Evangeline Vassilatou1, Panayiotis Schinochoritis2, Stamatina Marioli3, Ioanna Tzavara1 1Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, 2Biomedicine International Diagnostic Services and 3Department of Biochemistry, "Amalia Fleming" General Hospital, Athens, Greece Abstract A 21-year old man, complaining of headaches and fatigue, with a negative past medical history and a normal clinical examination, underwent a hormonal investigation which revealed Read More
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Tracing the origin of the term \’\’gene\’\’
Theano D. Kontopoulou, Spyros G. Marketos International Hippocratic Foundation of Kos, Greece INTRODUCTION A century has passed (1902 – 2002) since the Danish botanist and geneticist Wilhelm Ludwig Johannsen established the scientific term "gene". The centenary of this biological term coincides with the 50th anniversary of the unraveling of the structure of DNA, the basic Read More
Molecular Medicine and biomedical education: reshaping our mission
Gerasimos P. Sykiotis,1 Panagiotis A. Konstantinopoulos,2 Athanasios G. Papavassiliou3 1Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 2Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology – Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, 3Department of Biological Chemistry, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece The biomedical sciences are currently in Read More
Molecular genetic aspects and pathophysiology of endocrine hypertension
Stelios Fountoulakis, Agathocles Tsatsoulis Department of Endocrinology, University of Ioannina Medical School, Ioannina, Greece INTRODUCTION Blood pressure (BP) is the outcome of the interaction of intravascular volume, cardiac output and peripheral resistance. Hypertension is defined as BP exceeding 139/89 mmHg, whereas “pre-hypertension” refers to systolic BP of 120 to 139 mmHg or a diastolic BP Read More
Short stature and dysmorphology associated with defects in the SHOX gene
Sofia K. Leka, Sofia Kitsiou-Tzeli, Ariadni Kalpini-Mavrou, Emmanuel Kanavakis Horemis Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Genetics, Athens University School of Medicine, “Aghia Sofia” Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece Abstract Since its discovery in 1997, knowledge about the SHOX gene (Short stature HOmeoboX-containing gene) has rapidly advanced. Although originally described as causing idiopathic short stature, SHOX mutations Read More
The problem of exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism
Menelaos L. Batrinos Emeritus Professor of Endocrinology, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece Abstract Over the past two decades a plethora of publications and clinical practice data have established that subclinical thyroid dysfunction is a common condition occurring much more frequently than the overt expression of thyroid disease. Subclinical hypothyroidism is considered to be the Read More
Early microvascular and macrovascular dysfunction is not accompanied by structural arterial injury in polycystic ovary syndrome
Krystallenia Alexandraki,1 Athanasios D. Protogerou,2 Theodoros G. Papaioannou,2 Christina Piperi,3 George Mastorakos,4 John Lekakis,2 Dimitrios Panidis,5 Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis1 1Division of Endocrinology, First Department of Medicine, Laiko Hospital, 2Vascular Laboratory, Department of Clinical Therapeutic, Alexandra Hospital, 3Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, 4Endocrine Unit, Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aretaeion Hospital, Athens University School of Medicine, Athens, Read More
Insulin resistance, growth factors and cytokine levels in overweight women with breast cancer before and after chemotherapy
Eftychia Chala,1 Christos Manes,2 Helias Iliades,3 Georgios Skaragkas,2 Despina Mouratidou,3 Efthymios Kapantais1 1Department of Diabetes-Obesity-Metabolism, Metropolitan Hospital, Neo Faliro, Greece, 2Diabetes Center, Papageorgiou Hospital, 33rd Department of Clinical Oncology, Theagenio Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece Abstract OBJECTIVE: To evaluate insulin values, insulin resistance, growth factors and cytokine levels in women suffering from breast cancer and the effect Read More
Estradiol and progesterone supplementation during luteal phase improved the receptivity of the endometrium in a patient with a history of diethylstilboestrol exposure in-utero
Dimitris Loutradis,1 Konstantinos Stefanidis,1 Erasmia Kiapekou,2 Evangelia Zapanti,2 Chrisoula Panitsa-Faflia,1 Aristidis Antsaklis1 1First Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Athens University School of Medicine, Alexandra Hospital, 2First Endocrine Section, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, Greece Abstract BACKGROUND: Diethylstilboestrol (DES) exposure in-utero has been shown to have negative effects on pregnancy. DES-exposed women are at increased risk of early Read More
Nobel prize winner Christian de Duve. From insulin to lysosomes
Jean-Pierre Tricot Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) “Neglect of the history of medicine sets in motion the dismal cycle of medical science which, turning almost without metabolism, repeatedly brings to light the same material.” Rudolf Virchow, the founder of cell pathology, (1851) (Presented at the Symposium on the History of Diabetes, Delphi, September 7-9, 2005) Read More