Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that has been linked to several cardiovascular risk factors and bone status. Stress and corticosteroid exposure can affect BDNF levels, although this has never been studied in Cushing’s syndrome (CS). The aims of this study were to establish if BDNF levels were reduced in CS and to check possible associations to cardiovascular risk factors and bone status.Methods: 52 patients (18 ac...

Introduction: Acromegaly is associated with increased bone turnover and skeletal fragility. Although the GH/IGF1 system plays an important role in bone homeostasis, effects of GH excess on the Wnt signalling pathway are to be determined. Bone quantitative CT (QCT) provides a volumetric, tridimensional measure of bone mass at the trabecular and cortical level.Aim: i) To compare volumetric bone density (vBMD) using QCT in patients with acromegaly vs gender...

Background: Muscle weakness may persist in patients with Cushing’s syndrome (CS) long-term after resolution of hypercortisolism, but mechanisms determining this sustained impairment are not known. We hypothesized that alteration of muscle structure, due to fatty infiltration, is associated with muscle dysfunctions in these patients.Patients & methods: Twenty-six CS women [mean(±S.D.) age 49±12 years; mean(±S....

Introduction: Hypercortisolism in Cushing’s syndrome (CS) determines increased mortality and morbidity. Hypercortisolism is also present in chronic depressive disorders and stress, where telomere length (TL) is shorter than in controls. We hypothesized that telomere shortening may occur and contribute to premature morbidity in CS.Aim: Investigate TL in CS compared to matched controls, and longitudinally in a subset of CS patients evaluated both with...

GH and IGF-I exert an important role in the control of bone formation. Osteopenia and osteoporosis are a frequent recurrence in patients with thalassemia. Due to the high prevalence of GH deficiency (GHD) in adult thalassemic patients (Scacchi et al., Clin Endocrinol 2007), we investigated the possible role of GH - IGF-I abnormalities in the pathogenesis of the osteopenia/osteoporosis of this disease.Study: Sixty-four adult thalassemic pati...

GH deficiency (GHD) can be recognized in a not negligible proportion of thalassemic children, while data on the prevalence of this disorder in adult patients are lacking. Therefore, we elected to study the GH – IGF-I axis in a large group of adult thalassemic subjects.Study design: Ninety-four patients (69 with thalassemia major and 25 with thalassemia intermedia on stable transfusional regimen, 39 men and 55 women, aged 31.5±6.8 years, receivi...

Non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA) are the most common pituitary tumours. They usually come to medical attention because of a mass effect and/or hypopituitarism. Tumour shrinkage during therapy with either dopamine agonists (DA) or somatostatin analogues (SSA) has been previously reported in some cases; however, response of NFPA to medical treatment is still poor and unpredictable. Our aim was to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying this lack of efficacy through ...

For all ERCUSYN investigatorsBackground: Patients with Cushing’s syndrome (CS) have an increased risk of developing venous thromboembolic complications. There is currently no standard practise for thromboprophylaxis in CS patients.Aim: To study the details of VTE in patients included in The European Registry on Cushing’s syndrome (ERCUSYN) and study various thromboprophylaxis protocols used among the centres where VTE&#14...

Background: Patients with Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) suffer from a variety of neuropsychiatric and cognitive problems. Following remission, some, but not all of these symptoms resolve. Recent cross-sectional studies in patients with CS show persistent structural and functional brain abnormalities. However, longitudinal studies using magnetic resonance imaging, and a detailed neurocognitive assessment, performed before and after treatment, are not available.<p class="abs...

Background: Muscle weakness persists in patients with acromegaly (ACRO) even long-term after disease control. Mechanisms determining this sustained impairment are not known. We hypothesized that alteration of muscle architecture, due to intramuscular fatty infiltration, is associated with muscle dysfunction in these patients.Patients and Methods: Thirty-seven acromegalic patients [21 females and 16 males, mean (± s.d.)age, 53 ± 9 years...