Endocrine Abstracts

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...

Background: COVID-19 pandemic is a novel, potentially adverse condition for patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI), whose life expectancy and quality of life (QoL) are impaired due to their risk of infections and stress-triggered acute events. Therapeutic usefulness of glucocorticoids in COVID-19 is debated, but infected AI patients require prompt replacement tailoring.Objectives: In a cohort of AI patients, to assess:– the...

Background: Adults with GH deficiency (GHD) may have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Several studies showed that also GHD children may present cardiovascular risk factors. However results are controversial.Objective: Aim of this prospective, case-control study on a large cohort of children with GHD was to evaluate the effects of GHD and GH therapy on cardiovascular risk factors, such as lipid profile, clinical measures of visceral adiposity ...

Background: There is a great controversy on whether subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) in children should be treated for TSH values between 4.5 and 10 mU/l. In adults SH has been associated with abnormalities in lipid profile and increased risk of atherosclerosis. Data in untreated SH children are scanty.Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional controlled study was to evaluate in children the effects of long term untreated SH on lipid profile and endothel...

Background: Patients with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) require life-long therapy with glucocorticoids in order to suppress the androgen production through the inhibition of CRH and consequently ACTH. The therapy must be balanced to avoid either iatrogen hypercortisolism or hyperandrogenism both potentially associated with adverse cardiovascular risk profile.Objective: Aim of this cross-sectional controlled study was to investigate the m...

To investigate the blood pressure profile (BP) in active acromegaly and the effect of medical treatment of acromegaly on BP circadian rhythm, we studied 21 acromegalics before and after 3–60 months of treatment with somatostatin analogs (15/21) or pegvisomant (5/21) or both (5/21). Ambulatory 24-h BP was recorded. The 24-h mean BP (MBP), the mean systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), the day-time (day) and night-time (night) MBP, SBP and DBP and the 24-h mean heart ra...

Introduction: Acromegaly is associated with alterations of glucose metabolism. The effect of somatostatin analogues (SMS) and pegvisomant (PEG) on glucose metabolism is still argument of debate.Study design: The purpose of this historical-prospective study was to compare, in a cohort of 47 patients with active acromegaly, the effects of SMS and PEG alone or in combination on glucose metabolism. All subjects were evaluated at baseline and at least 6 month...

Background: Adults with untreated GH deficiency (GHD) may have a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors. The effects of GH replacement therapy on insulin homeostasis in GHD subjects are still debated. Only a few studies investigated the effects of GHD and GH therapy on glucose metabolism in children.Objective: To evaluate the effects of GHD and GH treatment on glucose metabolism in a large cohort of GHD children before and after GH replacement therapy.</...

Hyperinsulinemia has been associated to an increased risk of colorectal cancer and adenomas, while higher serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and folate seem to reduce the development of colonic lesions in general population. Acromegalic patients have an increased risk of colonic tumors and an association between higher fasting insulin levels and risk of colonic adenomas has been previously demonstrated. No data are available about the influence of vitamin D and folate-homocysteine le...

Patients with active Cushing’s syndrome (CS) have an increased coagulability and thrombotic tendency. High glucocorticoids concentrations increase plasma clotting factors, especially von Willebrand factor (vWf) and reduced fibrinolytic capacity. Thromboemobolic complications, mainly in the postsurgical phase, have been reported.Aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate haemostatic and fibrinolytic markers in patients with active Cushing’s ...