Volume 3 (2004) – HORMONES (Archive)

Unresolved issues, dilemmas and points of interest in thyroid cancer: A current perspective

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Nicholas J Sarlis, Loukas Gourgiotis

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the commonest endocrine malignancy. In the overwhelming majority of cases, thyroid carcinomas are well-differentiated malignancies that respond favorably to treatment; however, this outcome cannot be absolutely guaranteed. The absence of large prospective randomized clinical trials in TC—due to its low incidence and protracted clinical course in cases with persistent/recurrent metastatic disease—results in considerable debates regarding the optimal treatment and follow-up regimens in this malignancy…

The human skin as a hormone target and an endocrine gland

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Christos C. Zouboulis

Hormones influence the development and function of human skin which also produces and releases hormones. Recently attention has been focused on identifying and understanding the complex endocrine properties of human skin, such as expression and function of specific hormone receptors, synthesis of hormones from major classes of compounds used by the body for general purposes …

The Pathophysiology of Miscarriage in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Review and Proposed Hypothesis of Mechanisms Involved

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Paulina A. Essah, Kai I. Cheang, John E. Nestler

The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by chronic anovulation and hyperandrogenism, and is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility in developed countries^1,2. Affected women suffer not only from infertility, but also from a high rate of early pregnancy loss, defined as miscarriage during the first trimester …

Recent developments in transsphenoidal surgery of pituitary tumors

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Panagiotis Nomikos, Rudolf Fahlbusch, Michael Buchfelder

Despite recent and ongoing advances in the pharmacological and radiotherapeutic management of pituitary tumors, surgery remains the therapy of choice for the vast majority of these lesions. Both transsphenoidal and transcranial microsurgery of pituitary adenomas and of other sella lesions are well established, safe and highly efficient therapeutic procedures…

The role of estrogens in cardiovascular disease in the aftermath of clinical trials

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Lambrini Gouva, Agathocles Tsatsoulis

The effects of estrogens on reproductive tissues and climacteric symptoms are unambiguous. However, their effects on other tissues and, in particular, the cardiovascular system remain controversial. In general, premenopausal women are protected from coronary heart disease (CHD) compared with aged-matched men but this `female protection’ appears to be lost after menopause, suggesting beneficial effects of female sex hormones on the cardiovascular system…

Pegvisomant: a new treatment modality for acromegaly

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Niki Karavitaki, John AH Wass

Acromegaly, a multisystemic disease resulting from excessive growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels in adults, is associated with a two-to-threefold increase in mortality. The available treatment options (surgery, radiotherapy and medical treatment with somatostatin analogues or dopamine agonists) fail to achieve the currently accepted goals of therapy in a substantial number of patients …

The Adult Consequences of Feminising Genital Surgery in Infancy. A Growing Skepticism

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Sarah M. Creighton

In contemporary management of the infant with ambiguous genitalia assigned to a female gender surgery plays a central role. Once the infant is assigned to a female sex of rearing, feminising genital surgery almost always follows in an attempt to restore normality. This management is now being challenged by adult patients and other medical …

Management of Diabetic Retinopathy. An Overview

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Eustratios V. Gotzaridis, Athina Markou, Zdenek Gregor

Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus experience a high incidence of severe ocular complications and are more likely to have significant ocular problems during their lifetimes. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), however, make up the majority of clinical cases with diabetic eye disease because of the higher incidence of DM2…

Hormones in sports: growth hormone abuse

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Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis, Dimitrios Tsilakis, Stefanos Lazarides, Helen Kandarakis, Angeliki Bergele

“Altius, citius, fortius”: higher, faster, stronger. These words from ancient times still today express the endeavour of athletes to beat records and gain victory. This endeavour has never been easy and becomes harder every day as the records climb higher. Many athletes are thus tempted to use artificial substances that enhance power, stamina and body structure…

Glucocorticoids and bone: cellular, metabolic and endocrine effects

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Mauro Doga, Stefania Bonadonna, Andrea Giustina

