aim: Of the study was to assess response of targeted radio-nuclide therapy with radio-labelled somatostatin analogue 90Y-[DOTA0,D-Phe1,Tyr3]-octreotate (DOTATATE) in treatment of disseminated NETs.Material and methods: 12 patients (a...

Pancreatic NETs often cause difficulties in imaging diagnostics and optimal diagnostic algorithm is searched for. According to the latest reports MDCT sensitivity amounts 60-90%, MR: 80-90%, SRS: 62-100%, EUS: 70-90%.Aim: Assessment of the usefulness of 99 mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-octreotae scintigraphy in detection of primary and metastatic tumours of pancreatic NET in comparison to CT, EUS and IOUS and evaluation of the impact of scintigraphic results...

Fertility represents a major concern in patients with acromegaly and the peculiar PCOS-like condition is commonly found in acromegalic women. The current retrospective study aimed at investigating gonadal function and fertility rate in acromegalic women with disease onset (DO) within the reproductive age. In 50 women hormonal parameters and gynecological ultrasound were evaluated at diagnosis (DD) and after disease control (DC). Data about menstrual disturbances (MD), pregnanc...

Background: Cancer cells utilize both oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and glycolysis to generate energy. Switching between OXPHOS and glycolysis can promote tumor progression. The mechanisms governing oncogenic metabolic flexibility are largely unknown, but recent data has suggested that Notch1 dysregulation in cancer cells can contribute to altered metabolic phenotypes. We hypothesized that Notch1 signaling supports metabolic flexibility in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor ...

Context: Although diabetes mellitus is a major complication in patients with acromegaly, prevalence and determinants of microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes remains unexplored in this population.Aim: To investigate prevalence and determinants of microvascular and macrovascular complications in acromegaly patients with diabetes and to compare them with a group of diabetic patients without acromegaly.Methods: Pro...

Introduction: Idiopathic granulomatous hypophysitis (IGH) is a rare inflammatory disease that may present with radiological changes in the pituitary gland. Diagnosis with non-specific syndromes becomes challenging. Secondary causes of granulomatous hypophysitis include tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, syphilis, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, GPA, and Rathke’s cleft cyst rupture. GPA is a multisystem disease, characterized by necrotizing small-vessel vasculitis, mostly affecting...

Malignant pheochromocytomas (MP) are rare form of catecholamine-producing tumours that are usually associated with tachycardia, hypertension and diaphoresis. MP are typically diagnosed by symptoms, elevated catecholamine levels and characteristic radiological imagining. Metastases to the vertebrae are extremely rare and usually appear at late stage of the disease, sometimes years after the diagnosis. Backpain as a first manifestation of MP is unusual, especially with history o...

Acquired resistance has limited the use of systemic molecular therapy in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Immunotherapy, alone and in combination with systemic molecular therapy, is now the first-line standard of care for HCC. The current in vitro study aims at investigating PER2 role in the HCC aggressiveness and drug resistance acquisition. Parental PLC/PRF/5, PLC/PRF/5 resistant to Everolimus (EveR) and to Sorafenib (SorR) cell lines were used. To evaluate ...