Endocrine Abstracts

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is a glycoprotein synthetized by various cell types, including neutrophils, that acts as siderophores scavenger and play an important role in different chronic inflammatory processes. Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency (AGHD), both partial and total, are characterized by inflammatory features. The objectives of our cross-sectional study were: 1) to compare LCN2 levels in these clinical pictures; 2) to evaluate the relations between...

Background: Ghrelin and its endogenous antagonist liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide-2 (LEAP-2) are involved in GH secretion, both acting on GSH-r1α, and regulation of glucose and lipids metabolism. Metabolic impairments are often accompanied by an upregulation of LEAP-2 expression, with a usual concomitant reduction in ghrelin secretion. Adult growth hormone deficiency (aGHD), characterized by weight gain, increased fat mass and insulin resistance, represent a conditi...

Background: Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is the diagnostic procedure of choice in the evaluation of thyroid nodules. Nodules with indeterminate cytological categories, Tir3A and Tir3B according to Italian cytological classification, pose diagnostic challenges in clinical practice and are frequently submitted to diagnostic surgery. CytoFoam Core (CF) (Diapath, Martinengo, Italy) uses an absorbent foam device inserted into the needle hub to collect the cytological sample aspirat...

Background: Hypoparathyroidism is an endocrine disorder characterized by hypocalcemia due to low levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Activated vitamin D (calcitriol) and calcium supplementation may be difficult in patients with malabsorption, as calcium requires an acid environment to dissolve. In this setting, subcutaneous administration of PTH analogues may be effective in reducing the dosage of oral calcium and vitamin D supplementation.Case report: ...

Introduction: Pregnancy results in a significant change in pituitary gland size and function.Due to this physiological adaptation, management of pituitary adenomas during pregnancy represents a particularly complex challenge. Aim of this study was to focus on a single referral institution experience with special attention to this subgroup of patients: pregnant woman affected by pituitary adenoma.Materials and methods: This is a des...

Background: In 2014 a new Italian classification system of thyroid cytology divided the indeterminate TIR3 category in two groups, TIR3A and TIR3B, aiming to reduce unnecessary thyroidectomies. The reported risk of malignancy is: TIR3A: <10%, suggesting follow-up and possible FNA repetition after 6 months, and TIR3B: 15-30%, recommending surgery.Objectives: We aimed to: evaluate the histological prevalence of malignancy in TIR3A and TIR3B nodules in ...

Introduction: Pasireotide long acting release (LAR) is approved for second line treatment of acromegaly. We present 3 patients with aggressive acromegaly treated with a personalized de-escalation approach.Case 1: A 61-year-old female affected by acromegaly reisistant on first-line SSAs. In 2015 therapy was switched to pasireotide LAR 60 mg every 28 days. After two years, the IGF-I level touched the lower age range and therapy was downscaled to pasireotid...

Background: Cushing syndrome (CS) represents a challenging disease. The major difficulty is to distinguish between the two main etiologies of ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism. However, in rare cases, the concomitant presence of both an ACTH-dependent and a primary adrenal disease should be considered.Case report: We evaluated a 67-year-old woman for a severe ACTH-dependent CS (midnight serum cortisol 332 ng/ml; urinary free cortisol [UFC] 3000 mcg/day; co...

Introduction: The approach for initial thyroid hormone suppression in patients who undergo surgery for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), is based upon the risk of disease recurrence. In particular, recent American Thyroid Association guidelines suggest to maintain TSH levels between 0.1 and 0.5 mU/l and less than 0.1 mU/l for patients with ‘intermediate’ and ‘high’ risk respectively. The aim of the study is to identify the major predictive factors of LT4...

Introduction: It is known that thyroid disorders can influence menstrual cycle, but subclinical hypothyroidism (SH), as cause of ovulation disorders and luteal deficiency (LD) in particular,is underestimated. Monitoring women’s cycles, according to the Billings Ovulation Method (BOM), can allow a precise timing for hormonal evaluation and diagnose LD. Usually, a basal TSH value of 2.5 mg/ml is considered as cut-off for a good luteal function, but alone cannot identify all...