Chronic exposure to excessive concentrations of endogenous cortisol or to pharmacologic doses of glucocorticoids (GCs) causes multiple deleterious effects on body structure and function. Osteopenia, osteoporosis and bone fractures are well recognized consequences of excessive GC exposure, with fractures being a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in the elderly. In particular, GCs have profound effects on bone metabolism, acting at many sites…

Growth, pubertal development, skeletal maturation and bone mass acquisition in athletes

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Neoklis A. Georgopoulos, Kostas B. Markou, Anastasia Theodoropoulou, George A. Vagenakis, Panagiotis Mylonas, Apostolos G. Vagenakis

The genetic potentials for growth can be fully expressed only under favourable environmental conditions. Excessive physical training may negatively affect growth, especially during puberty. Sports that require a strict control of energy input in the presence of a high energy output are of particular concern. In gymnastics, a different pattern in skeletal maturation was observed …

Histopathology of Thyroid Tumors. An Overview

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Chrisoula D. Scopa

Thyroid cancer accounts for approximately 1% of total cancer cases in developed countries. It affects all age groups, although it is rare in children. Thyroid tumors are more frequent in women than in men. Despite their relative rarity they exhibit a wide range of morphological patterns and biological behavior which may explain the great interest in these neoplasms of both pathologists and clinicians…

The effect of long-term somatostatin analogue treatment on free and total insulin-like growth factor (IGF) -I, -II and IGF binding protein -1, -2 and -3 serum levels in euthyroid patients with active thyroid eye disease

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Gerasimos Krassas, Nikolaos Pontikides, Argyrios Dumas, Jan Frystyk, Jian-WenChen, Allan Flyvbjerg

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of long-term somatostatin analogue (SM-a) treatment on serum levels of free (F) and total (T) insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, -II and IGF binding protein (IGFBP) – 1, -2 and -3 in euthyroid patients with active thyroid ophthalmopathy. For this purpose, we measured the above-mentioned parameters …

Increased leptin levels in preeclampsia: associations with BMI, estrogen and SHBG levels

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Acromite Michael, Ziotopoulou Mary, Orlova Christine, Mantzoros Christos

Leptin is secreted mainly by the white adipose tissue but is also synthesized in several non-adipose tissue organs including the placenta. Serum leptin levels are increased in normal pregnancies and are higher in preeclamptic than normal pregnant women. There is, however, a lack of empirical evidence of an independent association of serum leptin levels and preeclamsia …

A Paradox: The Roles of Inositolphosphoglycans in mediating insulin sensitivity and Hyperandrogenism in the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

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Kai I. Cheang, Paulina Essah, John E. Nestler

Current evidence suggests that insulin resistance contributes to the pathophysiologic features of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The observation that insulin resistance is a central feature of PCOS leads to studies of the insulin signaling system in this disorder. This article reviews the possible role of putative insulin mediators, inositolphosphoglycans (IPG) mediators, in PCOS. We will focus on how IPGs mediate (a) hyperandrogenism and (b) insulin sensitivity in this disorder…

Factors associated with body mass index in adults from Northern Greece

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Themistoklis Tzotzas, Theodoros Konstantinidis, Maria Bougoulia, Gerasimos E. Krassas

The aim of this large scale epidemiological cross-sectional study was to investigate potential factors, such as age, gender, socioeconomic status (measured as educational level and profession), smoking habits and physical activity, that could influence Body Mass Index (BMI) in a large sample of Greeks of Central Macedonia. Overall, 4032 adults (1296 males and 2736 females), age: 44.3±14.5 y (mean ± SD) participated in this study.

