Endocrine Abstracts

Mediators of inflammatory reaction are present at every stage of forming of atheromatous plaque, its proliferation and destabilization. Cytokines play a key role in regulation of intensity of chronic inflamatory reaction. We aimed at investigation if IL-4 and IFN-gamma are predictors of MACE in a group of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).A total of 50 patients: 40 males and 10 females, aged 56±10 years (mean±S.D.),...

Background and aims: Mechanism underlying the IR (Insulin-resistance) remains yet to be identified. Resistin has been shown to antagonize insulin action, and thus might be implicated in the pathogenesis of IR. In contrast, adiponectin has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity and improve glucose tolerance. We aimed to test the hypothesis that resistin levels might correlate positively with the indices of insulin resistance, while the opposite might be true for adiponectin...

The effects of IGF-2 on glucose homeostasis have been more understood from individuals with fasting hypoglycaemia associated with non-islet cell tumours. Endogenous IGFs which circulate in adults fail to exert their immense potential hypoglycaemic activity because they are largely trapped within the vascular space due to their sequestration in a high molecular weight protein complex. The tumours produce excessive amounts of ‘big IGF-2’ which is less readily bound by ...

Cytokines play a role in cardiovascular diseases by inducing inflammation, cell proliferation and apoptosis. It is well known that activated macrophages are one of the main sources of inflammatory cytokines. Previous studies have shown that the cells found in the vascular wall produce various kind of cytokines which are involved in cardiovascular diseases. It has been reported that some cytokines (IL-6, IL-8) are increased in acute coronary syndrome. The results of some other ...

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a glycoprotein hormone produced in kidneys in response to tissue hypoxia and is the main regulator of red blood cell (RBC) production in the body as well. New studies show the effects of EPO on immune system. In this study the antihuman leukocyte (anti-HLA) antibody titer were determined in five groups of rats, which were sensitized with human lymphocyte. Also, the effects of stimulation’s frequency and dose of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu...

Background: Adiponectin and resistin belong to the group of adipocytokines, that are thought to be involved in regulation of insulin sensitivity, and that also exert the opposite effects on inflammatory processes related to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk. Glucocorticoids have anti-inflammatory properties, but also increase insulin resistance. There are, however, conflicting data on the effects of glucocorticoids on serum concentrations of adiponectin and resistin....

Recent studies revealed that the elevated tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) serum levels were associated with body fat, especially visceral adiposity, in obese healthy subjects. We investigated the relationship between circulating TNF-alpha and IL-6, parameters of body fatness, and the metabolic syndrome in chronic renal failure maintenance hemodialysis patients.Methods: We explored the relationships between fatness and vis...

The study presents the outcome of determination of serum VEGF and sVCAM in 58 patients (43 women and 15 men aged 20–76 years) with adrenal tumors: adrenal cortical adenoma (34), adrenal cortical carcinoma (12), pheochromocytoma (9), myelolipoma (2) and lymphangioma (1). Control group comprised 25 practically healthy volunteers (13 women and 12 men aged 17–67 years). Serum VEGF was measured by enzyme immunoassay using reactants from ‘R&D’ (USA), sVCAM &#...

Background: Considerable overlap of IGF-I levels exists between normal subjects and those with severe GHD determined by conventional testing of GH status. Recognised factors influencing IGF-I status in GHD patients include age, gender, timing of onset of GHD and exogenous oestrogen therapy, but these do not fully explain the GH/IGF-I discordance in severe GHD. The primary structures of prolactin and GH are similar. Effects of hypoprolactinaemia are not well described in humans...

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder featuring multiple endocrine abnormalities, comprising a decrease in IGF-I production and an increase in GH concentrations. This resistance to GH action may contribute to impaired haematopoiesis in AN as GH/IGF-I modulate blood cell proliferation and GH therapy exerts beneficial effects on hematocrit values in GH deficient patients. Aim of the present study is to evaluate the link between GH/IGF-I status and haematologic p...

Objectives: To investigate the influence of body weight and sex on serum levels of insulin, leptin, ghrelin, IGF1, adiponectin and TSH.Methods: Serum levels of insulin, IGF1, TSH and ghrelin were measured by RIA, leptin by IRMA and adiponectin by ELISA in 90 individuals (42 women, average age 49.8±8.9 years( 48 men, average age 49.1±6.6). The sample was divided into three subgroups: normal weight (BMI=15.5–24.9), excess weight (BMI=25.0&#1...

