Andrew N. Margioris
Issue 2 (April – June)122
Serum and glucocorticoid inducible kinase, metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and tumor growth
Florian Lang, Christos Stournaras
Serum-and-glucocorticoid-inducible-kinase-1 (SGK1) is under regulation of several hormones, mediators and cell stressors. More specifically, SGK1 expression is particularly sensitive to glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and TGFβ. Moreover, SGK1 expression is exquisitely sensitive to hypertonicity, hyperglycemia, and ischemia …
The central CLOCK system and the stress axis in health and disease
Eva N. Kassi, George P. Chrousos
Optimal regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is critical for a successful response to any stressor as well as in non-stressful situations. At the hypothalamic-pituitary level, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is released into the hypophyseal portal system …
The guidelines issued by the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine regarding the induction of ovulation with metformin in patients with the polycystic ovary syndrome potentially require reconsideration
Dimitrios Panidis, Konstantinos Tziomalos, Efstathios Papadakis, Eleni A. Kandaraki, Ilias Katsikis
In 2007, the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) issued guidelines in Thessaloniki regarding the use of metformin and clomiphene for the induction of ovulation in patients with anovulatory polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) …
Insulin action in morbid obesity: a focus on muscle and adipose tissue
Panayota Mitrou, Sotirios A. Raptis, George Dimitriadis
The aim of this review is to summarize the mechanisms underlying insulin resistance in morbid obesity. Glucose regulation by insulin depends on the suppression of endogenous glucose production and stimulation of glucose disposal. In morbid obesity, glucose production by the liver is increased …
Incretins and bone: Evolving concepts in nutrient-dependent regulation of bone turnover
Maria P. Yavropoulou, John G. Yovos
Postprandial variation of bone turnover markers and the closed relationship between bone remodeling and nutrient supply has been extensively studied in the past few years, but the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms remain largely unknown …
Androgen receptors in early and castration resistant prostate cancer: friend or foe?
Vassiliki Pelekanou, George Notas, Efstathios N. Stathopoulos, Elias Castanas, Marilena Kampa
Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies and causes of death among men in western societies. It has thus attracted the interest of the scientific community, which has resulted in great improvements in survival rates in recent years. As early as the 1940s, Huggins and Hodges first demonstrated that prostate cancer is androgen dependent …
The corticotropin releasing factor system in the liver: expression, actions and possible implications in hepatic physiology and pathology
Konstantinos A. Paschos, Efterpi Chouridou, Maria Koureta, Maria Lambropoulou, George Kolios, Ekaterini Chatzaki
The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system plays a crucial regulatory role in the adaptation to exogenous and endogenous stress stimuli, as well as homeostasis. Apart from the central nervous system (CNS), the members of this neuropeptide family extend their actions in the periphery …
Eating habits and factors affecting food choice of adolescents living in rural areas
Alexandra Bargiota, Maria Delizona, Andreas Tsitouras, Georgios N. Koukoulis
OBJECTIVE: To establish factors that affect food choices among adolescents living in rural areas and to identify their food choices. DESIGN: A random sample of adolescents living in a Greek rural area (n=382) aged 12-18 years were individually interviewed …
Factors influencing the outcome of microsurgical transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas: A study on 184 patients
Kostas I. Lampropoulos, George Samonis, Panagiotis Nomikos
OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of factors influencing the outcome of microsurgical transsphenoidal surgery in patients harbouring pituitary adenomas as well as of the efficacy and safety of this procedure. DESIGN: A total of 184 consecutive patients with pituitary adenomas …
Association of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle patterns with obesity and cardiometabolic comorbidities in Greek adults: Data from the National Epidemiological Survey
