George A. Garinis
The physicochemical constitution of DNA cannot warrant lifelong stability. Yet, unlike all other macromolecules, nuclear DNA must last the lifetime of a cell ensuring that its vital genetic information is preserved and faithfully transmitted to progeny…
Ioannis Kyrou, Constantine Tsigos
Chronic stress represents a prolonged state of dyshomeostasis caused by intense and frequently imposed stressors. Obesity constitutes a chronic dysmetabolic state, leading progressively to a spectrum of metabolic complications, such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Α growing body of evidence supports the existence of significant interactions between stress and obesity …
Catherine Dacou-Voutetakis
The case presented by Petzold et al in this issue1 highlights certain critical aspects of management of the child and adolescent with endocrine problems which are both of theoretical and practical interest. First, the discrepancy between the hormonal profile and the clinical manifestations …
Eero Kajantie
During the last two decades, a considerable body of evidence has emerged showing that circumstances during the fetal period and childhood may have lifelong programming effects on different body functions with a considerable impact on disease susceptibility …
Andrzej Bartke, Michael Bonkowski, Michal Masternak
In laboratory mice, suppression of growth hormone (GH) signaling by spontaneous mutations or targeted disruption of GH- or IGF1-related genes can lead to an impressive increase of longevity…
Athina Kaprara, Gerasimos E. Krassas
The relation of thyroid autoimmunity to miscarriage is an important issue that has attracted the interest of many investigators. A number of papers have been published so far, which include healthy women, women with recurrent miscarriage and those undergoing assisted reproductive techniques. Most studies have shown a significant positive association between the presence of thyroid autoantibodies and miscarriage rate…
Evangelia Zapanti, Konstantinos Terzidis, George Chrousos
Abnormalities of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis have been documented in HIV patients in the early as well as late stages of the infection and range from subtle subclinical disturbances to frank adrenal insufficiency. Potential etiologies of these disorders include opportunistic infections, neoplasms …
Dimitrios Galaris, Michalis Mantzaris, Christos Amorgianiotis
According to the free radical theory of aging proposed by Denham Harman more than 50 years ago, oxidatively modified cellular components accumulate continuously in the cells during the organism’s lifespan leading to progressive decline of cellular functions. Since then, it has been shown that proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and other cell components undergo reversible and/or irreversible oxidative modifications during aging …
Zvi Laron
Primary or secondary IGF1 deficiency has been implicated in shortening of lifespan. This paper reviews available data on the influence of IGF1 deficiency on lifespan and longevity in animals and man…
Anastasia Sfikakis, Pothitos M. Pitychoutis, Katerina Antoniou, Nikolaos Bikas, Zeta Papadopoulou-Daifoti
OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the impact of emotional and surgical stress applied in two hormonally different estrous-cycle phases as well as the hypothalamic dopaminergic involvement on the rapid compensatory adrenal growth (CAG) and the individual adrenal growth (IAG) in rats. DESIGN: After surgery for left and sham adrenalectomy (Adx) carried out on either diestrus-2 (DE-2) or proestrus (PE) …
Angeliki Galani, Sophia Kitsiou-Tzeli, Christalena Sofokleous, Emmanuel Kanavakis, Ariadni Kalpini-Mavrou
The end-organ resistance to androgens has been designated as Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS), an X-linked disorder caused by mutations in the Androgen Receptor (AR) gene. It is generally accepted that defects in the AR gene prevent the normal development of both internal and external genital structures in 46,XY individuals …
Melpomeni Peppa, Jaime Uribarri, Helen Vlassara
Aging and related diseases are accompanied by increased Oxidative Stress (OS) and accumulation of Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs). One important component of AGEs accumulation with aging appears to be the sustained exposure to dietary AGE (dAGEs), which contributes to overloading of anti-AGE receptors and depletion of anti-oxidant reserves …
Roberta Giordano, Lorenza Bonelli, Elisa Marinazzo, Ezio Ghigo, Emanuela Arvat
This paper will focus on the rationale of using Growth Hormone (GH) as an anti-ageing therapy in the healthy elderly with age-related decline in the activity of the GH/IGF-I axis, the so called “somatopause”. Although the age-related decline in the activity of the GH/IGF-I axis is considered to contribute to age-related changes …
Robin P. Peeters
With an increase in age, marked changes in thyroid hormone production, metabolism, and action occur. This results in an increased prevalence of (subclinical) thyroid disease in the elderly…