Although prolactin is well recognised as a cytokine, effects of hypoprolactinaemia on biological endpoints are not well described in humans. In-vitro and clinical studies suggest an influence on humoral and cell mediated immunity and autoimmunity. We studied basal and stimulated immune function in panhypopituitary adults with and without prolactin deficiency and age and gender matched healthy controls. The study was approved by hospital and local research ethics committees. Ni...

Considerable overlap in IGF-I levels exists between normal and severely GHD subjects; the mechanisms underlying this observation remain poorly understood. Under various clinical circumstances therefore, IGF-I estimation is an unreliable marker of GH status. A polymorphism in the IGF-I gene influences IGF-I levels in normal populations; a higher IGF-I is associated with the presence of 2 wild type alleles of the IGF-I gene (WTG). The possibility that an IGF-I gene polymorphism ...

Aim: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease and the incidence in the population varies from %10–24. TGF- β –1 is the most important TGF- β isoform responsible for fibrosis and its effect on hepatic fibrosis was demonstrated in-vitro and in chronic viral hepatitis. Besides TGF- β is an immunsuppresive cytokine and it is known that low TGF- β activity can trigger autoimmune diseases and inflammation.<...

Introduction: Whether subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is related to risk for cardiovascular disease is controversial. Inflammation and oxidation of lipoproteins play an important role in the progression and complications of atherosclerosis.Therefore we aimed to evaluate the plasma levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as a marker of oxidative stress, high sensitive CRP (hsCRP) and lipid profile as a risk factor for atherosclerosis in...

Introduction: Although the etiology of osteoporosis is different between men and women, the underlying pathophysiologic mechanism is similar, namely an absolute or relative increase in bone resorption, leading to progressive bone loss. Transforming growth factor (TGF) beta-1 is a growth factor in human bone, which is produced by osteoblasts and inhibits osteoclast proliferation and activity and stimulates proliferation and differentiation of preosteoblasts.<p class="abstex...

Insuline like growth factor II (IGF II) is an important regulator of neoplastic growth and it is stromal in origin. Estrogen and Progesterone receptor (ER, PR) are considered a good prognostic predictors in BC. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of IGF II mRNA expression in the clinical outcome in breast malignancy. The study group included 75 women (mean age ±S.D.=53.3±15.6 yr) submitted to radical mastectomy for ductal infiltrating breas...

Recent in situ hybridization data showed high content of IGF-II mRNA in the stroma of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of IGF-II protein and its relationship with several prognostic parameters in 75 ductal infiltrating carcinoma (DIC) of the breast.The tissue sections were evaluated for IGF II protein, proliferating activity, ER, PR, p53, P21 oncogene expression using immunohistochemical procedures. The amoumt of ...

Rhythmic, timed secretion of ghrelin and leptin is integral to the intricate temporal interplay of hormonal signals that maintains energy balance, feeding and body weight. Growth hormone replacement (GHR) in adult growth hormone deficient (AGHD) patients has been shown to alter body composition, energy balance and insulin sensitivity with changes in leptin secretory pattern and concentration. With GHR, single time point ghrelin concentrations have been shown to either increase...

Introduction: The growth hormone receptor (GHR) consists of 620 residues and belongs to the class I cytokine receptor family. It is a single membrane spanning protein that binds its ligand, GH, via the extracellular domain. GH binding to GHR induces a conformational change in the preformed receptor dimer, which leads to intracellular signalling. Correct functional dimerisation of two GHR molecules is essential for GH signalling. We have previously shown that membrane bound tru...

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a centrally expressed peptide with potent orexigenic properties, released post-prandially to stimulate appetite, regulated by insulin and altered by obesity. NPY is expressed in adipose tissue which suggests it may have a potential effect on altering appetite control in obesity. To date no study has investigated NPY and its regulation in human adipose tissue. Therefore, the aims of this study were to 1) determine the depot-specific expression in abdomin...

The adrenal gland is composed of the medulla (neurodermal origin) and the cortex (mesodermal origin). The cortex is further subdivided into three zones: zona glomerulosa (zG), zona fasciculata (zF) and zona reticularis (zR). The zones of the cortex are functionally characterised by their ability to synthesise different steroids and consequently they express different steroidogenic enzymes. These and other markers of the zones have been described but so far no good candidate fo...

