Georgia Ntali, Eva Kassi, Maria Alevizaki
Cancer immunotherapy has introduced a novel class of drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). They enhance antitumour immunity by blocking negative regulators (checkpoints) of T cell function that exist on both immune and tumour cells. ICIs targeting CTLA-4 and PD-1/PDL-1 have dramatically changed the outcome of patients with several advanced-stage malignancies but they may lead to a variety of inflammatory toxicities and autoimmune …
Kyriakos Ioannou
Diabetic nephropathy is defined as a microvascular complication of the kidneys induced by diabetes mellitus and is characterized by albuminuria and progressive loss of kidney function. However, neither albuminuria nor glomerular filtration rate decline are diabetic nephropathy-specific markers, thus the diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy greatly …
Giorgio Treglia, Adriana Tamburello, Luca Giovanella
PURPOSE: Several articles have demonstrated the high diagnostic performance of somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). On the other hand, only a few studies have evaluated the detection rate (DR) of this imaging method in recurrent medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). We aimed to perform a systematic review and a meta-analysis of the DR of somatostatin receptor PET or PET/CT in patients with recurrent MTC to add evidence-based data …
Fotios Pavlatos
The extremely sad news of the passing away of Professor Francis Greenspan, one of my very best and most faithful old friends, was a great blow to me and, needless to say, to all of us who had the good fortune and the great privilege to know him …
Yongbo Kang, Yue Cai
Obesity is a major public health issue as it is causally associated with several chronic disorders, including type-2 diabetes, cerebrovascular disease (CVD), and cancer. In the United States and other countries worldwide, the obesity epidemic has drastically impacted the status of health of millions as well as healthcare costs. Aside from poor diet, hygiene, and genetics, there are many other factors thought to play an important role in the emergence of obesity …
Nick Voulgaris, Labrini Papanastasiou, George Piaditis, Anna Angelousi, Gregory Kaltsas, George Mastorakos, Eva Kassi
The role of vitamin D in female reproduction has been intensively examined over the last few decades. A large body of evidence suggests that vitamin D might have beneficial effects on metabolic/hormonal parameters of PCOS and endometriosis, while it appears to be associated with IVF outcomes. However, due to the heterogeneity among observational and interventional studies, no cause-effect relationship has yet been established. The aim of this review is to analyze recent in vitro animal and human studies …
Sofia Lazaridou, Konstantinos Dinas, Konstantinos Tziomalos
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age. PCOS is not only the leading cause of anovulatory infertility but is also associated with an array of metabolic disorders, among which impaired glucose metabolism has been a topic of intense research. The aim of the present narrative review is to summarize the findings of the studies that have evaluated the prevalence and incidence of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus …
Vasileios Tzortzis, Michael Samarinas, Ioannis Zachos, Athanasios Oeconomou, Louis L. Pisters, Alexandra Bargiota
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the most effective treatment for this disease. The cornerstone of the treatment of prostate cancer is inhibition of testosterone production which interrupts testosterone-induced growth of the prostate tumor. The dramatic decrease in testosterone levels …
Eleftheria Taousani, Dimitra Savvaki, Efrosini Tsirou, Pavlos Poulakos, Gesthimani Mintziori, Menelaos Zafrakas, Basil C. Tarlatzis, Dimitrios Vavilis, Dimitrios G. Goulis
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is one of the major components of total energy expenditure (TEE). It is affected by various factors, such as body weight, body composition, age, race/ethnicity, gender, biochemical parameters, physical activity, and health status. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common metabolic disorder during pregnancy and it increases the risk for health complications …
Güven Barış Cansu, Sevgi Atılgan, Mustafa Kemal Balcı, Ramazan Sarı, Sebahat Özdem, Hasan Ali Altunbaş
OBJECTIVE: Diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance are common in patients with Cushing’s syndrome (CS). In this study we investigated the incidence of subclinical Cushing’s syndrome (SCS) in type 2 diabetic patients with poor and good metabolic control and the relationship between blood glucose and cortisol levels. DESIGN: A total of 400 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients (Group A, HbA1c ≥8%, n=250; Group B, HbA1c ≤6.5%, n=150) were included in the study …
Waldemar Kanczkowski, Mariko Sue, Stefan R. Bornstein
The adrenal gland is a key component of the stress system in the human body. Multiple direct and paracrine interactions between different cell types and their progenitors take place within the adrenal gland microenvironment. These unique interactions are supported by high vascularization and the adrenal cortex extracellular matrix. Alterations in the adrenal gland microenvironment are known to influence the progression of several pathological conditions, such as obesity and sepsis, and to be influenced …
Olga Karapanou, Marinella Tzanela, Barbara Vlassopoulou, Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein
Differentiated thyroid cancer in childhood is rare. Apart from family history, radiation exposure is a major risk factor. Although its clinical course is quite aggressive with higher rates of lymph node and pulmonary metastases as compared to adults, the final outcome tends to be favorable with mortality rates less than 2% …
Nicolas C. Nicolaides, Evangelia Charmandari
Glucocorticoids play a fundamental role in many physiologic functions and contribute substantially to the achievement of homeostasis. These pleiotropic glucocorticoid actions are mediated by a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor, the human glucocorticoid receptor (hGR), which may influence the transcription …
Flora Bacopoulou, George I. Lambrou, Maria-Evangelia Rodanaki,Evgenia Stergioti, Vasiliki Efthymiou, Efthymios Deligeoroglou, Sophia L. Markantonis
