Richard Fleming
Insulin resistance is an important “upstream” driver for reproductive and metabolic abnormalities in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). This theoretical background is now supported by substantial evidence for treating women with PCOS with insulin sensitising agents such as metformin or the thiazolidinediones…
Gerasimos P. Sykiotis, Panagiotis A. Konstantinopoulos, Athanasios G. Papavassiliou
The biomedical sciences are currently in transition between the bloom of fundamental knowledge and the fruition of specialized clinical application.1 Following the success of the Human Genome Project, the roadmap is now in place for the description of physiology and illness in molecular terms…
Polyzois Makras, Georgios Toloumis, Dimitrios Papadogias, Gregory A. Kaltsas, Michael Besser
Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is a physically and psychologically disabling disease associated with high morbidity resulting from inappropriate elevation of circulating free cortisol levels. The main features of CS are disturbance of the normal circadian rhythm of cortisol secretion, impairment of the normal feedback of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis …
Ioannis Ilias, Salvatore Alesci, Philip W. Gold, George P. Chrousos
The longer life expectancy of women than that of men and, therefore, the longer exposure to fracture risk has, at least partially, led to neglect of osteoporosis in men. Recently, unipolar depression, which is 2 times more frequent in women than in men, has been linked to osteoporosis…
Jeffrey R. Garber
Stelios Fountoulakis, Agathocles Tsatsoulis
Blood pressure (BP) is the outcome of the interaction of intravascular volume, cardiac output and peripheral resistance. Hypertension is defined as BP exceeding 139/89 mmHg, whereas “pre-hypertension” refers to systolic BP of 120 to 139 mmHg or a diastolic BP of 80 to 89 mmHg. Traditionally, hypertension has been subdivided into two forms: essential or primary and secondary…
Petya Kamenova
BACKGROUND: Amelioration of insulin resistance could improve both glycaemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Alpha-lipoic acid has been shown to improve insulin action after parenteral administration. OBJECTIVE: the aim of the study was to assess the effect of oral administration of alpha-lipoic acid on insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes…
Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis, Christina Piperi, Georgia Argyrakopoulou, Jiovanna Spina, Lambrini Papanastasiou, Angeliki Bergiele, Dimitrios Panidis
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex and heterogeneous disorder characterized by hyperandrogenemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and chronic anovulation. It is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age with an enigmatic pathophysiologic and molecular basis. The high prevalence of affected …
Dragana Miljic, Predrag Miljic, Mirjana Doknic, Sandra Pekic, Marina Djurovic, Milica Colovic, Vera Popovic
BACKGROUND: In rodents, Growth Hormone (GH) has been shown to stimulate coagulation parameters, including Prothrombin Time (PT), activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) and vitamin K dependent coagulation factors. However, there are no reports on the influence of GH replacement therapy on global coagulation tests in Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD)…
Sofia K. Leka, Sofia Kitsiou-Tzeli, Ariadni Kalpini-Mavrou, Emmanuel Kanavakis
Since its discovery in 1997, knowledge about the SHOX gene (Short stature HOmeoboX-containing gene) has rapidly advanced. Although originally described as causing idiopathic short stature, SHOX mutations are also responsible for growth retardation in Lιri-Weill dyschondrosteosis, Langer mesomelic dysplasia and Turner syndrome…
Maria Bougoulia, Athanassios Triantos, George Koliakos
OBJECT IVE: T he aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of adipose tissue related hormones, cytokines, and antioxidative substances in obese women before and after intervention with diet alone or with diet plus an inhibitor of gastrointestinental lipase-orlistat…
George E. Christodoulakos, Irene V. Lambrinoudaki, Demetrios A. Rizos, Andreas Alexandrou, Apostolos V. Kountouris, George C. Creatsas
OBJECTIVE: The determinants of serum homocysteine in healthy postmenopausal women remain uncertain. The aim of this study was the assessment of the association of endogenous sex steroids with serum homocysteine levels in healthy postmenopausal women not on hormone therapy…
Theodore K. Alexandrides, Konstantina Kouloubi, Apostolos G. Vagenakis, Spyros Yarmenitis, Trifon Spyridonidis, Pavlos Vassilakos, Dimitris Apostolopoulos
Parathyroid scintigraphy and high-resolution ultrasonography are frequently used as preoperative localization procedures in primary hyperparathyroidism. However, when thyroid disease coexists, their diagnostic accuracy is probably abated. DESIGN: 56 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism were prospectively evaluated with parathyroid scintigraphy…
Menelaos L. Batrinos
Over the past two decades a plethora of publications and clinical practice data have established that subclinical thyroid dysfunction is a common condition occurring much more frequently than the overt expression of thyroid disease. Subclinical hypothyroidism is considered to be the most common of these entities…