Maria Hassapidou, Sousana K. Papadopoulou, George Vlahavas, Efthymios Kapantais, Daphne Kaklamanou, Ioannis Pagkalos, Myrto Kaklamanou, Themistoklis Tzotzas
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between physical activity (PA) and sedentary lifestyle (SL) patterns with overweight (OW), obesity (OB), abdominal obesity (AO) and cardiometabolic comorbidities in Greek adults based on data from the National Epidemiological Survey for the prevalence of obesity …
The effect of prolonged aerobic exercise on serum adipokine levels during an ultra-marathon endurance race
Nikolaos D. Roupas, Irene Mamali, Spyros Maragkos, Lydia Leonidou, Anastasia K. Armeni, George K. Markantes, Athanasios Tsekouras, George C. Sakellaropoulos, Kostas B. Markou, Neoklis A. Georgopoulos
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of prolonged intensive aerobic exercise and acute energy deficit (180 km ultra-marathon race) on serum leptin, adiponectin, resistin and visfatin levels and their association and interaction with serum cortisol and insulin levels in highly trained ultra-endurance runners …
Laparoscopic vs. open abdominal surgery in male pigs: Marked differences in cortisol and catecholamine response depending on the size of surgical incision
Angeliki Krikri, Vasileios Alexopoulos, Emmanouil Zoumakis, Paraskevas Katsaronis, Evangelos Balafas, Gregory Kouraklis, Panagiotis E. Karayannacos, George P. Chrousos, Gregory Skalkeas
OBJECTIVE: Minimally invasive operations, such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and adrenalectomy, result in a more rapid recovery of normal function, less physiological disturbances and less stress to the organism than similar open operations. The purpose of this study was to determine the stress response associated …
Microvessel density and VEGF expression in pituitaries of pregnant women
Fabio Rotondo, Angelo Rotondo, Mark Jentoft, Bernd W. Scheithauer, Luis V. Syro, Jorge H. Donado, James E. Tarara, Kalman Kovacs
OBJECTIVE: In pregnant women, the pituitary is enlarged and the prolactin (PRL) secreting cells increase in size and number. This PRL cell hyperplasia is associated with hyperprolactinemia. The aim of the present work was to investigate adenohypophysial vascularization and immunoexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor …
Euthyroid Graves’ orbitopathy and incidental papillary thyroid microcarcinoma
Eugen Melcescu, William B. Horton, Karen T. Pitman, Vani Vijayakumar, Christian A. Koch
Euthyroid Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) combined with incidental papillary thyroid microcarcinoma has rarely been reported. CASE REPORT: A 61-year-old Caucasian woman initially presented with progressive fatigue, exophthalmos, and thyroid function tests within normal limits …
A thymic carcinoid tumour causing Zollinger-Ellison and Cushing’s syndromes due to ectopic ACTH and gastrin secretion
Noel P. Somasundaram, Chaminda Garusinghe, Dan Berney, Ashley B. Grossman
Cushings’s syndrome due to ectopic adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) secretion was first described nearly a century ago by Hurst Brown. Bronchial carcinomas, usually bronchial carcinoids, were the first to be described and continue to be the leading cause of the ectopic ACTH syndrome …
Acrodysostosis associated with hypercalcemia
Mehmet Kirnap, Mustafa Calis, Cumali Gokce, Selim Kurtoglu, Mustafa Ozturk, Fahrettin Kelestimur
An 18-year-old man was admitted to the clinic complaining of deterioration in the function of his hands and feet. The clinical examination revealed that his movements were clumsy and that he had disproportionally short limbs. In addition, he also had facial abnormalities of frontal bossing …
Iodine-131 administration and risk of cancer: “Appearances can be deceptive”
Massimo Salvatori, Giorgio Treglia, Germano Perotti, Luca Giovanella
Radioactive iodine (131I) is a radiopharmaceutical widely used in diagnosis and therapy of benign and malignant thyroid diseases. The possible risk of cancer induced by 131I administration is a topic widely debated in the literature …
More on the acute transient thyroid swelling following needle biopsy
Konstantinos Ziambaras
In response to the very interesting article that was published in Hormones 2012, 11(2): 147-150 “Acute transient thyroid swelling following needle biopsy: An update”, I would like to share our experiences regarding this phenomenon …