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Hypoglycaemic syndromes are rare in apparently healthy individuals and their diagnosis can be a difficult challenge for clinicians as there are no shared guidelines that suggest how to approach patients with a suspect hypoglycaemic disorder. Since hypoglycaemia symptoms are common and nonspecific, it's necessary to document the Whipple Triad (signs and/or symptoms compatible with hypoglycaemia; relief of symptoms following glucose administration; low plasma glucose levels) before starting any procedure. Once the triad is documented, a meticulous anamnesis and laboratory tests (blood glucose, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, β-hydroxybutyrate and anti-insulin antibodies) should be performed. Results can guide the physician towards further specific tests, concerning the suspected disease. In this review, we consider all current causes of hypoglycaemia, including rare diseases such as nesidioblastosis and Hirata's syndrome, describe appropriate tests for diagnosis and suggest strategies to differentiate hypoglycaemia aetiology., (© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Background and Aim: The use of technology offers recognized benefits to persons with diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the organization of healthcare facilities, the composition of the diabetes team, and the use of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII) and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) in Italy., Methods and Results: Diabetes care centers were asked to complete a web survey based on information collected in 2018. Sixty-one pediatric and 243 adult centers participated in the survey, accounting for 507,386 patients, mostly with type 2 diabetes (86.4%). Fifty-three percent of pediatric centers and 11% of adult centers reported a team composed of diabetologists, nurses, and psychologists. Overall, 13,204 patients (2.6%) were using CSII (95% with type 1 diabetes), and 28,936 (5.7%), were using CGM (74% with type 1 diabetes). When stratifying for the type of diabetes, 24% and 40.8% of patients with type 1 were using CSII and CGM, respectively, whereas low use of technology was reported for patients with type 2 and women with gestational diabetes. The percentage of adult and pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes on CSII and CGM was respectively 21% and 32%, and 35% and 57%., Conclusions: The spread of CGM and CSII increased in Italy between 2013 and 2018. However, the percentage of users is still lower than what is expected based on clinical indications for use of technology. The inadequate number of professionals in the diabetes care team and insufficient economic resources are relevant barriers to disseminating technology for diabetes management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No competing of interest is applicable for the current study., (Copyright © 2022 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Wider access to continuous glucose monitoring systems, including flash glucose monitoring, has enabled people with diabetes to achieve lower HbA1c levels and reduce the amount of time they spend in hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia, and has improved their quality of life. An International Consensus Panel proposed different target glucose ranges and recommendations according to different ages and situations (adults, young people and children with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, as well as elderly people who are at higher risk of hypoglycaemia, and women with diabetes during pregnancy). In this expert opinion, we interpret the international recommendations in the context of established clinical practice for diabetes care, and propose three different step-by-step algorithms to help the healthcare professionals use the most innovative glucose metrics, including time in glucose ranges, glucose management indicator, coefficient of variation, and ambulatory glucose profile. In detail, we focus on glucose metrics as measured by the FreeStyle Libre system and as visualized on the LibreView digital diabetes platform to support appropriate interpretation of flash glucose monitoring data. This is specifically structured for healthcare professionals and general practitioners who may have a low level of confidence with diabetes technology, with the aim of optimizing diabetes management, ensuring effective use of healthcare resources and to maximise outcomes for people with diabetes., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: To explore the feasibility of upper limbs cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) patients and to compare the results with sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) matched cohort of healthy controls (HC)., Methods and Results: Cardiopulmonary exercise test was performed using an upper limbs cycle ergometer on fasting subjects. Peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) was recorded as the mean value of VO2 during a 20 s period at the maximal effort of the test at an appropriate respiratory exchange rate. The ventilatory anaerobic threshold (AT) was detected by the use of the V-slope method. We performed echocardiography with an ultrasound system equipped with a 2.5 MHz multifrequency transducer for complete M-mode, two-dimensional, Doppler, and Tissue Doppler Imaging analyses. We studied 55 FRDA and 54 healthy matched controls (HC). Peak VO2 showed a significant 31% reduction in FRDA patients compared to HC (15.2 ± 5.7 vs. 22.0 ± 6.1 mL/kg/min; P < 0.001). Peak workload was reduced by 41% in FRDA (42.9 ± 12.5 vs. 73.1 ± 21.2 W; P < 0.001). In FRDA patients, peak VO2 is inversely correlated with the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia score, disease duration, and 9HPT performance, and directly correlated with activities of daily living. The AT occurred at 48% of peak workload time in FRDA patients and at 85% in HC (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Upper limb CPET is useful in the assessment of exercise tolerance and a possible tool to determine the functional severity of the mitochondrial oxidative defect in patients with FRDA. The cardiopulmonary exercise test is an ideal functional endpoint for Phases II and III trials through a simple, non-invasive, and safe exercise test., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2020. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