Adeela Shahid, Khalid P. Lone, Sadia Saeed, Muhammad Arslan
OBJECTIVE: We studied the influence of positive family history (FH) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in male offspring using multiple metabolic and endocrine parameters in order to assess whether one or more of these parameters can be used as indicators for T2DM development later in life. DESIGN: Fifty male subjects with one diabetic parent (ODP) and thirty with both diabetic parents …
Nikolaos Vitoratos, Georgios Valsamakis, George Mastorakos, Anastassios Boutsiadis, Nikolaos Salakos, Evagelia Kouskouni, George Creatsas
OBJECTIVE: To investigate maternal serum adiponectin and Ιnterleukin-1beta (IL-1β) levels during the pre- and post-partum periods in pregnant women with and without Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). DESIGN: Thirty control pregnant Caucasian women without GDM and thirty Body Mass Index (BMI) and age-matched Caucasian women with GDM examined in the outpatient clinic between …
Dimitrios G. Goulis, Paris Polychronou, Themistokis Mikos, Grigorios Grimbizis, Sriridon Gerou, Vassiliki Pavlidou, Athanasios Papanikolaou, Basil C. Tarlatzis, Ioannis N. Bontis, Ioannis Papadimas
Objective: Inhibin-B (Inh-B) is produced by Sertoli cells and controls Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) secretion through a negative feedback mechanism. The primary aim of this study was to compare Ιnh-B with FSH as predictors of the recovery of sperm in testicular fine needle aspirate in men with azoospermia …
Ilpo Huhtaniemi, Juuso I. Mäkinen, Antti Perheentupa, Olli T. Raitakari
Interest has arisen during the last 10 years as to the possible connection between the age-related decline in androgen production and symptoms of ageing in men. A new ageing-related syndrome with several descriptive names …
Vassiliki Syriou, Anestis Moisidis, Nikolaos Tamouridis, Krystallenia I. Alexandraki, Margarita Anapliotou
We present a 73-year-old man with isolated adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency and “flexion contractures” syndrome along with a review of the relevant literature. The patient initially presented anorexia, vomiting, arthralgias, malaise, and weight loss, which progressively deteriorated during the subsequent 6 months. He was admitted to the hospital with fever, confusion, severe cachexia, sinus tachycardia, low blood pressure …
Ioanna Dimopoulou, Marinella Tzanela, Dimitra Vassiliadi, Irini Mavrou, Petros Kopterides, Stylianos Orfanos, Anastasia Kotanidou, Styliani Kontogiannopoulou, Spyridon Vasdekis, Iraklis Tsangaris, Apostolos Armaganidis, Anastasios Macheras, Ioannis Ilias, Georgia Kostopanagiotou, Stylianos Tsagarakis
OBJECTIVE: Perioperative pituitary-adrenal responses after major abdominal surgery have not been well characterized. The aim of the present study was to further clarify perioperative pituitary-adrenal responses. DESIGN: Thirty-six patients (20 men), aged 68±10 years (mean±SD), undergoing major abdominal operations were studied …
Katerina Saltiki, Adrianna Cimponeriu, Kyriaki Lili, Melpomeni Peppa, Eleni Anastasiou, Maria Alevizaki
Objective: Coronary artery disease (CAD) risk increases in women after the menopause. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of diabetes on the severity of CAD in postmenopausal women undergoing coronary angiography. Design: 180 postmenopausal women underwent coronary angiography for suspected CAD …
Yogendra S. Rajawat, Ioannis Bossis
Autophagy (ATG) is the process of bulk degradation and recycling of long-lived proteins, macromolecular aggregates, and damaged intracellular organelles. Cellular homeostasis requires continuous removal of worn-out components and replacement …
Baris Akinci, Serkan Yener, Goksel Bengi, Sena Yesil
It is widely known that metformin reduces the levels of circulating pro-coagulant factors and improve fibrinolytic activity in type 2 diabetes when used in therapeutic doses. Potential alterations of coagulation have not been reported in patients with metformin intoxication. We evaluated certain components of the coagulation system in a patient with metformin intoxication upon admission and after recovery…
Eugenia I. Marova, Nikolay P. Goncharov, Galina S. Kolesnikova, Svetlana D. Arapova, Anastasiya M. Lapshina
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the direct action of desmopressin (agonist of vasopressin) on the hypophysis and the three zones of the adrenal cortex in patients with different forms of hypercortisolism. DESIGN: Forty-three patients with hypercortisolism—21 with Cushing’s disease (14 females, 7 males), 11 with extrapituitary …
Gulcin Akinci, Baris Akinci, Senol Coskun, Petek Bayindir, Zeliha Hekimsoy, Bilgin Ozmen
Objective: Childhood obesity is associated with impaired endothelial function, insulin resistance and inflammation. Being at risk for overweight has been defined as having a body mass index (BMI) between the 85th and 94th percentile for age and sex. In this study, we looked for features linked to cardiovascular risk in children who are at risk for overweight …