Aleksander Giwercman, Dimitrios G. Goulis, Ilpo Huhtaniemi, Christos Tsatsanis
This issue of HORMONES is dedicated to the Symposium “Endocrine Aspects in Andrology” that took place in Heraklion, Crete, Greece, on 13-15 March, 2015 …
Issue 4 (October- December)144
A short evolutionary history of FSH-stimulated spermatogenesis
Ilpo Huhtaniemi
It is well established in various experimental models that luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulated testosterone (T) production of Leydig cells is the key endocrine stimulus of spermatogenesis. The role of the other gonadotrophin, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), is as yet somewhat unclear given that several clinical conditions …
The Sertoli cell as the orchestra conductor of spermatogenesis: spermatogenic cells dance to the tune of testosterone
Fotios Dimitriadis, Chara Tsiampali, Nikolaos Chaliasos, Panagiota Tsounapi, Atsushi Takenaka, Nikolaos Sofikitis
Spermatogenesis is contingent upon hormones and growth factors acting through endocrine and paracrine pathways either in vivo or in vitro. Sertoli cells (SCs) furnish essential factors for the successful advancement of spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis. Moreover, receptors for follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone …
The Sertoli cell: Novel clinical potentiality
Paschalia K. Iliadou, Christos Tsametis, Athina Kaprara, Ioannis Papadimas, Dimitrios G. Goulis
The Sertoli cell is important for endocrine and paracrine control of spermatogenesis. Functions attributed to Sertoli cells are: (1) supportive and trophic functions for the cells of the seminiferous epithelium, (2) transport of mature spermatids towards the lumen of seminiferous tubules, (3) secretion of androgen binding protein …
Testicular Descent
Charalampos Mamoulakis, Spyridon Antypas, Frank Sofras, Atsushi Takenaka, Nikolaos Sofikitis
Normal testicular descent (TD) is known to be a complex, multistage process involving the interplay of different anatomical structures, hormones, environmental and genetic factors, but its purpose and the exact etiology of TD impairment remain largely unknown …
Klinefelter Syndrome and medical treatment: hypogonadism and beyond
Simon Chang, Anne Skakkebæk, Claus Højbjerg Gravholt
Klinefelter syndrome (KS), though described more than 70 years ago, still imposes significant diagnostic challenges. Based on data from epidemiological studies, KS is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Although the pathophysiology and etiology behind these observations are as yet not well understood …
The impact of adipose tissue-derived factors on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis
Christos Tsatsanis, Eirini Dermitzaki, Pavlina Avgoustinaki, Niki Malliaraki, Vasilis Mytaras, Andrew N. Margioris
Adipose tissue produces factors, including adipokines, cytokines and chemokines which, when released, systemically exert endocrine effects on multiple tissues thereby affecting their physiology. Adipokines also affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis both centrally, at the hypothalamic-pituitary level …
The impact of obesity on male fertility
Thomas JG. Chambers, Richard A. Anderson
Obesity in men of reproductive age is globally on the increase. There is clear evidence from epidemiological studies that obesity impacts negatively on male fertility; it is associated with hypogonadism, although it is less consistently linked to impaired spermatogenesis and tests of sperm function, including DNA fragmentation …
Hypogonadism as a possible link between metabolic diseases and erectile dysfunction in aging men
Giovanni Corona, Silvia Bianchini, Alessandra Sforza, Linda Vignozzi, Mario Maggi
There is evidence demonstrating that sexual complaints represent the most specific symptoms associated with late onset hypogonadism, while central obesity is the most specific sign. In obese men, hypogonadism can further worsen the metabolic profile and increase abdominal fat …
Impact of cancer and cancer treatment on male fertility
Ioannis Vakalopoulos, Petros Dimou, Ioannis Anagnostou, Theodosia Zeginiadou
While cancer, and especially testicular cancer and Hodgkin’s disease, affects male fertility in many ways, the current increase of survival of male cancer patients of reproductive age or earlier has emerged as a new challenge to their subsequent ability to father children. Cancer treatments, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy …
Hypogonadism in young men treated for cancer
Aleksander Giwercman, Yvonne Lundberg Giwercman
An ever-increasing proportion of young males treated for cancer are cured. Therefore, one of the major challenges of modern Clinical Oncology is to ensure good quality of life. Cancer disease per se as well as cancer treatment may have a negative impact on androgen production, thereby leading to subclinical or clinically overt hypogonadism …
Male contraception: a clinically-oriented review
George A. Kanakis, Dimitrios D. Goulis
Despite the variety of available female contraceptive methods, many pregnancies (~50%) are still undesired. Many men (>60%) want to participate equally with their partner in family planning; however, male contraceptive methods (MCMs) account for only 14% of those used worldwide and no pharmaceutical MCM is available so far …
Prevalence of overweight and obesity in preschool children in Thessaloniki, Greece
Maria Hassapidou, Efstratia Daskalou, Fotini Tsofliou, Konstantinos Tziomalos, Anastasia Paschaleri, Ioannis Pagkalos, Themistoklis Tzotzas
OBJECTIVE: Data on obesity in preschoolers are scarce in Greece, a country particularly affected by the obesity epidemic. The present study aimed to assess overweight and obesity prevalence of preschoolers in Thessaloniki, Greece, by using three different standards for defining childhood overweight and obesity …
Internalizing and externalizing problems in obese children and adolescents: associations with daily salivary cortisol concentrations
Panagiota Pervanidou, Despoina Bastaki, Giorgos Chouliaras, Katerina Papanikolaou, Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein, George Chrousos
OBJECTIVE: Pediatric obesity commonly co-exists with emotional and behavioral disorders, while disturbed cortisol concentrations have been reported in both obese and chronically stressed individuals with anxiety and/or depression. We investigated the prevalence of internalizing and externalizing problems …
Impact and duration effect of telemonitoring on ΗbA1c, BMI and cost in insulin-treated Diabetes Mellitus patients with inadequate glycemic control: A randomized controlled study
Stelios Fountoulakis, Labrini Papanastasiou, Alexandros Gryparis, Athina Markou, George Piaditis
OBJECTIVE: To monitor and control the blood glucose levels in inefficiently insulin-treated patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) using a telemonitoring system and determine whether the improvement of HbA1c has a lasting effect following its discontinuation …
Ketonemia and ketonuria in gestational diabetes mellitus
Loukia Spanou, Kalliopi Dalakleidi, Konstantia Zarkogianni, Anastasia Papadimitriou, Konstantina Nikita, Vasiliki Vasileiou, Maria Alevizaki, EleniAnastasiou
BACKGROUND: The use of capillary blood 3-β-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) is a more precise method than urine ketones measurement for the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis. Fasting ketonuria is common during normal pregnancy, while there is evidence that it is increased among pregnant women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus …
IGF1 deficiency in newly diagnosed Graves’ disease patients
Sorina Martin, Anca Sirbu, Minodora Betivoiu, Suzana Florea, Carmen Barbu, Simona Fica
OBJECTIVE: Thyroid hormones influence the GH/IGF1 axis, but previous studies have reported discrepant results regarding serum IGF1 levels in hyperthyroidism. We have therefore investigated, at diagnosis, the relationship between serum IGF1 levels and the main characteristics of Graves’ disease (GD) …
Sheehan’s syndrome in Xinjiang: Clinical characteristics and laboratory evaluation of 97 patients
Guo-li Du, Zhong-hua Liu, Min Chen, Rui Ma, Sheng Jiang, Miriguli Shayiti, Jun Zhu, Aibibai Yusufu
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and hormonal characteristics of patients with Sheehan’s syndrome in Xinjiang, China. METHODS: 97 cases diagnosed as Sheehan’s syndrome in our hospital from 1999 to 2013 were retrospectively reviewed …
Βones, stones and androgen deprivation therapy
Miguel Ángel Arrabal-Polo, María del Carmen Cano-García, Miguel Arrabal-Martín
It is well known that patients with recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis present bone mineral density loss manifesting as osteopenia or osteoporosis in the lumbar spine and/or hip. Moreover, it has been observed that in patients with calcium stones and idiopathic hypercalciuria …