The concurrence of Microalbuminuria and Retinopathy with Cardiovascular Risk Factors; reliable predictors of Asymptomatic Coronary Artery Disease in Type 2 Diabetes

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George Ioannidis, Melpomeni Peppa, Phivi Rontogianni, Michael Callifronas, Christos Papadimitriou, Georgia Chrysanthopoulou, Lambros Anthopoulos, Matina Kesse, Nicolaos Thalassinos

People with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) have a greater risk for premature morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease than the general population: cardiovascular disease accounts for 75% of deaths in this population group. We examined whether or not the association of clinical cardiovascular risk factors (RF) with both …

Clinical aspects of hyperthyroidism in hospitalised patients in Albania

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Feçor Agaçi

The purpose of this study was to evaluate certain clinical aspects of hyperthyroidism in Albania, which is an iodine deficient country, as it is known that iodine intake may influence the type of thyroid hyperfunction. The files of sixty-six patients with thyrotoxicosis who were hospitalised for their disease were retrospectively analysed. 59.1% of these patients suffered from toxic multinodular goiter …

Roles of Protein Kinase A (PKA) and PKC on Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (CRH)-Induced Elevation of Cytosolic Calcium from Extra- and Intra-cellular Sources

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Irini Dermitzaki, Christos Tsatsanis, Vassiliki-Ismini Alexaki, Elias Castanas, Andrew N. Margioris

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) affects cytosolic calcium ion levels. The aim of the present work was to examine the role of protein kinase A (PKA)- and PKC-dependent signalling pathways in mediating the effect of CRH on calcium ion influx (from extra-cellular sources) and calcium ion mobilization (from intra-cellular stores)…

Growth hormone deficiency associated with moyamoya disease in a 16 year-old boy

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Maria Kalina, Barbara Kalina-Faska, Katarzyna Wojaczynska-Stanek, Ewa Malecka-Tendera, Elzbieta Marszal

Moyamoya disease is a rare cerebrovascular disorder which, according to a few literature reports, can coexist with hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction. We report a 16 year-old boy referred to our Department because of short stature and headaches. He additionally, at admission, presented discrete facial dysmorphy, bruxism, luxation of temporomandibular joint …

Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis in an adult patient manifested as recurrent skull lesions and Diabetes Insipidus

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Polyzois Makras, Dimitris Papadogias, Chrysoula Samara, Athanasios Zetos, Gregory Kaltsas, George Piaditis, Antony C Chu

We describe a 57-year old female with the diagnosis of skull and meningeal Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis who was treated with the combination of azathioprine and methotrexate. Although the skull lesions improved considerably on this regimen, the patient developed diabetes insipidus while the anterior pituitary function remained intact…

Growth without growth hormone (GH): A case report

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Polyzois Makras, Dimitris Papadogias, Grigoris Kaltsas, Nikolaos Kaklas, Georgios Piaditis

Growth without growth hormone (GH) has occasionally been described in patients with organic pituitary pathology, and even more rarely in patients with idiopathic pituitary hormone deficiency. The mechanism of growth without GH remains a mystery. We describe a 17-year old male who grew 38.5 cm in height over a 7-year period, despite the fact that he had established panhypopituitarism…

The significance of the number seven in ancient Greece and its relation to Endocrinology

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Menalaos L. Batrinos

Many ancients held various beliefs about the supernatural virtues of certain numbers. In ancient Greece, the school of Pythagoras (590 BC) taught the doctrine of the numerical essence of natural events. In accordance with this theory, the number 7 was considered a sacred number and thus vital to human life…

A Tribute to Carl Adolph von Basedow: To commemorate 150 years since his death

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Leonidas H. Duntas

With this original description of a case of hyperthyroidism and exophthalmous, the German physician Carl Adolph von Basedow masterfully described a disorder characterized by a triad of hyperthyroidism, goiter and exophthalmous in a publication that included three cases …

Treatment of recurrent gastrointestinal haemorrhage in a patient with von Willebrand’s disease with administration of octreotide LAR and propranolol

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Napoleon Krikis, Konstantinos Tziomalos, Vasilios Perifanis, Sofia Vakalopoulou, Asterios Karagiannis, Vasilia Garypidou, Fedon Harsoulis

We report a patient with von Willebrand’ s disease who had had recurrent and life-threatening bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. Despite extensive investigation, no apparent cause of haemorrhage was identified. He was successfully treated with combined administration of octreotide LAR (long-acting release) and propranolol. This is the first report on the successful use of octreotide LAR in a patient with von Willebrand’ s disease…