Endocrine Abstracts

In a small but not negligible proportion of thalassemic patients, a true growth hormone deficiency (GHD), not secondary to pubertal delay, can be documented. Among the features of adult GHD syndrome, osteoporosis leads to a 2.5-fold increase in fracture risk. Thalassemia is characterized by a peculiar bone disease leading to osteopenia. The effectiveness of GH treatment in GHD adult thalassemic patients has not been explored yet. We report here the case of such a patient, disp...

Priming with sex steroids prior to stimulation tests for the diagnosis of GH deficiency (GHD) in peripubertal years remains controversial, though some evidence suggests its utility in improving the specificity of GH testing for the distinction between idiopathic GHD (IGHD) and constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP). However, few data are available on the final height (FH) of untreated CDGP patients. In order to better understand the usefulness of priming, we analyze...

Eating disorders are less common in men than in women. Furthermore, in males, a restrictive eating behaviour is frequently secondary to other psychiatric disorders. In case of suspected primary anorexia nervosa (AN), in male patients it is obviously impossible to rely on a typical clinical sign as is amenorrhea.Case description: A 23-yr old man came to our observation because of an important weight loss in the last two years (from 60 to 48 kg, body mass ...

In thalassemic patients individual values of BMD measured by traditional DEXA are lower than those determined by QCT. The reason for this discrepancy is still controversial.Aim: To investigate bone features in a large group of thalassemic patients, compared with patients with anorexia nervosa, also characterized by precocious osteoporosis.Study design: Forty-six adult thalassemic subjects and 25 anorectic women were studied. In all...

Introduction: CLM29, a pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine compound, inhibits several targets (including the RET tyrosine kinase, epidermal growth factor receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and has an anti-angiogenic effect). Recently it has been shown to inhibit proliferation and migration in primary papillary dedifferentiated thyroid cancer cells. The aim of this study is to evaluate the anti-tumor activity of CLM29 in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).<p c...

Introduction: Previous data from our group suggested a role for the GH/IGF1 axis in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis in thalassemia (Clin Endocrinol 69:202, 2008). The present study was aimed at evaluating the relationships between circulating IGFs and bone metabolism and density in a very large series of adult thalassemic patients.Study design: One hundred and thirty-nine patients affected by thalassemia major (mean age 32.3±7.87 years) underwen...

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...

Hypothyroidism has been traditionally described as a frequent endocrine complication of thalassemic children: in these patients hypothyroidism is mainly of primary origin and not linked to autoimmunity (Mariotti et al., Pediatr Endocrinol Rev 2011). Fewer data are available on the prevalence and nature of this complication in adult age thalassemia. Therefore, we elected to evaluate thyroid function and autoimmunity in a large series of adult patients.<p class="abs...