Stavros Gourgiotis, Panagiotis Moustafellos, Charalabos Stratopoulos, Vasilis Vougas, Spiros Drakopoulos, Evangelos Hadjiyannakis
OBJECTIVE: renal hyperparathyroidism (rH) is one of the most serious complications in long-term hemodialysis patients. the purpose of this retrospective study was the evaluation of the surgical indications, parathyroid histology, and the results of total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation (Ptx+At) in patients with rH…
George N. Zografos, Athina Markou, Chrisanthi Ageli, Nikos Kopanakis, Spiros Koutmos, Gregory Kaltsas, George Piaditis, George I. Papastrati
OBJECTIVE. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has rapidly replaced open adrenalectomy as the procedure of choice for benign adrenal tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term results of 100 consecutive laparoscopic and open adrenalectomies performed during a period of 8.5 years in our Surgical Unit…
Maria Bougoulia, Athanassios Triantos, George Koliakos
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6), glutathione peroxidase and isoprostane in obese women and their association with markers of cardiovascular risk factors before and after weight loss. DESIGN: 36 healthy obese women of reproductive age (group A: age (mean ±SD) 35.4 ± 9.2 years, Body Mass Index (BMI) 38.5±7 kg/m2) and 30 healthy, normal weight women …
Krystallenia Alexandraki, Athanasios D. Protogerou, Theodoros G. Papaioannou, Christina Piperi, George Mastorakos, John Lekakis, Dimitrios Panidis, Evanthia Diamanti-Kandarakis
OBJECTIVE: During the last decade cardiovascular risk factors and endothelial dysfunction have been shown to be present early in life in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). The aim of the present study was a global assessment of abnormalities in the arterial bed of young women with PCOS by non-invasive, reproducible methods…
Dimitrios G. Goulis, Paschalia K. Iliadou, Athanasios Papanicolaou, Ioannis Georgiou, Anthi Chatzikyriakidou, Spiridon Gerou, Ioannis N. Bontis, Ioannis Papadimas
An 18-year old, phenotypically female individual was examined for primary amenorrhea. Three months before her referral, the patient underwent surgery and a pelvic mass was removed. The physical examination revealed normal female external genitalia, normal breast development, sparse pubic hair and absence of axillary hair…
Sarantis Livadas, Dimitrios J. Hadjidakis, Maria I. Argyropoulou, Maria Stamatelatou, Dimitrios Kelekis, Sotirios A. Raptis
Acromegaly is caused by excessive growth hormone secretion, usually from a pituitary adenoma. The use of somatostatin analogues as primary or adjunctive therapy has been widely applied in the management of acromegaly. We are aware of only three reported cases of complete shrinkage of a pituitary adenoma after long-term analogue administration…
Maria Papadopoulou, Sofia Doula, Kostas Kitsios, Themistoklis Kaltsas, Konstantina Kosta
The McCune-Albright Syndrome (MAS) is a sporadic rare disease first described in 1936 by McCune and separately by Albright. MAS is characterized by a triad of physical signs: café-au-lait spots, polyostotic fibrous dysplasia and autonomous endocrine hyperfunction. MAS is predominantly observed in girls and is rarely reported in males…
Eftychia Chala, Christos Manes, Helias Iliades, Georgios Skaragkas, Despina Mouratidou, Efthymios Kapantais
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate insulin values, insulin resistance, growth factors and cytokine levels in women suffering from breast cancer and the effect of chemotherapy on these parameters. DESIGN: In a prospective study, glucose and insulin values were determined in ten previously undiagnosed diabetic postmenopausal women with stage IV breast cancer (hepatic metastases excluded) during an oral glucose tolerance test …
Ioannis Habeos, Venetsana Kyriazopoulou, Dionysios Chartoumpekis, Agathoklis Psyrogiannis
A 40-year old male residing in the Mediterranean region and afflicted with chronic pancreatitis and diabetes is presented. This is a case of chronic calcific non-alcoholic pancreatitis with characteristic intraductal calculi on abdominal X-ray. Five years following the initial episode of pancreatitis …
John C. Maroulis, Constantinos Fourtounas, John G. Vlachojannis, Nikolaos Siasos, Dionysios Karavias, Dionysios Chartoumpekis, Ioannis Habeos
A 43-year old Caucasian male with end-stage renal disease presented with painful skin lesions and high calcium phosphate product that did not respond to medical treatment. Skin biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of calciphylaxis. Urgent parathyroidectomy was performed and resulted in decrease in the calcium phosphate product and improvement of his symptoms and signs …
Nese Ozbey, Altay Sencer, Sinan Tanyolac, Ramazan Kurt, Serra Sencer, Bilge Bilgic, Inan Turantan, Senay Molvalilar
A patient with an intrasellar germinoma leading to pituitary stalk thickening is reported. The patient, a 24-year old woman, presented with hyperprolactinemia, secondary hypothyroidism, and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with no evidence of diabetes insipidus. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination revealed an increased number of lymphocytes and histiocytes…