Endocrine Abstracts

Ghrelin is a peptide hormone secreted by the stomach with orexigenic properties that induce food intake trough the activation of hypothalamic AMP activated kinase (AMPK). In rodents fed on normal diet the central administration of ghrelin induces an increase in food intake, however, when fed a high fat diet (HFD) rodents are resistant to the orexigenic effect of ghrelin. Recent data show that Cidea interacts with AMPK β-subunit and promotes AMPK degradation trough ubiquit...

Introduction: Recent studies have shown that chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is associated with increased risk of developing papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Although still controversial, these carcinomas appear to have a better prognosis. This study aims to evaluate the presence of thyroiditis in thyroids with PTC and the association with histological variables of prognostic value, Tg and evidence of metastasis in 131I scan.Methods: Descrip...

Introduction: Radiodine (131I) is widely used in the treatment of patients with thyroid cancer. This therapy is associated with some adverse effects including possible impairment of ovarian function and earlier menopause.Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate female fertility after treatment with 131I of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).Methods: We retrospectively analysed 250 women with DTC treat...

Introduction: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive cutaneous malignancy, affecting predominantly caucasian and older individuals (slight male predominance). This neoplasm is associated with a high risk of local recurrence and regional lymph node involvement. Distant metastases are less frequent; they were described in liver, bone, CNS, skin, lung and spleen. The authors describe a clinical case of Merkel cell carcinoma with a single metastasis in a thyroid nodule....

Introduction: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) are approved for the treatment of several cancers and can induce hypothyroidism by unclarified mechanisms.Objectives: To assess the prevalence of hypothyroidism in patients treated with TKIs.Methods: Retrospective review of clinical records of patients treated with TKIs in our institution between 2003 and 2009. We evaluated parameters such as sex, oncologic pathology, TKI used, TSH an...

Introduction: Procalcitonin (PCT) is currently used as a sepsis marker. Studies have shown that this prohormone is elevated in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and, additionally, that its assay could have less limitation than calcitonin (CT).Objective: To evaluate the concordance between the values of CT and PCT.Methods: CT, PCT and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were measured in a total of 57 subjects. CEA and CT we...

Introduction: After treatment with Iodine-131(I-131) in differentiated thyroid cancer, a diagnostic scintigraphy is performed. We selected three cases in which bronchiectasis appear as a false-positive on the scintigraphy after treatment with I-131.Case reports: Three women, respectively 62, 64 and 65 years old, being followed in the Endocrinology Department of our Institute, with the diagnosis of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, were submitted to I-1...

Introduction: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, either by its low frequency, or by its poor prognosis, is still as a therapeutic challenge. One of the options available is the combined chemoradiation therapy, the basis of the following case.Case report: Male patient, 76 years old, with a history of neck swelling for 4 months. The cervical ultrasound showed a nodule in the right lobe of the thyroid with 7 by 5 cm and the cytology revealed follicular tumor. Su...

Objective: The pathogenesis of pituitary tumours is still incompletely understood. Somatotropinomas occur both sporadically and in the context of familial syndromes, such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), Carney complex (CNC) and isolated familial somatotropinoma (IFS). Recently, germline mutations were reported in AIP (aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein) gene in Finish and Italian families and in Finish patients with apparently sporadic pituitar...

Introduction: A possible involvement of proteasomes in the pathogenesis of type II diabetes mellitus has been recently reported. Therefore, association of polymorphism of proteosomal genes with type II diabetes mellitus is of particular interest. In this study, molecular markers of the proteasomal alpha subunit 6 gene PSMA6 and its adjacent genomic sites have been analyzed.The goal of this study was to characterize polymorphisms of the HSMS801, HSMS702, ...