Endocrine Abstracts

Recent evidence shows that patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at substantial risk of hypopituitarism. However, the pathomechanisms are still not completely understood. Little is known about the association of morphological changes in the sella region with pituitary function in TBI. In this study, we assessed morphological abormalities of the sella region in patients with TBI and their relation to endocrine function.We have studied MR or CT sc...

The results of recent studies indicate that traumatic brain injury (TBI) and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) must be considered as frequent causes of long-term disturbances of hypothalamo-pituitary function. Indeed, partial hypopituitarism has been established with a pooled frequency of 33% in TBI and of 48% in SAH survivors. Nevertheless, still little is known about risk factors and clinical characteristics of pituitary impairment after these two types of brain damag...

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are developed for cell based therapeutic strategies and undergo cellular stress during ex vivo procedures. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) of environmental and cellular origin are involved in redox signaling, cumulative cell damage, senescence and tumor development. Selenium independent (superoxide dismutases 1 and 2 (SOD1 and SOD2) and catalase (CAT)) and selenium dependent (glutathione peroxidases (GPx), thioredoxin reductases (TrxR)) enzyme...

Background: Capecitabine-Temozolomide (CapTem) is an effective oral chemotherapy regimen for NETs. Both drugs are radiosensitizers. A feasibility study of integrated CapTem and Y90 transarterial radioembolization (TARE) in patients with grade 2 neuroendocrine tumor (NET) liver metastases reported encouraging objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS). This study expands that report to a larger cohort with long-term oncologic follow-up.<p class="abste...

Background: Capecitabine and temozolomide (CapTem) are classic radiosensitizers used in combination with radiation therapy for many cancers. A feasibility study of integrated CapTem and Y90 transarterial radioembolization (TARE) for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) suggests synergy with PFS of 31 months exceeding historical controls. The impact of duration of chemotherapy after TARE on PFS is not known.Methods: 36 subjects with liver-domianant grade 2 metast...

Introduction: The human fetal adrenals (HFA) produce high levels of steroids. The gland is distinguishable from the 7th gestational week and can be separated in two zones: the fetal zone in the center which correspond of 80 % of the gland and the definitive zone in the periphery. At this time of the development, neural crest cells are reaching the adrenal primordium, producing catecholamines. A third zone, the transitional zone appears later in the early 2nd</s...

Background: Primary aldosteronism is commonly caused by an aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA). Somatic mutations in the KCNJ5 gene (encoding an inwardly rectifying potassium channel) are found in around 40% of APAs, KCNJ5 germline mutations cause familial hyperaldosteronism type III. The role of KCNJ5 mutations in excessive aldosterone production is established but their role in cell growth is unclear.Objective: To study the e...

Introduction: Primary aldosteronism (PA) occurs due to an excess production of aldosterone in the adrenal glands, resulting in low renin levels and hypertension. Familial hyperaldosteronism is considered to be a relatively rare disorder, with only a small number of genes having been implicated so far. The aim of the present study is to identify the molecular cause of disease in a PA family, as well as examining the mechanisms in an in vitro setting.<p class="abste...

Introduction: Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is a rare disease characterized by clinical features that show overlap with the ‘metabolic syndrome’. Pilot studies regarding the use facial image analysis software as a novel diagnostic tool in acromegaly and CS have shown promising results. Distinguishing CS patients from patients that show similar features without true hypercortisolism remains a challenge in clinical practice. To address this particular problem, we evalua...

Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a secondary form of arterial hypertension that – in case of unilateral disease – can be cured by surgery. Multiple studies have shown that PA patients are at higher risk to suffer from cardiovascular events and to develop metabolic diseases. Two thirds of patients with PA suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A bi-directional, pathophysiological interplay between OSA and PA has been proposed, with focus on overnight ro...