SCODIAC was a pilot study which revealed an increasing use of SGLT2i in 123 outpatients affected with Heart Failure (HF) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. SCODIAC-II study, the second phase of the program, has been carried out to determine diagnostic and therapeutic pathways in a larger group of patients and to verify whether the use of innovative antidiabetic therapies could modify echocardiographic parameters and cardiovascular therapies. 406 HF-diabetic patients, referred to Cardiologists and Diabetologists of pertaining healthcare districts in Campania, were enrolled in this retrospective study and divided in Group A, composed of 136 patients with preserved Ejection Fraction (HF-pEF)(> 45%) and Group B, formed of 270 patients with reduced EF (HF-rEF)(≤ 45%). All patients had performed periodic clinical and echocardiographic evaluations. The antidiabetic therapies resulted modified after 1 year with a greater use of GLP1-AR, gliptins and SGLT2i. Cardiovascular therapies resulted also modified with a greater use of sacubitril/valsartan and a reduction of ACEi and ARBs in HF-rEF patients. Echocardiography E velocity, A velocity and E/e' ratio resulted markedly reduced in 25 HF-pEF and in 60 HF-rEF patients treated with SGLT2i, in respect to both the whole sample of subjects at beginning and the other diabetic patients. LAVi resulted reduced only in HF-pEF patients and EF increased only in HF-rEF patients. The approach to the patients with HF and diabetes must necessarily take place in the healthcare districts, be multidisciplinary and integrated. SGLT2i could improve left ventricular function in HF-rEF patients and modify cardiovascular therapies, almost in this setting of patients.Trial registration The protocol was approved by the University of Naples Federico II Ethics Committee and registered at ClinicalTrial.gov (CT04375943). The principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki were followed.

Background: Friedreich ataxia is an autosomal recessive disease with no available therapy. Clinical trials with erythropoietin in Friedreich ataxia patients have yielded conflicting results, and the long-term effect of the drug remains unknown., Methods: We designed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial to test the efficacy of epoetin alfa on 56 patients with Friedreich ataxia. The primary endpoint of the study was the effect of epoetin alfa on peak oxygen uptake (VO2 max) at the cardiopulmonary exercise test. Secondary endpoints were frataxin levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, improvement in echocardiography findings, vascular reactivity, neurological progression, upper limb dexterity, safety, and quality of life. Epoetin alfa or placebo (1:1 ratio) was administered subcutaneously at a dose of 1200 IU/Kg of body weight every 12 weeks for 48 weeks., Results: A total of 56 patients were randomized; 27 completed the study in the active treatment group, and 26 completed the study in the placebo group[KG1]. VO2 max was not modified after treatment (0.01 [-0.04 to 0.05]; P = .749), as well as most of the secondary endpoint measures, including frataxin. The 9-hole peg test showed a significant amelioration in the treatment group (-17.24 sec. [-31.5 to -3.0]; P = .018). The treatment was safe and well tolerated., Conclusions: Although results are not in favor of an effect of epoetin alfa in Friedreich ataxia, this is the largest trial testing its effect. It is still possible that epoetin alfa may show some symptomatic effect on upper-limb performance. This study provides class I evidence that erythropoietin does not ameliorate VO2 max in patients with Friedreich ataxia. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society., (© 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.)

