Endocrine Abstracts

The stable somatostatin analog octreotide has been successfully used for imaging and treatment of a variety of human tumors. Octreotide treatment has been reported of limited value in pheochromocytoma (PHEO). PHEOs often express more than one somatostatin receptor, and it is uncertain by which receptor subtype the functional responses of octreotide are mediated. A recent study showed by immunohistochemical staining that vast majority of tumors (90%) were positive for sst(3), i...

Insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3), a member of the relaxin-insulin family, is produced in the Leydig cells and at reduced levels in ovarian thecal cells. As ovaries from most of PCOS are characterized by an hyperplasia of the theca interna, we hypothesized that INSL3 could be overproduced in PCOS women and therefore that circulating levels of this hormone could became a new marker for the syndrome. Forty lean and obese women with PCOS and 20 controls comparable for age and weight ...

Recently it has been shown that somatostatin (SST) might be of therapeutic value in the treatment of active Graves’ophthalmopathy (GO). SST and somatostatin receptors (sst) transcripts are expressed and functional in cultured orbital fibroblasts deriving from GO patients (FGO). Octreotide, the SST analogue currently used is able to inhibit in vitro growth and activity of FGO. New analogues with wider sst-affinity are now available for in vitro experim...

Context: The endocannabinoid system (ECS) hypertonicity contributes to obesity development and maintenance. Excess circulating levels of ECS mediator 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG) were reported in obese humans, however, unstandardized experimental settings (i.e. analytical conditions, sample size, concurrent diseases/medications, statistics, gender, body mass index (BMI) and age), clouded its role in dysmetabolism and its usefulness as biomarker. The study aimed at describing 2...

Context: Ageing and obesity are similarly characterized by metabolic impairment in terms of visceral fat, dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance and hypertension. Obesity is featured by endocannabinoid system (ECS) hyperactivation. Increased levels of endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2AG) found in obesity were variously associated to dysmetabolic features, however, it is not clear whether such associations exist in normal weight conditions. Moreover, ageing contribute in mod...

Objective: To measure the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) and assess their relationships with metabolic features in patients with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Methods: 267 women, aged 20–35 years (24.7±4.9): 167 with PCOS, 100 healthy women as a control group were studied. Study groups were divided according to body mass index (BMI). Biochemical and hormonal parameters, 25(OH)D, VDBP were mea...

Low testosterone (T) levels are often found in obese men with metabolic abnormalities, however the mechanism underling this condition is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of clomiphene citrate (CC) in increasing T levels and improving metabolic control in hypogonadal obese men with IGT or DM2. A randomized cross-over double blind controlled study was conducted in twenty obese hypogonadal caucasian men, mean age 47 ys, classified in IGT (n=11) or ...

Introduction: Purpose of this study is to find a radiological score and to correlate radiological characteristics of adrenal adenomas and functional parameters to predict subclinical glucocorticoid secretion.Methods and materials: This retrospective study included 55 patients with adenomas, investigated through CT with adrenal protocol assessing diameters, HU values of the unenhanced and contrast enhanced phases (enhanced–E, and 15 min delayed enhan...

Though LC-MS/MS is replacing immunoassays for major glucocorticoids and androgens routine assessment, the measurement of other sex steroids and precursors is still challenging and available only in experienced research laboratories. Our aim was to develop a simple-prep and rapid 2D-LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous measurement of estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 17OHpregnenolone.Serum volumes of 300ul were spiked with intern...

Steroid profiling by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) offers an accurate and simultaneous detection of a panel of steroids with several advantages over traditional assays. However, only a few studies have investigated the steroid profiling in sporadic adrenocortical adenomas. Our aim was therefore to investigate steroid secretion by LC–MS/MS in patients with non-secreting adrenocortical adenomas (NSA) and subclinical hypercortisolism (SH...