Ioannis N. Tsoulogiannis, Demetrios A. Spandidos Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece Abstract This article attempts to analyze the crucial link between the plant Agnus castus and human health, particularly hormonal status, with special reference to the needs of the society of ancient Sparta. T he ancient Spartans used Agnus both as a Read More
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Thyroid nodules – Stepwise diagnosis and management
Stergios A. Polyzos, Marina Kita, Avraam Avramidis Department of Endocrinology, “Hippokratio” General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece Abstract Thyroid nodules are common in clinical practice. They may be solitary within a “normal” thyroid gland or dominant within a multinodular goiter. The incidence of thyroid nodules has been on the rise in recent decades, mainly due to the Read More
Coronary calcification in patients with end-stage renal disease: a novel endocrine disorder?
Georgios Efstratiadis1, Konstantinos Koskinas2, Efstathios Pagourelias2 1Nephrology Department of Aristotle University, 2B Propaedeftiki Internal Medicine Department Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece Abstract Cardiovascular mortality is significantly increased among patients with end-stage renal disease. The commonly observed vascular calcification in such patients has been considered as one of the causative factors. In patients undergoing dialysis, the incidence Read More
Endocrine evaluation of patients after brain injury: what else is needed to define specific clinical recommendations?
Gemma Sesmilo, Irene Halperin, Manuel Puig-Domingo Servei d’Endocrinologia, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain INTRODUCTION Brain injury (BI), both head trauma (TBI) and subarachnoid hemorrage (SAH), has consistently been recognized as an important cause of pituitary dysfunction.1 Different studies have estimated that 20-50% of patients who have suffered BI will develop some degree of Read More
Early metabolic defects following gestational diabetes in three ethnic groups of anti-GAD antibodies negative women with normal fasting glucose
Eleni Kousta1, Natasha J. Lawrence1, Ian F. Godsland1, Anna Penny1, Victor Anyaoku1, Barbara A. Millauer1, Stephen Robinson1, Desmond G. Johnston1, Mark I. McCarthy1,2 1Section of Endocrinology and Metabolic Medicine, 2Imperial College Genetics and Genomics Research Institute, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, St. Mary’s Hospital, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, U.K. Abstract OBJECTIVE: To characterise early Read More
Data on pubertal development in Greek boys. A longitudinal study
Kyratsoula Pantsiotou National Health Service, Endocrine Clinic Athens, Greece Abstract OBJECTIVE: Longitudinal data on boys' puberty evolution are not available in Greece and very few such studies have been reported world-wide. We present data from a longitudinal study on height, weight, BMI and age at the different pubertal stages in Greek boys. DESIGN: At the Read More
A newly detected mutation of the RET protooncogene in exon 8 as a cause of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A
Sotirios Bethanis1, George Koutsodontis2, Theodosia Palouka1, Christos Avgoustis1, Drakoulis Yannoukakos2, Thalia Bei2, Savas Papadopoulos3, Dimitrios Linos4, Stylianos Tsagarakis1 1Department of Endocrinology, Athens Polyclinic, 2BioGenomica, Center for Genetic Research and Analysis, 3Department of Pathology, Hygeia Hospital, 4First Department of Surgery, Hygeia Hospital, Athens, Greece Abstract Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) is a syndrome of familial Read More
Diabetes and the \’Natural Faculties\’ in the Galenic treatises
Niki Papavramidou, Helen Christopoulou-Aletra Department of History of Medicine, Aristotle University School of Medicine, Thessaloniki, Greece The term diabetes first appears in a text by Aretaeus to describe a disease of the kidneys. Galen is likely to have borrowed this term from Aretaeus also to describe the same disorder, though in a manner somewhat uncharacteristic Read More
The spectrum of phytoestrogens in nature: our knowledge is expanding
Paraskevi Moutsatsou Department of Biological Chemistry, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece Abstract The classical phytoestrogens, so far known, constitute a group of plant-derived compounds which include mainly isoflavones, lignans, coumestanes, stilbenes and the flavonoids quercetin and kaempherol. The discovery of many more novel estrogen-like compounds in the plant kingdom demonstrates that the spectrum of Read More
Brunner?s missing ?Aha experience? delayed progress in diabetes research by 200 years
Fritz S. Keck1, Leonidas H. Duntas2 1Westkuestenklinikum Heide, Germany, 2Evgenidion Hospital, Athens University School of Medice, Athens, Greece Abstract In 1889, the pancreatectomy performed on a dog by Joseph von Mehring and Oskar Minkowski led to the discovery of the pancreatic origin of diabetes disease. Already 200 years before, Johann Conrad Brunner had successfully performed Read More