Endocrine Abstracts

Obesity is defined as an excess of adipose tissue of sufficient magnitude to produce adverse health consequences, and is associated with increased morbi–mortality. BMI is the most frequently used diagnostic tool in the current classification system of obesity. It has the advantage that a subject’s height and weight are easy and inexpensive to measure. Overweight is defined as a BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m2 and obesity as a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2</su...

Objective: In patients with adrenal incidentalomas (AI) the metabolic effect of the recovery of subclinical hypercortisolism (SH) is debated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the surgical and conservative approaches on the metabolic syndrome in AI patients with and without SH.Patients: One hundred and eight AI patients were studied; SH was diagnosed in the presence of >2 out of: urinary free cortisol >70 μg/24 h (193 nmol...

Introduction: Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a paraneoplastic syndrome due to an overproduction of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) by small and benign mesenchimal tumors. FGF23 increase causes hypophosphatemia, osteomalacia and muscle weakness. TIO is usually cured by tumour resection, but neoplasms may be unidentifiable/unresectable or the patient may refuse surgery. In these cases, medical treatment with high doses of oral phosphate and calcitriol is mandatory, even...

Background: Glucose metabolism derangements (GMD) and thyroid nodules (TN) are the most frequent endocrine disorders. A relationship between these conditions has been suggested, but data are still controversial and no evidence was reported regarding sex differences.Aim: To evaluate the distribution of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and TN according to sex.<p cla...

Introduction: Magmas encodes for an integral constituent of the TIM23 translocase complex located in the mitochondrial inner membrane that drives proteins from the intermembrane space into the mitochondrial matrix by functionally interacting with Tim14. We previously demonstrated that Magmas silencing is able to sensitize ACTH-secreting mouse pituitary adenoma cells to pro-apoptotic stimuli, reduce DNA synthesis, accumulate cells in G0/G1 phase with concomitant decrease in S p...

Introduction: Typical and Atypical bronchial carcinoids (TBC and ABC) are rare neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN). TBC are low grade and well-differentiated NEN often with indolent clinical behavior, slow growth, rare extra-thoracic metastases, and with a long survival following surgical resection. Conversely, ABC have often a worse prognosis with a greater tendency to metastasize and recur. A better understanding of TBC and ABC genetic background would help in evaluating prognosi...

Introduction: Typical and atypical bronchial carcinoids (TBC and ABC) are well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN). First-line treatment is radical removal of the primary tumour; however, management of metastatic BC is still challenging. Bronchial carcinoids (BC) may benefit from treatment with mTOR inhibitors, although response rates are moderate. TBC have shown reduced sensibility to mTOR inhibitors respect to ABC, notwithstanding its less aggressive behaviour. PI3...

Context: GH and insulin-like growth factor (IGF1) play important roles in breast cancer (BC) development. IGF1 has been shown to importantly influence estrogen effects on BC, suggesting that estrogen receptors (ER) may mediate also GH effects. We previously demonstrated that GH and IGF1 protect the ER positive BC-derived MCF7 cell line towards the cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin (D), independently of IGF1.Aim of the study: Evaluate whether this holds tr...

Tolvaptan, an oral antagonist of the vasopressin V2 receptor, has been found to improve hyponatremia in patients with SIAD. We report the case of a 65-years-old male, who developed recurrent episodes of hyponatremia after severe traumatic brain injury, TBI, with polytrauma (CGS=8, decompressive craniectomy, spontaneous breathing by percutaneous tracheotomy). During hospitalization in intensive care unit he resumed alertness and received i.v. hypertonic saline infusion and oral...

The change of aminoacid Arginine (CGG) to Glutamine (CAG) at position 171 (R171Q) in the MEN1 gene has been occasionally reported in MEN1 carriers, but also in 1.4 to 5% subjects among the general population, therefore it is still unclear whether it might represent a polymorphism and/or it has a role in tumourigenesis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the presence of the R171Q polymorphism in patients with MEN1-related states presenting for MEN1 genetic screening. F...