Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction and aims: Heart failure (HF) is a health problem with poor prognosis, despite many treatments available. Vitamin D is the pre-hormone of the active calcitriol (1,25(OH)2D3). It is involved in bone homeostasis, but recent studies suggest extraskeletal functions, including pleiotropic effects on cardiovascular system and a relationship between low levels of 25OHvitamin D and worse HF prognosis. The aims of the study were: 1) to define 25OH-D levels in the HF populat...

Four patients with autoimmune hypophysitis were followed since the diagnosis of the disease. All presented with severe headache, decreased libido, astenia. Case 1 and 3 presented polyuria and polydipsia. At MRI pituitary was enlarged, with high gadolinum uptake and stalk enlargement.Case 1, male 41 years. MRI volume: AP 13 mm, CC 7 mm. Hormonal assessment: central hypothyroidism, hypoadrenalism, hypogonadism, normal GH and IGF1, hyperprolactinemia, centr...

This is a multicentre retrospective observational study, with the aim to characterize the presentation, management and cure rate of Primary Hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in Italy. Sixty-one Italian Centres of Endocrinology participated in the study. Clinical, biochemical and instrumental records of 2173 patients with diagnosis of PHPT were collected on a specific online platform (Hyperparanet). Patients were 1808 females (83.2%) and 365 males (16.8%). Diagnosis of PHPT was made a...

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common endocrine disease mainly caused by a single parathyroid adenoma. Although the localization of the parathyroid adenoma is not a surgical criteria for parathyroidectomy, this is known to increase the cure rate of PHPT and reduce the complication rate. Neck ultrasound and MIBI-scintigraphy are the first-line localization techniques to detect parathyroid adenomas, however, they have some limitations including the operator-dependent se...

The ‘canonical’ Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays an important role in the development and patterning of bone. Dkk1 (Dickkopf1) and sclerostin are competitive soluble inhibitors of this pathway. Serum sclerostin is decreased in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) compared to the healthy subjects and hypoparathyroid (HypoPT) patients. No data are currently available on Dkk1 serum level in PHPT.We evaluated serum Dkk1 and sclerostin l...

Vitamin D deficiency is widespread among all age and ethnic groups. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] is the most reliable marker of vitamin D status. Adequate levels of serum 25(OH)D are necessary to sustain the pleiotropic effects of vitamin D, either skeletal (classical) or extra-skeletal (non-classical). Concentration levels ≧50 nmol/L (20 ng/ml) are required for optimal musculoskeletal health. However, levels above 75 nmol/L (30 ng/ml) may be necessary to maximiz...

Atypical parathyroid adenomas represent a subset of tumors with histological features worrisome for carcinoma (PC), such as trabecular growth, fibrous bands and increased mitotic activity without unequivocal criteria of malignancy (local recurrence and/or metastasis). The question of whether these lesions might represent an anticipation of an aggressive clinical behavior that overtime may acquire the full blown features of malignancy remains to be established.<p class="abs...

Tumoral calcinosis is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by hyperphosphatemia due to increased renal phosphate reabsorption leading to soft tissue calcifications. The levels of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), a hormone required for normal renal phosphate reabsorption, are typically low in the classic form of the disease due to homozygous missense mutations in FGF23 or in the UDP-Nacetyl-alpha-D galactosamine:polypeptide N-acetylgalactos...

Patients with persistent PHPT after parathyroidectomy (PTX) or contraindications for PTX often require chronic treatment for hypercalcemia, representing an unmet medical need. In an open-label, single-arm study in the US and EU, 17 patients underwent a variable length titration phase (maximum 16 weeks) with a maintenance phase (MP) of up to 3 years. Patients were eligible if they had (1) persistent PHPT following PTX or were considered contraindicated for PTX, and (2) serum ca...

RAP KO mice have a reduction of colloidal Tg resulting in subclinical hypothyroidism and histological signs of goiter. The difference in colloidal Tg between RAP KO and WT mice was striking by immunohistochemistry, but could not be detected in thyroid extracts. To explain this discrepancy, we hypothesized that the reduction of Tg reflected a reduction of Tg aggregates discarded during tissue extraction. To investigate this possibility, pellets obtained by thyroid homogenizatio...