Aim: To clarify whether the vasoconstrictory response is impaired and to study vascular function in patients with migraine during the headache attack., Methods: We studied vascular reactivity in the resistance arteries by using the forearm perfusion technique associated with plethysmography. We measured forearm blood flow by strain-gauge plethysmography during intra-brachial infusion of acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside or norepinephrine in 11 controls and 13 patients with migraine, 11 of them (M) in the interval between the migraine attacks and 4 during a headache attack (MH). Written informed consent was obtained from patients and healthy controls, and the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Federico II., Results: Compared to healthy control subjects, in patients with migraine studied during the interictal period, the vasodilating effect of acetylcholine, that acts through the stimulation of endothelial cells and the release of nitric oxide, was markedly reduced, but became normal during the headache attack (P < 0.05 by analysis of variance). The response to nitroprusside, which directly relaxes vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), was depressed in patients with migraine studied during the interictal period, but normal during the headache attack (P < 0.005). During norepinephrine infusion, forearm blood flow decreased in control subjects (-40% ± 5%, P < 0.001). In contrast, in patients with migraine, either when studied during or free of the headache attack forearm blood flow did not change compared to the baseline value (-3% ± 13% and -10.4% ± 15%, P > 0.05)., Conclusion: In migrainers, the impaired relaxation of VSMCs is restored during the headache attack. The vasoconstrictory response is impaired and remains unchanged during the migraine attack.

Objective: Vascular dysfunction and accelerated atherosclerosis are prominent features of hypothyroidism. The relative roles of thyroid hormone (TH) deficiency and the associated vascular risk conditions are still unclear. We studied the impact of acute and chronic hypothyroidism on vascular reactivity., Patients: We studied 12 patients with chronic primary hypothyroidism (cHY; TSH: 52 +/- 14 mU/l), seven patients with acute hypothyroidism secondary to total thyroidectomy (aHY; TSH: 97 +/- 24) and 13 healthy subjects (TSH: 1.2 +/- 0.5)., Measurements: We measured forearm blood flow (FBF) using plethysmography during intra-brachial infusion of: acetylcholine (ACh), sodium nitroprusside (NP) and norepinephrine (NE). We also measured serum C-reactive protein (CRP), TNF-alpha, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and the forearm balance of nitric oxide (NO) during ACh infusion., Results: As compared with the controls, the vasodilatory response to ACh was reduced in cHY (P = 0.001) and aHY (P = 0.04), as was the forearm release of NO (P < 0.05). During NP infusion, FBF rose to 24 +/- 2 ml/dl/min in the controls and to significantly lower values in cHY (12 +/- 1; P = 0.001) and aHY (15 +/- 2; P = 0.004). NE-induced vasoconstriction was similar in the controls and aHY, but blunted in cHY. Serum CRP, TNF-alpha and ADMA were not different in the three groups., Conclusions: (i) Hypothyroidism associates with endothelial and nonendothelial mediated vascular dysfunction; (ii) these defects are evident even after short-term hypothyroidism, indicating that TH deficiency per se is sufficient to alter vascular homeostasis; and (iii) chronic, but not acute, hypothyroidism impairs the vasoconstrictory effect of NE in the resistance vessels.

Background: Recent application of brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in cardiac valvular disease is very promising., Aims: To test the usefulness of NT-proBNP in the assessment of patients with aortic or mitral regurgitation., Patients and Methods: Sixty-seven patients - 23 with aortic and 12 with mitral regurgitation vs. 32 controls - were examined by color Doppler echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLWHFQ) and plasma NT-proBNP assay at rest (T0) and after maximal physical exercise (T1)., Results: NT-proBNP was significantly higher in patients than in controls, both at T0 (298 +/- 85 vs. 46 +/- 11 pg/ml; P < 0.01) and at T1 (366 +/- 106 vs. 50 +/- 12 pg/ml; P < 0.01). MLWHFQ score was significantly higher in patients (19 +/- 3 vs. 1 +/- 0.6; P < 0.001) with a significant inverse correlation with VO2max (r = -0.538, P < 0.001) and a direct correlation with NT-proBNP (T0: r = 0.415, P < 0.01; T1: r = 0.458, P < 0.01). NT-proBNP was inversely correlated with VO2max (T0: r = -0.444, P < 0.001; T1:r = -0.428, P < 0.001) and directly correlated with left atrial diameter (T0: r = 0.370, P < 0.01; T1: r = 0.409, P = 0.001), and left ventricular mass index (r = 0.279, P < 0.01, and r = 0.272, P < 0.01). No correlations were found between echocardiographic parameters of valvular disease severity and VO2max, NT-proBNP and MLWHFQ., Conclusions: NT-proBNP is useful in the assessment of the cardiac functional damage secondary to mitral and aortic regurgitation.