OBJECTIVE: To measure, for the first time, serum kisspeptin concentrations in adolescent females with anorexia nervosa (AN) and associated amenorrhea, and investigate potential correlations of kisspeptin with anthropometric, bone and hormonal data. DESIGN: Setting: University Adolescent Medicine Center. Participants: Females aged 12-20 years with typical or atypical AN (based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria) and controls …
Chrysanthi Aggeli, Alexander M. Nixon, Christos Parianos, Georgios Vletsis, Labrini Papanastasiou, Athina Markou, Theodora Kounadi, Georgrios Piaditis, Georgios N. Zografos
OBJECTIVE: Resection of pheochromocytomas is a challenging procedure due to hemodynamic lability. Our aim was to evaluate surgical outcomes in 67 patients with pheochromocytoma and to validate the role of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of these tumors. DESIGN: This study is a retrospective review. A total of 68 procedures for pheochromocytoma …
Mussa H. Almalki, Nora Nasser Aljoaib, Maha Jurais Alotaibi, Bayan Saloum Aldabas, Tayba Saleh Wahedi, Maswood M. Ahmad, Fahad Alshahrani
Pituitary tumors represent 10-15% of all intracranial tumors; of these, prolactinomas account for 40-50% of cases. Prolactinomas usually respond well to dopamine agonists (DA) as first-line therapy. However, treatment resistance remains a concern. Temozolomide (TMZ) is an oral alkylating agent that has shown promise in treating aggressive pituitary adenomas and carcinomas …
Heitor Oliveira Santos
The new study by Jacob Wilson et al. demonstrated that a nutritional intervention based on the ketogenic diet (KD) in resistance-trained athletes of college age showed an increase of total testosterone compared to individuals who followed a Western diet (WD) protocol with the same resistance training. The total testosterone increase in the KD group …
Eleni-Magdalini Kyritsi, Georgia Koltsida, Ioanna Farakla, Aikaterini Papanikolaou, Elena Critselis, Emilia Mantzou, Emmanouil Zoumakis, Gerasimos Kolaitis, George P. Chrousos, Evangelia Charmandari
OBJECTIVE: Carriers of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) demonstrate increased secretion of cortisol precursors following ACTH stimulation, suggestive of impaired cortisol production and compensatory increases in hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) secretion. Both cortisol and CRH have behavioral effects, and hypothalamic CRH hypersecretion has been associated with chronic states of anxiety and depression …
Maria Chantal Ponziani, Ioannis Karamouzis, Chiara Mele, Luisa Chasseur, Marco Zavattaro, Marina Caputo, Maria Teresa Samà, Arianna Busti, Loredana Pagano, Luigi Castello, Paolo Marzullo, Gianluca Aimaretti, Flavia Prodam
OBJECTIVE. We evaluated the risk of altered glucose levels and new-onset diabetes (NOD) associated with statins according to glucose levels at baseline in a population treated for dyslipidemia on primary prevention for >5 years. DESIGN. The retrospective study included 308 subjects (265 on statins and 43 controls on diet) with a follow-up of 5-15 years …
Maria P. Yavropoulou, Alexandros Michopoulos, John G. Yovos
Parathyroid hormone receptors are present in bone cells and play a crucial role in the maintenance of skeletal integrity, bone homeostasis and regulation of calcium and phosphate metabolism. Although the function of these receptors has long being recognized in the cells of the osteoblastic lineage regulating directly osteoblast differentiation and function and indirectly osteoclastogenesis …
Eirini Dermitzaki, Pavlina D. Avgoustinaki, Eirini C. Spyridaki, Panagiotis Simos, Niki Malliaraki, Maria Venihaki, Christos Tsatsanis, Andrew N. Margioris
OBJECTIVE: Adiponectin is the major product of adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to associate adiponectin levels with adipose tissue and metabolic indices. DESIGN: Plasma samples of 274 non-diabetic volunteers were collected to evaluate for adiponectin, inflammatory markers, insulin and lipid parameters. Body fat composition was measured by DEXA. RESULTS: As expected, adiponectin levels correlated with body mass index (BMI) …
Snezana P. Polovina, Dragana Miljic, Sladjana Zivojinovic, Natasa Milic, Dragan Micic, Vera Popovic Brkic
OBJECTIVE: Skeletal development, linear growth, cartilage biology and bone turnover are highly dependent on the activity of thyroid hormones. Thyroid dysfunction affects the skeleton, and autoimmune thyroid disease, manifesting as a chronic inflammatory condition, may be an important contributing factor to impaired bone quality in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Measurement of TSH, FT4, TPOAb and bone mineral density and FRAX score calculations were performed …
Anastassios Philippou, Maria Maridaki, Roxane Tenta, Michael Koutsilieris
OBJECTIVE: Mechanically overloaded muscle and its subsequent damage are strong stimuli for eliciting acute hormonal changes, while the muscle adaptation which occurs following exercise-induced muscle damage may involve complex hormonal responses before the completion of muscle regeneration. The purpose of this study was to investigate systemic responses of various hormones, as well as secreted proteins that are exercise-regulated and associated with muscle adaptation …
Spyridon D. Mantzavinos, Nikolaos P. Vlahos, Demetrios Rizos, Demetrios Botsis, Theodoros N. Sergentanis, Efthimios Deligeoroglou, Themistoklis Mantzavinos
OBJECTIVE: We examined the predictive ability of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) for clinical pregnancy in women who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles in a short agonist protocol. DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study of 222 women undergoing their first IVF attempt between June 2010 and March 2016. Multivariate logistic regression …
Shutan Liao, Mark H. Vickers, Rennae S. Taylor, Mhoyra Fraser, Lesley M.E. McCowan, Philip N. Baker, Jo K. Perry
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether maternal serum concentrations of placental growth hormone (GH-V), insulin-like growth factor (IGF) 1 and 2, and IGF binding proteins (IGFBP) 1 and 3 were altered in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHOD: In a nested case-control study, GDM cases (n=28) and matched controls (n=28) were selected from the Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints (SCOPE) biobank in Auckland, New Zealand …