Nikolaos E. Koundourakis, Pavlina D. Avgoustinaki, Niki Malliaraki, Andrew N. Margioris
Muscles are major targets of vitamin D. Exposure of skeletal muscles to vitamin D induces the expression of multiple myogenic transcription factors enhancing muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. At the same time vitamin D suppresses the expression of myostatin, a negative regulator of muscle mass …
Agata Matej, Hanna Bujwid, Jakub Wroński
Insulinoma is the most common neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas. Surgical management of insulinomas is considered to be the only curative method. However, effective glycemic control preoperatively and in unresectable insulinomas remains a significant issue …
Leonidas H. Duntas, Gabriela Brenta
L-thyroxine (LT4) treatment of hypothyroidism, particularly in patients with thyroid- stimulating hormone (TSH) >10mU/L, results in improved lipid profile, as LT4 stimulates low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) degradation and the conversion of cholesterol in bile acids by inducing LDL-receptor and 7 alpha hydroxylase expression …
Marina Michalaki, Panagiotis Bountouris, Nikolaos D Roupas, Anastasia Theodoropoulou, Niki Agalianou, Theodoros Alexandrides, Kostas Markou
BACKGROUND: The current trend in the management of low risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma is to follow less aggressive strategies. Objective: To assess the long-term morbidity and mortality outcomes of low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients undergoing minimal intervention. DESIGN: We retrospectively analyzed 137 patients with low-risk PTC …
Rikke R. Soerensen, Trine H. Johannsen, Niels E. Skakkebaek, Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts
OBJECTIVE: Testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) comprises testicular germ cell cancer, cryptorchidism and some cases of male infertility and hypospadias, which can be linked to impairment of intrauterine gonadal development. Among histological signs of TDS, large Leydig cell (LC) clusters (micronodules) are frequently present. This study aimed to investigate possible associations …
Marco Di Monaco, Carlotta Castiglioni, Rosa Tappero
OBJECTIVE: Hip-fracture patients with vitamin D deficiency can have either secondary hyperparathyroidism or normal levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH). We hypothesized that bone mineral density (BMD) could be lower in patients with high PTH levels than in those with normal levels of PTH, irrespectively of the severity of vitamin D depletion …
Corina Neamţu, Claudiu Ţupea, Diana Păun, Anca Hoisescu, Adina Ghemigian, Samuel Refetoff, Chutintorn Sriphrapradang
Thyroid hormones (TH) exert their actions by binding nuclear receptors alpha (TRα1) and beta (TRß1 and TRß2). Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is a clinical syndrome with various clinical manifestations, its hallmark being decreased tissue sensitivity …
Angelos Kyriacou, Karolina M. Stepien, Basil Issa
A 51-year old woman was admitted with multiple cerebral, pulmonary and intra-abdominal abscesses. The combination of apparent immunosuppression, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypokalaemia, osteoporotic fractures and bilateral shoulder avascular necrosis led to a clinical diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome (CS) …
Stavroula A. Paschou, Konstantinos Tzioras, Vasiliki Trianti, Stavroula Lyra, Vasileios-Arsenios Lioutas, Andreas Seretis, Andromachi Vryonidou
BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE:This case highlights the fact that acute pituitary apoplexy may be misdiagnosed due to being confused with other entities exhibiting similar symptoms, such as meningitis or subarachnoid hemorrhage. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A patient in his late 30s presented with sudden and severe frontal headache …
Maria P. Yavropoulou, Panagoulia Kollia, Dimitris Chatzidimitriou, Stavroula Samara, Lemonia Skoura, John G. Yovos
Osteoporosis is a common disease with a strong genetic component. Several studies have reported the vitamin D receptor (VDR), collagen type I (COL1A1), and LDL receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) genes as the most likely candidates. However, most of the studies have been carried out in postmenopausal women and older men and show inconsistent results …
Marios Papadakis, Natalie Meurer, Theodora Margariti, Anke Meyer, Norbert Weyerbrock, Cornelia Dotzenrath
OBJECTIVE: The coexistence of familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) and primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is extremely rare. Genetic evidence has demonstrated a causal relationship between FHH and the presence of inactivating mutations in the calcium-sensing receptor gene …
Konstantinos Toulis, Paschalia Iliadou, Stylianos Mandanas, Polyzo Kazila, Efterpi Margaritidou, Konstantinos Georgopoulos, Kalliopi Pazaitou-Panayiotou
Along with achieving a reduction in the incidence of osteoporotic fractures, denosumab (a human monoclonal antibody against the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) causes conformational changes in the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), leading to parathyroid hormone exocytosis …
Alessandro Sindoni, Fausto Famà, Maria Gioffre-Florio, Sergio Baldari
It was with great interest that we read the article titled “Neoadjuvant therapy for advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: an emerging treatment modality?” by I. Perysinakis et al published in the first issue of 2016 of the Journal …
Spyridon N. Karras, William B.Grant, Declan P. Naughton, Kalliopi Kotsa
We read with interest the recent article by Katrinaki et al. The authors report on cross-sectional values of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations from a large Mediterranean cohort in Crete, Greece …
Alexandra Chrisoulidou
I read with great interest the article by Yazici et al. on TSH/Tg ratio in the prediction of thyroid cancer. The justification for thyroid surgery in patients with thyroid nodules has led to many interesting studies looking into predictive markers, albeit without as yet concrete results that could alter the current practice …
Konstantinos Laios, Maria Zozolou, Konstantinos Markatos, Marianna Karamanou, George Androutsos
In 1886, Pierre Marie (1853-1940) published the first accurate scientific description of acromegaly while also coining the term that we now employ (acromegaly today being used when the disease appears in adulthood, and gigantism when it is seen in childhood) …
Niki Katsiki, Genovefa Kolovou
We read with interest the Pappas et al review on postprandial dysmetabolism. The authors describe evidence linking elevated levels of postprandial glucose and triglycerides (TGs) with cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality as well as with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) …