Endocrine Abstracts

Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is a rare endocrine disease caused by a chronic exposure to endogenous cortisol or exogenous glucocorticoids (GCs). Among multiple comorbidities, impairment of skeletal muscle mass and strength affects 40–70% of patients with active CS and persist even after long-term disease remission. In pathological conditions, GCs excess sustain muscle atrophy and weakness affecting type II muscle fibers. Muscle-specific microRNAs, defined myomiRs, are in...

BackgroundSerum B cell stimulating factor (BAFF) has been shown to be elevated in Graves’ disease (Vannucchi 2012). In addition, BAFF and its receptor have been shown to be expressed on lymphocytes infiltrating the thyroid in Graves’ disease and also on thyrocytes (Campi 2015).AimsWe tested in a single-blind randomized controlled trial (EudraCT 2015–002127–26) whether the administration ...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a spectrum of disease spanning from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with risk of progression to fibrosis and eventually cirrhosis. Dysfunction of the gut-liver axis plays a role the progression to NASH. Intestinal damage and increased permeability can increase the delivery of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), such as LPS and intact bacteria, to the liver where they can activate the TLR4 signall...

Background11C-methionine (11C-Met) positron emission tomography co-registered with MRI is a new imaging technique used for functioning pituitary adenomas, permitting targeted intervention (Transphenoidal Surgery (TSS) or Radiotherapy)1. The 11C-Met PET-CT scan has been available in our centre since Dec 2016. With limited availability in 2019/2020 (due to cyclotron refurbishment) we re-audited our patients to prioritise th...

IntroductionProgressive and radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer has poor outcomes and limited therapeutic options (i.e tyrosine kinase inhibitors) due to the transient efficacy of treatment and toxic effects. Therefore, combinatorial treatment with new therapeutic approaches are needed. Many studies link G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) to cancer. The aim of this study is to present the first specific atlas of GPCRs expression in progressive and ref...

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths in men worldwide. Therefore, more specific and non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers as well as novel therapeutic targets are urgently needed. As miRNAs have been proposed as promising elements for the identification of novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools for different pathologies, including cancer, we investigated the miRNA landscape in PCa and explored their putative diagnostic/therapeutic utilit...

IntroductionEndometriosis is a dysplastic disease affecting approximately 7–10% of reproductive–aged women. It is defined as the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity. Disruption of circadian rhythm in night shift worker has been associated with menstrual irregularity and increased chance of developing endometriosis and ovarian tumors. The central circadian clock system located in hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (...

Astrocytomas are a subtype of malignant gliomas characterized by rapid growth and high diffusion through the brain. Based on the agresiveness features, they are stratified from low grades (I and II) to high grades (HGAs; III and IV), being grade-IV [glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)] the most aggressive and one of the most common malignant cancers in the brain, with an overall survival from diagnosis of ~14 months. Current standard therapies to treat HGAs are not efficient and the...

BackgroundPrecise diagnostics for postprandial reactive hypoglycaemic syndrome (PRHS) after gastric bypass surgery (GBS) are lacking. Oral glucose tolerance tests are advocated but might cause early dumping in this population and often cause hypoglycaemic values in a normal population.AimTo evaluate glycaemic responses during liquid and solid mixed meal tolerance tests (LMMTT and SMMTT) in a post-GBS populati...

BackgroundWomen with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at increased risk of pregnancy complications and poor pregnancy outcomes. Defective placentation is among the proposed mechanisms involved. Altered neurokinin B (NKB) placental expression has been associated with several conditions characterized by placental dysfunction, such as pre-eclampsia and intra-uterine growth retardation. However, the expression of NKB and its receptors has not been studie...

IntroductionThe Sodium Iodide Symporter (NIS) is responsible for the active transport of iodide into thyroid cells. Most of differentiated thyroid carcinomas (TC) retain the functional expression of NIS, which allows the use of radioiodide (RAI) as the systemic treatment of choice for metastatic disease. Still, a significant proportion of patients with advanced thyroid cancer fail to respond to RAI therapy (refractory-TC), which makes their management ve...

BackgroundThere are no specific markers for parathyroid carcinoma (PC) therefore, the development of algorithms for identifying high-risk patients is an urgent task.AimsTo determine clinical and laboratory predictors of PC and identify the factors of a poor prognosis.Materials and methodsA multi-center retrospective study included 242 patients with primary hyperpa...