Context: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most prevalent endocrine disorder in the newborn and is routinely treated with life-long levothyroxine replacement therapy. Although several studies have demonstrated that such therapy may impact on the cardiovascular system, little is known with regard to the effects of long-term levothyroxine administration in patients with CH., Objective: The aim of the current study was to evaluate whether long-term levothyroxine replacement therapy in young adults with CH is associated with cardiovascular abnormalities., Patients and Methods: Thirty young adults with CH aged 18.1 +/- 0.2 yr and 30 age- and sex-matched controls underwent cardiac and carotid Doppler ultrasound and symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Hypothyroidism was diagnosed by neonatal screening, and levothyroxine treatment was initiated within the first month of life and carefully adjusted to maintain TSH levels in the normal range and free T(4) in the high-normal range., Results: Compared with controls, hypothyroid patients exhibited left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, impaired exercise capacity, and increased intima-media thickness. At multiple regression analysis, the number of episodes of plasma TSH levels less than 0.5 mU/liter and greater than 4.0 mU/liter from the age of 1 yr onward, and mean TSH plasma levels during puberty were independent predictors of diastolic filling and cardiopulmonary performance indexes (multiple r values: 0.61-0.75)., Conclusions: Long-term levothyroxine treatment in young adults with congenital hypothyroidism is associated with impaired diastolic function and exercise capacity and increased intima-media thickness.

Context: Thyroid hormone regulates several cardiovascular functions, and low T(3) levels are frequently associated with cardiovascular diseases. Whether T(3) exerts any acute and direct effect on endothelial function in humans is unknown., Objective: Our objective was to clarify whether acute changes in serum T3 concentration affect endothelial function., Design, Setting, and Subjects: Ten healthy subjects (age, 24 +/- 1 yr) participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial at a university hospital., Interventions: T3 (or placebo) was infused for 7 h into the brachial artery to raise local T3 to levels observed in moderate hyperthyroidism. Vascular reactivity was tested by intraarterial infusion of vasoactive agents., Main Outcome Measures: We assessed changes in forearm blood flow (FBF) measured by plethysmography., Results: FBF response to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine was enhanced by T3 (P = 0.002 for the interaction between T3 and acetylcholine). The slopes of the dose-response curves were 0.41 +/- 0.06 and 0.23 +/- 0.04 ml/dl x min/microg in the T3 and placebo study, respectively (P = 0.03). T3 infusion had no effect on the FBF response to sodium nitroprusside. T3 potentiated the vasoconstrictor response to norepinephrine (P = 0.006 for the interaction). Also, the slopes of the dose-response curves were affected by T3 (1.95 +/- 0.77 and 3.83 +/- 0.35 ml/dl x min/mg in the placebo and T3 study, respectively; P < 0.05). The increase in basal FBF induced by T3 was inhibited by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine., Conclusions: T3 exerts direct and acute effects on the resistance vessels by enhancing endothelial function and norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction. The data may help clarify the vascular impact of the low T3 syndrome and point to potential therapeutic strategies.

Purpose: To study the prognostic value for overall survival of baseline assessment of functional status, comorbidity, and quality of life (QoL) in elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with chemotherapy., Patients and Methods: Data from 566 patients enrolled onto the phase III randomized Multicenter Italian Lung Cancer in the Elderly Study (MILES) study were analyzed. Functional status was measured as activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL). The presence of comorbidity was assessed with a checklist of 33 items; items 29 and 30 of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core questionnaire QLQ-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) were used to estimate QoL. ADL was dichotomized as none versus one or more dependency. For IADL and QoL, three categories were defined using first and third quartiles as cut points. Comorbidity was summarized using the Charlson scale. Analysis was performed by Cox model, and stratified by treatment arm., Results: Better values of baseline QoL (P = .0003) and IADL (P = .04) were significantly associated with better prognosis, whereas ADL (P = .44) and Charlson score (P = .66) had no prognostic value. Performance status 2 (P = .006) and a higher number of metastatic sites (P = .02) also predicted shorter overall survival., Conclusions: Pretreatment global QoL and IADL scores, but not ADL and comorbidity, have significant prognostic value for survival of elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer who were treated with chemotherapy. Using these scores in clinical practice might improve prognostic prediction for treatment planning.

