Endocrine Abstracts

BackgroundMedullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a calcitonin-producing C-cell tumor and accounts about 5% in the structure of thyroid malignancies. There are sporadic and hereditary variant of MTC, which is a mandatory component of endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the aggressiveness of the clinical course of MTC and demographic characteristics.Materials and methods<...

BackgroundThe management of patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) has an important endocrinological aspect, because MTC can be a manifestation of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome (MEN), a genetically determined pathology with an autosomal dominant inheritance. MEN-2 syndrome is characterized by of MTC as a permanent feature, the combination with pheochromocytoma and/or adenoma of the parathyroid glands. The aim of the study was to determine t...

Background: The treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) of higher grade remains a dilemma. In these patients the role of immunotherapy is still unclear and predictive biomarkers are an unmet need. Herein, we present a revised translational analysis of the NET001 and NET002 (NCT03278405, NCT03278379) clinical trials.Methods: Patients with advanced WHO G2-3 NENs who had a gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) or a bronchial primary (excluding typical carcinoid...

Using real-time PCR, we found that RDH12 is highly expressed in the skin of Macacafascicularis (mf). It has been known that RDH12 is a retinol dehydrogenase that catalyzes the reduction of retinal into retinol and play an important role in the visual cycle. Indeed, its deficiency is the cause of Leber’s congenital amaurosis 3, a genetic disorder characterized by retinal dystrophy affecting both rods and cones. Previously, we have shown that many of the members of the reti...

Background: The development of a vascular supply is a critical factor in the growth and metastatic spread of malignant tumors. The recognition of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway as a key regulator of angiogenesis has led to a considerable efforts to exploit its potential for therapy in oncology. Endocrine gland-derived (EG-VEGF) has been recently identified as an endothelial cell mitogen, predominantly expressed in steroidogenic tissues; it represents a n...

Introduction: Leptin is a pro-inflammatory cytokine and excess leptin in obesity may induce autoimmune disease. The suppressors of cytokine signalling (SOCS) are negative regulators of cytokine signalling and therefore a target for therapy. SOCS3 modulates leptin actions but there is no data regarding other SOCS proteins and leptin signalling.Aim: To develop a bioassay and examine the actions of SOCS proteins on leptin signalling.M...

Kennedy's disease (KD), also known as spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, is one of eight polyglutamine diseases caused by an expansion of CAG repeats within the coding region of the affected gene. In KD, the CAG repeat region within the androgen receptor (AR) gene is increased to over 40 repeats, resulting in an expanded polyglutamine tract. Degeneration of a sub-population of neurones occurs in all polyglutamine diseases due to a toxic gain of function typically unrelated to...

The key enzymes in the terminal stages of human adrenal gland corticosteroid biosynthesis are aldosterone synthase (AS) and 11-beta hydroxylase (11beta-OHase). Their amino acid sequences differ by only 7% but they exhibit markedly different enzymatic activities. AS is expressed solely in the zona glomerulosa and converts 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) to aldosterone whereas 11beta-OHase is expressed mainly in the zona fasciculata and produces cortisol from 11-deoxycortisol. The ...

In respect to growth, the adrenal is a dynamic organ that requires constant stimulation from peptides derived from the ACTH precursor pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) to maintain its tonic state. Previous studies have suggested that the adrenal mitogen resides in the N-terminus of pro-gamma-MSH, which upon cleavage results in the generation of shorter mitogenic peptides not containing the gamma-MSH sequence. This hypothesis has recently been substantiated by our characterisation of...

Aim: To estimate further results of treatment and outcomes in patients with subacute thyroiditis observed in the period from 1993 to 2005 years.Materials and methods: 102 patients (84 women, 18 men) with confirmed De Quervain’s subacute thyroiditis (SAT) were investigated and the findings were analysed retrospectively (clinical features, ultrasonography, laboratory tests). Ultrasound device (Hewlett Packard Image Point HX) with 7.5 – 10 MHz. Se...