Introduction: Autosomal dominant Kallmann’s syndrome (AKS) results from mutations within the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1: KAL-2). The FGFR family of tyrosine kinases are involved in a multitude of biological processes from embryogenesis to adult homeostasis. The crystal structure of FGF-FGFR-heparan sulphate (HS) ternary complex has provided a basis for understanding the way in which FGF, FGFR and HS cooperate to assist FGFR dimerization. Anosmin-1, KAL-1 g...

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in adults seems to predispose to insulin resistance (IR). Development of GHD related IR could be associated with adipose tissue (AT) derived signals. To investigate the nature of this pathological regulation we 1) measured gene expressions for leptin, adiponectin, TNFalpha, IL-6, 11beta HSD1, SREBP, PPARgamma in the AT of untreated GHD adults, and 2) assessed effect of euglycemic hyperinsulinemia (HI) at the gene level.Met...

Introduction: Although some studies have shown elevated soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) in sera of patients with hematological malignancies and some autoimmune diseases, its role in serum is not fully understood.Patients and methods: The aim was to compare serum levels of sIL-2R in four groups of women (11 with Graves’ disease, 10 with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, 11 with breast cancer and 10 healthy controls) and to test their possible rel...

Understanding the molecular factors that regulate human muscle mass is acquiring increasing scientific interest. Hitherto, known (+ve) endocrine regulators of lean body mass included the GH-IGF-1 system, anabolic steroids, and (−ve) myostatin. In order to elucidate this process further, we have investigated a clinical case at a genetic and phenotypic level. A 46-year-old man with idiopathic muscle hypertrophy requiring multiple therapeutic fasciotomies underwent clinical...

Objective: High dose growth hormone (rhGH) regimens (2 to 4 mg/day) have been shown to increase circulating insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I to supra-physiological levels in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients on combined antiretroviral therapy (CART). This setting may improve immunologic output. However, a high plasma IGF-I concentration has detrimental effects on glucose metabolism, which hampers the use of high dose rhGH regimens.Me...

The influence of the plant lectins on binding of IGF-I, IGF-II and insulin to the cognate receptors from solubilised human placental cell membranes was examined. The lectins (wheat germ agglutinin, WGA; concanavalin A, Con A; phytohaemagglutinin, PHA and Sambucus nigra agglutinin, SNA) were chosen according to their sugar specificity and were expected to bind to the most abundant saccharides present as terminal residues on N-glycan moieties of insulin receptor (IR) and ...

Introduction: Growth Hormone (GH) receptors are expressed on, and GH is secreted by, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). However, the role of GH in immunity has remained elusive and studies have given conflicting results. Experimental data strongly implicates a role for pituitary GH in the immune response of rodents. The data from knockout mice suggests that GH acts not as an obligate immunoregulator but as an anabolic and stress-modulating hormone. Despite the c...

Neoangiogenesis is essential for tumor development. Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF), a transcriptional factor composed of two subunits (α and β) plays a key role in this process, activating proangiogenic factors, such as VEGF. The HIF α subunits are critically regulated by oxygen but also modulated by growth factors. Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) is a highly vascular tumor which releases large amounts of VEGF and for which we have recently described an essential role for I...

An extraordinary array of behavioural and physiological systems is regulated by endogenous circadian timekeepers within mammals. This circadian machinery is comprised of intricate autoregulatory transcription feedback loops, which interact to generate a time delay of approximately 24 hours in the cyclical transcription of components. In addition to the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus it is clear that peripheral tissues also express clock components. The central clo...

Aim of the study: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is common disease affecting women in reproductive age which leads to anovulation. In pathogenesis of PCOS insulin resistance plays an important role. The aim of the present study was to look for possible relationship between interleukin 18 (IL-18) and insulin resistance in patients with PCOS.Material and Methods: The study was done in 76 patients with PCOS and 40 women without menstrual disturbances. The...

Various proinflammatory cytokines have been demonstrated to be involved in insulin resistance and other obesity related diseases. Preadipocytes and adipocytes are likely to modulate inflammatory and immune processes by intrinsic mechanisms. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) which are – together with CD14 – involved in the innate immunity and are able to recognize microbial components. Microbial components and immunosuppressive drugs modulate the cytokine expression. We addr...