Epidemiological studies have shown that red wine consumption is associated with less cardiovascular mortality in the general population and in the diabetic patients. To determine whether red wine improves insulin resistance in diabetic patients and to explore the relation between insulin sensitivity and endothelial function, we studied vascular reactivity and insulin-mediated glucose uptake in 9 type 2 diabetic patients before and after 2 weeks of red wine consumption (360 mL/d, wine-treated diabetics) and 8 type 2 diabetic patients who did not consume wine (control diabetics). Vascular reactivity was evaluated by plethysmography during intraarterial infusion of acetylcholine (Ach), sodium nitroprusside, and L-N-monomethylarginine. Forearm nitrite balance was measured during Ach infusion. Insulin sensitivity was measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp at 1 mU/kg per minute. The basal forearm blood flow and the response to Ach, to sodium nitroprusside, and to L-N -monomethylarginine were unchanged both in the wine-treated and in the control diabetics. In contrast, insulin-mediated whole body glucose disposal improved by 43% after red wine consumption (from 2.79 +/- 0.4 to 4.02 +/- 0.5 mg/kg of lean body mass per minute, P = .02), but did not change in the control group. In conclusion, red wine consumption for 2 weeks markedly attenuates insulin-resistance in type 2 diabetic patients, without affecting vascular reactivity and nitric oxide production.

Experimental hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia have been shown to affect vascular reactivity. Chronic red wine consumption is associated with less cardiovascular mortality. Whether ingestion of a natural meal and red wine causes acute changes in vascular homeostasis is poorly understood. The aim of the current study was to clarify whether meal ingestion, with and without red wine, exert acute effects on vascular reactivity in healthy humans. We studied vascular reactivity and forearm nitrite balance in 10 healthy subjects under 3 different circumstances: (1) fasting; (2) after ingestion of a standard natural meal (1,050 kcal); and (3) after the same meal enriched with a glass of red wine. We measured forearm blood flow (FBF) by strain-gauge plethismography during intrabrachial, graded infusion of acetylcholine (ACh), sodium nitroprusside (NP), and norepinephrine (NE). We also measured the forearm balance of nitrite before and during ACh infusion. Despite significant increases in plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, the vasodilatory response to Ach and NP after meal ingestion was not different from the fasting response. Similarly, the vasoconstrictory response to NE was similar postprandially and during fasting. Addition of red wine did not modify the response to any of the vasoactive agents. Finally, the forearm nitrite production during Ach infusion was not different in the 3 experimental settings. Food intake, whether associated or not with red wine, does not affect vascular reactivity in normal human subjects., (Copyright 2004 Elsevier Inc.)

The present study describes supportive care (SC) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), evaluating whether it is affected by concomitant chemotherapy, patient's performance status (PS) and age. Data of patients enrolled in three randomised trials of first-line chemotherapy, conducted between 1996 and 2001, were pooled. The analysis was limited to the first three cycles of treatment. Supportive care data were available for 1185 out of 1312 (90%) enrolled patients. Gastrointestinal drugs (45.7%), corticosteroids (33.4%) and analgesics (23.8%) were the most frequently observed categories. The mean number of drugs per patient was 2.43; 538 patients (45.4%) assumed three or more supportive drugs. Vinorelbine does not produce substantial variations in the SC pattern, while cisplatin-based treatment requires an overall higher number of supportive drugs, with higher use of antiemetics (41 vs 27%) and antianaemics (10 vs 4%). Patients with worse PS are more exposed to corticosteroids (42 vs 30%). Elderly patients require drugs against concomitant diseases significantly more than adults (20 vs 7%) and are less frequently exposed to antiemetics (12 vs 27%). In conclusion, polypharmacotherapy is a relevant issue in patients with advanced NSCLC. Chemotherapy does not remarkably affect the pattern of SC, except for some drugs against side effects. Elderly patients assume more drugs for concomitant diseases and receive less antiemetics than adults.

GH is involved in the long-term regulation of peripheral vascular resistance and vascular reactivity. We determined whether GH plays a role in the acute regulation of vascular function in humans. The acute vascular effects of GH were studied in eight healthy subjects according to a double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Forearm blood flow (FBF), vascular resistance, and nitric oxide (NO) production were monitored during a 4-h infusion of GH into the brachial artery at a rate chosen to raise local GH to stress levels (approximately 40 ng/ml). During GH infusion, FBF rose 75% (P < 0.05), whereas forearm vascular resistance decreased comparably (P < 0.05). These changes were paralleled by augmented forearm release of NO (P < 0.02). GH heightened the response of FBF to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine (Ach; P < 0.02). With the highest Ach dose, FBF reached 30.4 +/- 4.2 and 16.9 +/- 3.1 ml/dl x min in the GH and placebo studies, respectively (P < 0.005). The slopes of the dose-response curves also differed markedly (0.45 +/- 0.07 and 0.25 +/- 0.05 ml/dl x min/ microg in the GH and placebo studies, respectively; P < 0.01). GH caused an upward shift of the FBF response to the endothelium-independent vasodilator sodium nitroprusside (P < 0.01), but did not affect the slope of the dose-response curve. GH infusion did not cause any appreciable increment in the venous IGF-I concentration in the test arm. In conclusion, GH acutely lowers peripheral vascular resistance and stimulates endothelial function. These effects are mediated by activation of the NO pathway and appear to be independent of IGF-I.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that growth hormone (GH) administration to patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) corrects their vascular dysfunction., Background: Endothelial dysfunction is a prominent feature of CHF. Recent evidence indicates that GH plays a role in vascular reactivity., Methods: We studied vascular reactivity in 16 patients with CHF (New York Heart Association class II to III) before and after three months of GH (4 IU subcutaneously every other day) or placebo administration in a randomized, double-blind trial. We measured forearm blood flow (FBF) by strain-gauge plethysmography during intrabrachial, graded infusion of acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (NP). We also measured the forearm balance of nitrite and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) before and during ACh infusion. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was measured by breath-to-breath respiratory gas analysis., Results: Before treatment, the response of FBF to ACh was flat (p = NS). Growth hormone, but not placebo, greatly improved this response (p = 0.03) and, concomitantly, increased the forearm release of nitrite and cGMP (p < 0.05). Growth hormone also potentiated the FBF response to NP (p = 0.013). Growth hormone interacted with ACh response (p = 0.01) but not with the response to NP (p = NS). Accordingly, GH enhanced the slope of the dose-response curve to ACh (p < 0.05) but not to NP. The VO2max increased significantly after GH treatment (20 +/- 2 and 26 +/- 2 ml x Kg(-1) x min(-1) before and after GH treatment, respectively, p < 0.05) but not after placebo., Conclusions: A three-month treatment with GH corrected endothelial dysfunction and improved non-endothelium-dependent vasodilation in patients with CHF. The data highlight the potential role of GH in the progression of congestive heart failure.

Background: Serum alpha-L-fucosidase activity is considered a marker of hepatocellular carcinoma. To the authors' knowledge, its clinical usefulness in the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in the follow-up of cirrhotic patients has not been reported previously., Methods: The authors prospectively studied serum alpha-L-fucosidase activity, in addition to alpha-fetoprotein and ultrasonography, in a regular screening of 132 cirrhotic patients during an 8-year follow-up., Results: At enrollment, 120 patients had low alpha-L-fucosidase activity (below the cutoff value) and 12 had high activity. All patients had serum alpha-fetoprotein levels below the cutoff value. During the follow-up, hepatocellular carcinoma was detected in 19 patients, 16 with alpha-L-fucosidase activity below the cutoff value at enrollment and 3 with activity above it. In 7 of those 16 patients with carcinoma and low enzyme activity, the enzyme activity showed a significant increase 6-9 months before there was ultrasonographic evidence of a focal lesion, and by the time of diagnosis it had risen above the cutoff value in all of them; in only 3 of the 7 patients was the increase in alpha-L-fucosidase activity associated with an increase in alpha-fetoprotein. In another 4 of the 19 patients with carcinoma, only alpha-fetoprotein increased., Conclusions: Serum alpha-L-fucosidase activity is useful in the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma. The data from this study suggest that cirrhotic patients who have a marked increase in serum alpha-L-fucosidase levels during follow-up should be closely monitored for signs of hepatocellular carcinoma development.